Corsairs beat Castleton University to tip off socially distanced season

Jan 24, 2021

After 332 days away from the court, men’s basketball has returned to UMass Dartmouth.

In the first game of his winter season, UMass Dartmouth senior Jake Ashworth of Fairhaven scored 23 points to help the Corsairs beat Castleton University 76-41 on Jan. 23.

Things were off to a quick start for the Corsairs, with an 18-4 advantage in the opening 10-plus minutes of play. Before the end of the first half, Ashworth went on a 9-0 run to build to a 36-20 lead at the break.

While Castleton scored five of the first seven points after intermission to climb within 13 points, the Corsairs scored 14 points of their own over a five-minute stretch to take a 52-25 lead on a jump shot with 12:16 remaining in the game. 

After a 15-0 run, the Corsairs notched their fifth win over the Spartans since Castleton joined the Little East Conference in 2018.

Head Coach Brian Baptiste said that while he had some concerns going into the game — mostly with only a small window of preparation due to the pandemic — he was pleased with the way his team handled the first game back.

“I thought we were able to do many things well, especially with our ball movement and identifying the open man,” he said. “We took advantage of our opportunities, and I liked our defensive pressure.”  

Most of all, the coach added, he and his team are “just looking forward to the opportunity to continue to play.”

The Corsairs will travel to Providence on Wednesday to take on Rhode Island College.