Slow start dooms UMass women’s basketball against Davidson 

By GARRETT COTE

A slow start plagued the UMass women’s basketball team in its 72-42 road loss to Davidson on Wednesday night. The Minutewomen scored just eight points in the first quarter and found themselves down nine at the end of the frame. Although UMass played...

H.S. Roundup: Pioneer boys basketball pulls away from Hopkins 

Riding high off a win over Greenfield last Friday, the Pioneer boys basketball team continued its strong play on Wednesday against Hopkins. The Panthers pulled ahead 42-20 at the half and outscored the Golden Hawks 18-9 in the third quarter to pull...

“Nice call, ref”: Pulling back the curtain in regard to the high school basketball officiating situation in western Massachusetts

By GARRETT COTE

A couple weeks ago, I sat inside Smith Academy’s Sherry Webb Gymnasium in Hatfield to cover a girls basketball game between the Falcons and Duggan Academy of Springfield. As the game progressed, the displeasure from supporters only grew louder – and...

Bement School eighth grader Sebastian Garro relishing the rewards as 1st person to sink Crumpin-Fox Club Full Court Putt at UMass basketball game

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Sebastian Garro has been playing golf since he was 5 years old. He never could have imagined when all that practice would pay off. Garro — an eighth grader at Bement School in Deerfield — attended the UMass men’s basketball game against South Florida...

On the Ridge with Joe Judd: Ridgeline resolutions

Here we are skirting along into the last week of January and I’m just getting my 2024 resolutions in under the wire before we say goodbye. Illness, and eventually COVID, have kept me down this month. Plus, the recent illness and passing of my dear...

UMass basketball: Saint Joseph’s hands Minutemen another heartbreaking loss 78-77

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — Heartbreak struck the UMass men’s basketball team for the second time in three games on Tuesday night at the Mullins Center.Clinging to a one-point lead with 12.5 seconds left after Rahsool Diggins’ acrobatic layup put the Minutemen ahead,...

H.S. Roundup: Caleb Murray’s 20 points powers Greenfield boys basketball past Frontier (PHOTOS)

It always seems to be a close game when the Greenfield and Frontier boys basketball teams meet, and Tuesday was no different. The Green Wave held a 32-27 lead at the half, took a 48-43 lead after three quarters and pulled away in the fourth quarter to...

Hockey: Spencer McDonald, Amherst put together complete effort in 4-0 win over Greenfield (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

AMHERST — The Amherst hockey team played a nearly flawless game against Greenfield on Tuesday night. The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead after one period, scored twice on the power play in the second and tacked on an insurance goal late. While its offense...

Bulletin Board: Greenfield Knights of Columbus Hoop Shoot set for Saturday

The annual Greenfield Knights of Columbus Hoop Shoot will be held on Saturday at Franklin County’s YMCA in Greenfield. The event is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., with registration getting underway at 2:30 p.m. The hoop shoot is open to all boys and...

Local Roundup: Big fourth quarter lifts Mahar girls basketball past Easthampton

It was a fourth quarter to remember for the Mahar girls basketball team on Monday against Easthampton. The Sens trailed 31-24 heading into the final eight minutes of the Franklin County League North contest, but Mahar saved its best for last. It was...

UMass basketball: Winning back-to-back Atlantic 10 games the goal as Minutemen welcome Saint Joseph’s

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — There was already a built-in excuse for the UMass men’s basketball team ahead of its game with George Washington on Saturday. The Minutemen were down their best player, Matt Cross, for a third straight game after losing the previous two....

Indoor track: Pioneer’s Louise Flagollet, Mahar’s Mitchell Krasco and Mohawk Trail’s Chay Mojallali all win events at PVIAC Meet No. 5

The fifth PVIAC indoor track meet of the season took place on Sunday at Smith College, with Frontier, Mahar and Mohawk Trail competing in the early session while Greenfield and Pioneer competed in the late session. Here are the top performers from...

Kelce scores twice and Chiefs beat Bills 27-24 to advance to face Ravens in AFC championship

By JOHN WAWROW

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Travis Kelce caught two touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs advanced to their sixth straight AFC championship game with a 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.Isiah Pacheco scored the...

Nick Dunlap becomes 1st amateur winner on PGA Tour since 1991 with victory at The American Express

By GREG BEACHAM

LA QUINTA, Calif. — Nick Dunlap doesn’t possess a false confidence, and he doesn’t project a supernatural calm. The University of Alabama sophomore fully understood just how crazy it was to be fending off a field of professionals Sunday while he tried...

UMass basketball: George Mason uses second-quarter surge to run away from Minutewomen 73-52

A 22-8 edge in the second quarter helped power the George Mason women’s basketball team to a 73-52 victory over UMass in an Atlantic 10 Conference game on Sunday at the Mullins Center in Amherst.It was the fifth loss in a row for the Minutewomen,...

UMass hockey: Nick VanTassell’s first career goal lifts Minutemen past Northeastern 2-1

By GARRETT COTE

Nick VanTassell picked the perfect time to score his first career goal.The No. 12 UMass hockey freshman forward tallied the game winner on Saturday night against Northeastern to give the Minutemen a 2-1 win on the road at Matthews Arena in...

UMass basketball: Rahsool Diggins keys second-half charge as Minutemen run away from George Washington 81-67

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — UMass freshman guard Jayden Ndjigue stripped George Washington’s Zamoku Weluche-Ume, Jaylen Curry picked up the loose ball, and sprinted the other direction – leading a four-on-two fastbreak.Instead of taking it himself, which he certainly...

H.S. Roundup: Big second half powers Pioneer boys basketball past Greenfield

The Pioneer boys basketball team flipped the script with three minutes to go in the third quarter against Greenfield on Friday in a massive Hampshire League South showdown. The Green Wave held a narrow 23-22 lead at the half and extended it to 34-28...

Wrestling: Franklin Tech earns win over South Hadley in tightly-contested dual (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

TURNERS FALLS — It’s not often these days that a dual high school wrestling meet is competitive from start-to-finish. That was the case on Friday though, when South Hadley traveled to Franklin Tech. Of the 14 weight total classes, 11 were filled and...

Mahar School Committee OKs naming snack shack after longtime Booster, coach

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE — The Mahar School Committee voted this month to name the football field concession stand after longtime varsity girls basketball coach and Booster Club member Larry Fisher.Booster Club President Charles “Joey” Verheyen approached the committee...