Cassity scores 16, Saint Louis beats Massachusetts 69-56 for sixth straight win

Saint Louis defeats Massachusetts 69-56

AMHERST, Mass. — Kyle Cassity scored 16 points and Saint Louis defeated Massachusetts 69-56 on Sunday for its sixth straight win.

Willie Reed and Cody Ellis added 14 points each and Kwamain Mitchell 11 for the Billikens (18-8, 9-3 Atlantic 10 Conference), who moved 1 1/2 games ahead of idle Charlotte for fourth in the A10. Reed was 7-of-10 as Saint Louis made 48.1 percent of its field goals (25 of 52) and 80 percent from the free throw line (12 of 15).

The Minutemen (10-17, 4-9), who trailed by as many as 11 in the first half, pulled within 30-29 at halftime.

UMass tied it at 37 on Terrell Vinson’s layup with 16:49 to go, and both teams exchanged baskets to make it 39-39, 26 seconds later.

Saint Louis then went on a 9-2 run to pull away and led 48-41 on Cassity’s free throw with 11:27 remaining.

Ricky Harris scored 23 and Vinson finished with 19 for the Minutemen.