GAME NOTES: Fresh off the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic, the Massachusetts Minutemen will be looking to keep the winning streak going as they clash with the Harvard Crimson in a non-conference battle at Lavietes Pavilion.

Massachusetts dropped a one-sided contest to Notre Dame early in the Tip-Off Classic, but rebounded to win back-to-back games against Florida State (75-69) and most recently Northeastern (79-54). The Minutemen are 5-1 on the season entering this clash with their in-state rivals.

Harvard is 3-1 on the early season after dropping a surprising contest to Holy Cross at TD Garden in Boston, 58-57. But since that game the Crimson have won two straight, including an 84-63 dominating victory over Houston.

The Amherst-based Minutemen and Cambridge-based Crimson have played each other in the intrastate rivalry 25 times, with Massachusetts owning the 15-10 all-time series lead. The last time they met was two seasons ago, when the decision went to UMass.

Northeastern couldn't get anything going against Massachusetts in the final game of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic, as the Huskies shot just 37.3 percent from the field in the contest. UMass, however, was on fire, netting 52.9 percent of its field goal tries, and that included an ugly 3-of-17 performance from 3-point range. Jabarie Hinds scored 14 points and dished out five assists - both team highs - while Derrick Gordon notched 13 points and seven rebounds. Cady Lalanne netted 12 points, and Donte Clark chipped in with 10 points in the win.

Lalanne no longer averages a double-double per outing for the Minutemen, but he still does lead the team through six games with a 15.2 ppg average and a 9.7 rpg mark, adding in a team-best 15 blocked shots. Gordon is second on the squad averaging 13.8 ppg, and Maxie Esho is right behind that netting 13.3 ppg. Trey Davis's 11.0 ppg average is the fourth and final double-digit scoring average for the Minutemen, who are collectively scoring 77.5 ppg this season.

Harvard went into the intermission against Houston up by nine points, but the Crimson exploded in the second half by shooting 50 percent from the floor to gain an additional 12 points on the lead. Wesley Saunders netted a team-high 24 points in the Crimson victory, and brought down 10 rebounds for the double- double. Steve Moundou-Missi also had a double-double for Harvard with 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Corbin Miller's 12 points was the final of the day for Harvard in the double-digit department.

Through four games played, only two Harvard players are averaging a scoring total in the double digits, which is surprising considering the team is netting 71.2 ppg as a unit. Saunders checks in at the top of the scoring list, netting 20.5 ppg on 54.9 percent shooting from the floor. His 4.8 apg average is second to only Siyani Chambers, who checks in with a 5.2 apg mark. But Saunders's 9.0 rpg average is the best on the team, followed by Moundou- Missi's 7.2 rpg clip. Moundou-Missi is second on the team in scoring as well with an 11.0 ppg average.

Harvard began the season ranked in the Top-25 of college basketball, but fell out after the loss to Holy Cross. The team needs to prove it can be great again, and this contest against the offensive-drive Minutemen will be a good benchmark moving forward. But UMass is well-rounded and has plenty of depth. Expect a fight to the finish.