All year long in Massachusetts' storybook season, they have depended on one weapon to carry them to victory -- Jim McCoy. The 6'3" sophomore guard averages 20.2 points a game.

And, in the first half of last night's game, he looked like that other UMass alumnus -- Julius Erving. He scored 17 points in the first 20 minutes as he hit jumpers from the baseline. In the second half, however, the weapon shot a dud.

UMass (10-4, 6-1 in the Atlantic 10) lost its first conference game, 74-71, and a lot of it was because of the way McCoy played -- and was played by the Lions -- in the second half.

McCoy, hounded by the Lions' Monroe Brown, scored only eight points in the second half. Wherever McCoy went, Brown followed. But UMass coach John Calipari was still impressed by his star player.

"I thought he did OK," Calipari said. "He was getting banged and he was getting grabbed and he was getting all the holding and everything else, and he was fighting like heck to get the ball. A couple of them didn't drop, but Jimmy McCoy is a player, when you need a basket he'll get it for you."

McCoy scored his first basket on a layup. He then came back and scored his team's next two baskets on an 8-foot jumper and a 10-foot jumper. Later in the half, he cut a 23-14 deficit to just two when he hit a baseline shot, and scored on a three point play after being fouled.

He scored six more points before intermission, the last two coming on a shot from short range with one second left.

But with Brown almost in McCoy's shorts, the high-scoring sophomore scored only intermittently in the second half. He was 7-of-12 from the field in the first half, but managed just four field goals the rest of the way.

He did hit a big jumper to start the second half though. With the score 42-39, he netted a 10 footer to bring UMass within one point at the 18:05 mark. He didn't score again until almost four minutes later when he put through an 18-foot jumper.

Almost eight minutes later, with the score 61-53 in favor of the Lions, McCoy hit another jump shot. Then with 1:48 left, he scored again, but that would be the last time.

Getting the ball, however, was not the only problem he had. With the Lions leading 55-49, he had the ball on a fast break and lost it out of bounds. Later, he couldn't get the ball in on an in-bounds pass and had to call time out. Late in the game he was called for his fourth foul, which only added to his frustration.

Coach Bruce Parkhill, although not totally impressed with his team, was impressed with the Lions' defense against McCoy.

"I thought (Brown) did a good job," he said. "McCoy is a great scorer, he's going to get his points, but I don't think he got too many easy. When it counted, when it was rug-cuttin' time, Monie really did a nice job."

"The first half we tried to force McCoy to the baseline," Brown explained. "We talked about it before the game started, we didn't know how to play him. I didn't really concentrate on him as much (in the second half), like I did the last game. (But) I think we did better in the second half."