UMass Comeback Shocks the Friars

Providence was cruising against Massachusetts on Friday night — then Carl Pierre hit his first shot.The UMass sophomore has been quite the find for head coach Matt McCall. The 6’4 Boston native did not receive a scholarship offer until McCall and the Minutemen came calling in the spring of his senior year at Boston College High School. He was the 80th ranked player in New England at the time.

Several programs were monitoring Pierre after a strong spring AAU showing his senior year, with Providence reportedly being one of them, but a prep year looked to be in his future before he committed to UMass in June.

The Friars led by as many as 20 points in the first half on Friday, by 18 at the break,…