By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth men's basketball team had its offense in high gear with a record-setting performance at the Tinsley Center.
The Corsairs spoiled Bridgewater State University's season opener Wednesday night by coasting to an easy 129-82 victory, breaking a 54-year-old record for points allowed by the Bears.
The previous mark for points surrendered by Bridgewater State came on Dec. 7, 1971 when the former Boston State College had 125 points.
UMass Dartmouth jumped to an 8-0 lead before the Bears scored and never looked back, improving to 3-0.
The Corsairs, who scored 70 points in the second half, have won nine of the last 10 games against Bridgewater State.
UMass Dartmouth shot 63 percent (52-for-82) and had only six 3-pointers in the game.
All five starters and two reserves scored in double figures for the Corsairs, who won a pair of games and their Lafrance Hospitality Invitational last weekend to begin the season.
Sophomore Camden DiChiara (Lincoln, R.I.) had 21 points, making 7 of 9 shots, and nine rebounds while freshman Mahdee McNair (Sicklerville, N.J.) also had 21 points on 10-for-15 shooting.
Senior Ryan Flauto (Whitinsville, Mass.) scored 18 points, missing one of his eight shots, and had 13 rebounds and four steals.
Senior Nic Boyd (Portland, Ore.) scored 16 points to go with 12 assists and senior Cam Dunbury (Pocasset, Mass.) came off the bench to scored 16 points, grab seven rebounds and blocked four shots.
Sophomore Danny Reyes (Lawrence, Mass.) was 7-for-9 and scored 15 points to go with five assists and four rebounds while freshman Isaiah Makar (Marblehead, Mass.) came off the bench and played four minutes, hitting all four shots for 10 points.
BSU's top scorer was junior Samuel Omisore (Boston, Mass.) with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting and four rebounds.
Junior Zach Taylor (Quincy, Mass.) scored 16 points and had four rebounds and freshman Tzar Powell-Aparicio (Lowell, Mass.) scored 12 points with four assists in his collegiate debut.
The Bears missed their first 10 shots before Powell-Aparicio made it 8-2 with a layup 4:09 into the game.
UMass Dartmouth moved in front, 20-9, on a layup by Dunbury and the lead would grow to 48-28 with 4:10 left in the half.
The Bears were down, 52-36, but UMass Dartmouth scored seven straight points to take a 59-36 lead at the break.
Boyd scored five of the points and Flauto added a layup. The Corsairs hit 25 of 45 shots in the half.
BSU was down 30 (68-38) with 17:53 to go on a McNair layup and the Corsairs had 70 points with 17:37 remaining.
They hit the 80-point mark with 14:36 to go and had a 90-54 lead with 12:31 remaining on a pair of McNair free throws.
A layup by Reyes with 8:01 enabled UMass Dartmouth to hit the 100-point mark.
BSU is on the road Saturday for a 1 p.m. game against Nichols College.
UMass Dartmouth goes for a fourth win in a row Tuesday at Worcester Polytechnic Institute at 7:30 p.m.