GW’s losing streak reached three games Thursday night as Massachusetts handed the visiting Colonials a 73-60 loss at the Mullins Center.

The shooting woes continued for the Colonials (10-8, 3-4), who were led by Chris Monroe and his game-high 24 points. Tamal Forchion, coming off a 16-point turnout against St. Joseph’s Saturday, was absent in his 23 minutes. The freshman power forward scored two points and fouled out. Greg Collucci, another absentee, scored three points in his 25 minutes, hitting just 1-of-4 three-point attempts.

Combined, the team was 20-for-55, about 37 percent from the floor. UMass, which struggled early, hit 78 percent of its shots in the second half to put the game away.

Three Minutemen scored in double digits, including forward Micah Brand, who earned a double-double with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds.

After taking a 25-20 lead into the locker room, UMass (8-8, 2-3), which beat Temple Sunday for its first conference win, out-scored GW 48-40.

This is now the longest Colonials losing streak of the season, and it comes at a particularly lousy time. GW entered the contest coming off two harsh and humbling losses to superior A-10 teams.

Both St. Joseph’s and Xavier defeated GW last week and remain atop their respective conference divisions, east and west.

Instead of turning a pivot on the losses, using UMass and the upcoming game against winless Rhode Island to swipe a pair of games from less imposing opponents, the Colonials now face the harsh reality that they are among the sub-.500 teams of the conference.

The Colonials host Rhode Island Saturday afternoon. The Rams are winless in the A-10 and 4-11 overall.