University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Hoops Travels To Dayton
January 25, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2003
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Game Day Information
What:Massachusetts (11-6, 3-3) at Dayton (10-7, 3-3)
Where: UD Arena (13,266) * Dayton, Ohio
When: Sunday, Jan. 26, 2003 * 2:00 p.m.
TV: Time Warner Cable (In the Dayton area)
Radio: WMUA, 91.1 FM in Amherst
Regan McKendry (play--by-play) & Andy Merritt (color)
Series: Massachusetts leads, 6-2
Last Meeting: Massachusetts, 65-58 (OT) Jan. 31, 2002
Streak: Massachusetts has won four in a row overall and all three games played at the UD Arena
Game Day... Massachusetts looks to get back on the winning track this afternoon as it travels to Dayton, Ohio, for a 2:00 p.m. matinee against the Flyers. Following Friday night's 77-65 set-back at Xavier in Cincinnati, the Minutewomen are now 11-6 overall and 3-3 in the Atlantic 10. Despite the loss, Massachusetts is still in sole possession of second-place in the A-10 East. UMass has now dropped two consecutive A-10 road contests. Dayton enters this afternoon's match-up with a 10-7 overall record and an identical 3-3 mark in the conference. The Minutewomen are 6-2 lifetime against Dayton and have never lost at the UD Arena (3-0). In the last meeting, UMass was victorious in overtime, 65-58, Jan. 31, 2002, at the Mullins Center. The Minutewomen have won the last four games against UD. In the latest womenscollegehoops.com poll, UMass is ranked 47th.
Scouting The Flyers ... Dayton enters this afternoon's game with a 10-7 overall record and are 3-3 in the Atlantic 10. It got back to .500 with a 56-53 homecourt win against Rhode Island Friday afternoon after dropping three of its previous four league contests. Stefanie Miller and Cyndi Stull lead the Flyers averaging 11.4 ppg apiece. Stull is pulling down a team-leading 7.2 rpg, while Miller's 3.6 apg average is a team-best. The Flyers average 66.8 ppg and allow 67.3 ppg. They are shooting .407 (391-961) from the field, .368 (114-310) from three-point range and .713 (239-335) from the free throw line. Dayton's 6.71 three-pointers made per game is first in the conference.
The Series ... Massachusetts holds a 6-2 advantage in the series which began in the 1995-96 season. The Minutewomen have won the last four meetings and have never lost at the UD Arena (3-0). Last year, Massachusetts defeated Dayton in overtime, 65-58, Jan. 31 at the Mullins Center.
Last Game Against the Flyers ... Behind the season-high 18 points from Nekole Smith, Massachusetts downed Dayton in overtime, Jan. 31 at the Mullins Center. In addition to her 18 points, Smith pulled down seven boards. Jennifer Butler recorded her 14th double-double of the season with 11 points and 15 boards, while Katie Nelson had 12 points and a then-career-high six assists. Massachusetts was victorious 69-57, Jan. 14, 2001 in the last game it played in Dayton. Since the additions of both Dayton and Xavier to the league in 1995-96, UMass has never left the state of Ohio without a win.
The Next 1,000-Point Scorer ... When senior Nekole Smith converted a lay-up, her ninth point of the game, at the 3:58 mark of the first half Jan. 18 against St. Bonaventure, she became the 14th Minutewoman to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. Smith finished with 12 points in UMass' 70-48 win over the Bonnies and now has 1,020 for her career, good for 12th on the all-time scorers list. The Ann Arbor, Mich., native is enjoying a break-out season as she is second on the team and 11th in the conference in scoring with a 13.9 ppg average. Smith entered the season averaging 8.9 ppg. She is also first on the team and 11th in the A-10, connecting at a .488 (98-201) clip from the floor. She currently sits in seventh-place all-time with a career .480 (424-883) field goal percentage. On Jan. 12 at Fordham, Smith scored a career-high 23 points to lead all scorers.
30/20 Vision ... With a 17-point, 12-rebound effort in last Saturday's 70-48 home victory over St. Bonaventure, Jen Butler posted her Atlantic 10-leading 14th double-double in 17 games. In the previous game, an 89-80 overtime win over Temple at the Mullins Center, Butler recorded 31 points and 21 rebounds. The All-America candidate has already recorded three 30-plus point games and has grabbed at least 20 rebounds on four separate occasions. She has already been named the A-10 Player of the Week and Dinn Brothers/UMass Athlete of the Week three times this season.
Love Those Turnovers ... In its 11 wins this season, Massachusetts averages nearly 19 turnovers a game. In their six losses, however, the Minutewomen turn the ball over just 13.2 times. Massachusetts committed a season-high 25 turnovers against Temple Jan. 16, but came away with an 89-80 overtime win. It was the most times that UMass turned the ball over since committing 26 twice last season (11/27 vs. Rice and 1/28 vs. Rhode Island). Opponents are committing 15.7 turnovers against UMass thus far.
Passing's The Name Of The Game ... Massachusetts currently ranks fourth in the conference averaging 15.94 assists per game. The Minutewomen, who average 23.9 field goals per game, record an assist nearly 67 percent of the time. Two Minutewomen rank in the top eight for assists in the conference as Katie Nelson is sixth, dishing out 4.24 assists per game, while Ebony Pegues ranks eighth handing out 4.06 helpers a game. Massachusetts is the only A-10 school with two players in the top 10 for assists.
Balance Out Those Miscues ... Massachusetts may play better when turning the ball over, but they can sure balance them out with assists. The Minutewomen rank second in the league with a 1.00 assist to turnover ratio, including a 1.24 mark in A-10 play. Katie Nelson leads the league with a 2.67 ration following her career-high eight helpers and one turnover Friday night at Xavier. Her 27 turnovers are by far the fewest of any player in the top 15. In conference games, however, Nelson's ratio improves to a league-high 7.00. Richmond's Amber Goppert is in second-place at 2.81. Nelson has recorded 28 assists and just four turnovers in league games this season.
Oh What A Night ... Despite the heart-breaking 78-70 double-overtime loss to host-school Florida in the first round of the State Farm Classic Dec. 28, senior center Jen Butler enjoyed a dream game. The All-American candidate tied a career-high with 30 points and hauled in a school-record 30 rebounds. Her rebounding tally was the fifth-best in NCAA Division I history and most by an Atlantic 10 player. In addition, it was the most rebounds by a Florida opponent and also established a new Stephen C. O'Connell Center individual record (men or women) for boards. She sits higher on the list than Charles Barkley (Auburn) and Shaquille O'Neal (Louisiana State). Butler finished with 42 rebounds in the two-day tournament, the most in the events' history en route to an All-Tournament team selection. Butler was also recognized as the A-10 Player of the Week and Dinn Brothers/UMass co-Athlete of the Week. The 30 rebounds are also the highest single-game output in the nation this season and most since New Orleans' Kayone Hankins grabbed 30 boards Nov. 26, 1994, against Nicholls State.
Shattering Records Part I ... In addition to all of Butler's individual records vs. Florida Dec. 28, there were several team records established throughout the night. Massachusetts attempted a school-record 92 field goals, 34 three-point field goals and hauled in a school-best 64 rebounds. Senior Ebony Pegues set a new individual record with 28 field goal attempts and 16 three-point field goals attempted.
Shattering Records Part II ... Three weeks later on Jan. 16, Massachusetts and Temple combined to set more than a half dozen Mullins Center records on Feb. 23. The 89 points tied for the most points in the building's history. On Feb. 2, 1995, the Minutewomen also reached the 89-point mark against West Virginia. The 169 combined points established a new women's building record as did the nine three-pointers by Temples' Stacey Smalls and the 75 field goal attempts by the Owls. Smalls' 35 points set a new Mullins Center women's mark and her 15 three-point attempts tied the previous mark set by Courtney Banghart of Dartmouth and Vanessa Nygaard of Stanford. Her nine trays also set a school-record, while her 28 total field goal attempts set a building record for a women's game. The 31 points by Jen Butler set a new individual record, surpassing her previous individual-best she set in back-to-back games against Northeastern and Florida. Butler also tied a Mullins Center women's record with 15 trips to the free throw line and 15 defensive rebounds. Her 31 points are the most by a Minutewoman in the Mullins Center as well.
Floor General ... Sophomore guard Katie Nelson has started in each of her 47 career games since arriving in Amherst. The Ellicott City, Md., native averages 38.6 minutes this year and was the only member of either team to play in all 50 minutes of the Minutewomen's 78-70 double-overtime loss to Florida in the State Farm Classic Dec. 28. Nelson, whose father William is the head men's basketball coach at Johns Hopkins (Md.) University, is more than halfway through her second season and has already cracked the top five in three-point field goals made and attempted. Nelson currently ranks third all-time in school history with 293 attempts, while her 90 trifectas are good for fourth. Nelson also ranks 10th with a .307 percentage from behind the arc.
Five For Fighting ... In the 89-80 overtime win over Temple on Jan. 16, five Minutewomen scored in double figures for the first time since an 85-73 win against Richmond in last year's A-10 Quarterfinal game March 2. Ironically, the five players were the same in both games. Jen Butler had 31 against Temple and 15 vs. Richmond, while Nekole Smith (16, 12), Ebony Pegues (20,13), Katie Nelson (13,12) and Amber Sneed (10,14) also joined in the fun. The game against the Owls also marked the first time that two Minutewomen scored 20-plus points since Octavia Thomas and Melissa Gurile each netted 26 against Rhode Island, Feb. 27, 1996. Massachusetts has seen at least four players reach double-figures in three of its last five games.
RPI/Strength of Schedule ... In the latest WBCA/Summerville RPI ranking released Jan. 15, the Minutewomen are ranked 58th out of 324 Division I institutions. It is the fourth-highest in the conference. Only Xavier (28), Saint Joseph's (38) and George Washington (52) have a better RPI than Massachusetts. In addition, the Maroon and White schedule has been rated as the nation's 95th-toughest, but this only factors in games that have been played and does not take future opponents into consideration. UMass has been ranked as high as No. 1 and spent much of the non-conference season among the top 10.
Last Time Out ... Xavier guards Reeta Piipari and Amy Waugh combined for 46 points as the Xavier women's basketball team (12-5, 4-2) defeated the University of Massachusetts (11-6, 3-3), 77-65, Jan. 24 in Atlantic 10 action before 2,142 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.
The Minutewomen led by seven points at the 4:28 mark of the first half, but just one free throw the remainder of the half enabled Xavier to tie the game at the break.
A lay-up by senior Nekole Smith regained the lead for the Minutewomen to open up the second half, but that would be their final advantage. Xavier was took advantage of UMass foul trouble and built an 11-point lead at the 10:35 mark. UMass tried to mount a comeback late, but it fell short. Down by seven points at the 8:45 mark, senior Jen Butler hit a lay-up and was sent to the line for a chance at an old-fashioned three-point play. She missed the free throw, but a defensive stop gave UMass the ball back and an opportunity to make it a one possession game. They were unsuccessful and the Musketeers made a shot to go back up seven. UMass once again cut it back to five the next trip down the floor as senior Kristin Cannon made a shot off a back-door pass, but once again Xavier scored on the other end.
For the next couple of minutes, the two teams exchanged baskets. A lay-up by senior Ebony Pegues cut the lead back to five once again, but a 10-0 Musketeer run over the next 3:47 put the game away. Included in that flurry was a technical on Butler after she fouled out with 1:30 left.
Smith led the Minutewomen with 17 points, while Butler and Pegues each had 15. Butler had eight rebounds, seven of which came in the first half. It was just the third time this season that she did not post a double-double. Sophomore Katie Nelson had seven points and a career-high eight assists.
Reeta Piipari scored a game-high 28 points for Xavier, including 6-for-9 from three-point range. Amy Waugh, the conference's leading scorer, had 18, while Tara Boothe recorded 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Xavier shot .491 (27-55) from the field, while UMass shot at a .403 (25-62) clip. UMass was out-rebounded, 36-31, just the fifth time it has come up short on the boards. The Minutewomen did record 17 assists and committed just nine turnovers. Massachusetts was victimized by poor free throw shooting, converting just nine of 17 (.529).
Butler Movin' On Up ... With her 48 points in the two-day State Farm Classic in Gainesville, Fla., senior Jen Butler moved into seventh-place on the school's all-time scoring list. The preseason All-Conference selection now has 1,301 career points to go along with her school record 1,162 rebounds. Butler's name is all over the school's record book as she is fifth in free throws made (337), first in free throws attempted (614), third in blocks (118) and second in steals (203). Next up on the scoring list is Crystal Carroll. The 1997 graduate is in sixth-place with 1,405 career points.
1,000 / 1,000 Club ... When Jen Butler grabbed her sixth rebound in the Dec. 9, 2002 win over Rhode Island, she became the first Minutewoman to score 1,000 points and pull down 1,000 rebounds. Butler scored her 1,000th point in Massachusetts' 67-61 overtime loss to Temple in the Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinal last season and now has 1,301 points in her career. The preseason first team All-Conference selection has also pulled down a UMass record 1,162 boards in her illustrious career. She is the 13th player in A-10 history to join the 1,000/1,000 club. She currently leads the nation, pulling down 14.5 boards a game and is second in the conference with a 17.6 ppg average. Butler has recorded a double-double in 14 of 17 games this season and now has 54 in her standout career.
In addition, Butler has grabbed 576 rebounds in 55 career A-10 contests (10.5 per game). This places her fourth on the all-time conference chart. She needs just 130 more boards, or 14.4 per game in the regular season, to take over the top spot from Rutgers' Sue Wicks (1985-88).
Steppin' Up The D ... In 15 games this year, the Minutewomen are yielding a mere 60.2 points per contest, good for second in the Atlantic 10. They have held the opposition at or under 50 points on eight occasions (Sacred Heart 48, Saint Peter's 49, Vermont 48, New Hampshire 50, Rhode Island 45, Villanova 50, Memphis 46 and St. Bonaventure 48), winning each game. The Minutewomen have held five schools to their season-low for points at the time of the game (Villanova, Saint Peter's, Sacred Heart, Vermont and Rhode Island).
Tops On The Boards ... Through Jan. 24, the Minutewomen lead the conference in rebounding, pulling down 41.6 boards per game (15.3 off.; 26.3 def.). Massachusetts' +7.1 rebounding margin is also tops in the A-10 and ranks 20th nationally. The only other school in the A-10 averaging over 40 boards a game is Fordham, and the Minutewomen out-rebounded it, 46-40 Jan. 12 in the battle for conference supremacy on the glass.
Marnie's Army Leader ... At 8-1, Massachusetts Head Coach Marnie Dacko enjoyed the best start of any UMass coach in their first season at the helm, not to mention the second-best start of any UMass team in the program's history as the 1968-69 team which started 9-0 did not have a coach. The 1978 Southern Connecticut State University graduate is currently 11-6 (.647) at UMass and 91-110 (.453) overall in seven-plus seasons as a head coach. As a Head Coach, Dacko has never faced Dayton.
Impressive Beginning ... The 8-1 start for UMass Head Coach Marnie Dacko was the best start by a UMass coach in their first year at the helm. When the Minutewomen downed Sacred Heart, 74-48 on Nov. 22, Dacko became the seventh head coach out of nine in the program's history to win their first game on the UMass bench. Of the seven, five went on to win at least their next game. Jane Farr (1972-73), Carol Albert (1974-75) and Jack Leaman (1986-87) all started 3-0, while Kathy Hewelt led the Minutewomen to a 5-0 start in the 1988-89 season.
What's On Tap ... Massachusetts returns home for a pair of A-10 tilts this week. Up first will be Rhode Island (10-7, 2-4) on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Then on Sunday, La Salle (11-6, 3-3) comes to Mullins for a 2:00 p.m. tip.