University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Basketball Travels To Syracuse Tonight
November 25, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2003
WHAT: Massachusetts (0-2) at Syracuse (1-0)
WHERE: Manley Field House (9,500) * Syracuse, N.Y.
WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2003 * 7:00 PM
RADIO: 91.1 FM, in Amherst
Erin Martignetti (play-by-play) and Derek Volner (color)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Syracuse leads, 4-1
STREAK: SU has won three games in a row
LAST TIME OUT: Syracuse won 61-46 on Jan. 16, 1981
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Game Day... The University of Massachusetts women's basketball team looks for its first win of the season tonight when it travels to upstate New York to face Syracuse University. The Minutewomen are 0-2 on the young season after losses to Sacred Heart last Friday on the road and Sunday at home against Holy Cross. Meanwhile, the Orangewomen are 1-0 after winning their debut over Binghamton, 66-59, last Saturday. SU overcame a four-point first half deficit in the win. This is the sixth time that UMass and Syracuse have hooked up, but the first since the 1984-85 season. The Orangewomen have taken four of the five previous games. Massachusetts will be looking to snap a 12-game road losing streak tonight. It's last win away from Amherst was a 59-45 win over URI on Dec. 9, 2002.
Scouting The Orangewomen ... Syracuse University overcame a four-point halftime deficit to defeat Binghamton, 66-59, on the road last Saturday. The Orangewomen were picked to finish 11th in the Big East Conference coaches poll.
Senior guard Julie McBride accounted for more than half of her team's scoring in Saturday's win at Binghamton. She poured in a career-high 35 points and also four assists. She was 9-for-18 from the field and 14-for-15 at the free throw line. Sarah Wegrzynowicz had eight points off the bench, while Chineze Nwagbo had six points and nine rebounds. The Orangewomen shot just .316 from the field in the game, but were 20-of-29 at the free throw line.
The Series ... Syracuse leads the all-time series against Massachusetts, 4-1. The Orangewomen have won the only two games played on campus, once at each site, and are 2-1 in neutral site contests.
Last Game Against the Orangewomen ... Syracuse won the last meeting between these two schools, 61-46, on Dec. 29, 1984, in the championship game of the Syracuse Tournament. The last time UMass was victorious was a 70-66 overtime win on Jan. 16, 1981, also in the Syracuse Tournament.
Trying To Change It On The Road ... After last Friday night's loss at Sacred Heart, the Minutewomen have dropped seven straight games when opening the season on the road. Their last win was a 44-40 win over St. Francis (Pa.) in the first round of the Red Flash Classic on Nov. 23, 1991. Overall, the Minutewomen are now 16-20 in season openers, 7-9 on the road. Dating back to last season, the Minutewomen have now dropped 12 straight games away from the Mullins Center. This includes a pair of neutral site games. The last win for Massachusetts away from Amherst was a 59-45 win at Rhode Island on Dec. 9, 2002. Prior to that streak, the Minutewomen had been victorious on seven of nine straight road or neutral site contests.
Break-Out Game ... Junior Edris Bailey showed UMass fans a lot last Sunday in her Mullins Center debut. The Frank Phillips (Texas) Junior College transfer poured in 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting in just 20 minutes off the bench. Bailey played the second half in foul trouble and picked her fifth with 7:08 left in the second half. For the season, Bailey is averaging 14.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Bailey currently ranks 10th in the A-10 in scoring.
Block Party ... While not technically a center, freshman Tamara Tatham is certainly playing like one. The Brampton, Ontario, native is tied for first in the conference with three blocked shots and is second averaging 1.5 blocks per game. The only one ahead of her is George Washington's Ugo Oha. She has swatted two shots in one game.
Who Said They Can't Rebound ... When Massachusetts lost the services of "Miss Everything" Jen Butler to graduation last year, people wondered where the rebounds were going to come from this season. Well, in its first two games, UMass has managed to out-rebound the opposition. In the season opener last Friday, UMass edged Sacred Heart on the glass, 33-31. Then on Sunday, the Minutewomen topped Holy Cross, 32-30. Massachusetts is so balanced on the boards that a guard, Judit Zsedenyi, is actually the teams' leading rebounder at 5.5 per game. Last season, Butler led the nation grabbing 14.7 rebounds a game and only three other players were over 3.0. This year, seven different Minutewomen are grabbing at least three rebounds a game.
Nelson Out ... Massachusetts will be without the services of junior point guard Katie Nelson. Nelson left the Jan. 26, 2002 game against Dayton with a knee injury and with the exception of a brief three-minute stint at George Washington on Feb. 13, 2003, did play again last season. She had off-season surgery and is not yet at 100 percent.
The All-Around Center ... The future looks bright for the Minutewomen if Tamara Tatham continues this pace. A forward playing as a center this year, Tatham is second on the team in scoring at 10.5 on the game. She is also averaging 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while nearly perfect at the free throw line at 7-for-8. After a 10-point career opener at Sacred Heart last Friday, Tatham poured in 11 points Sunday against Holy Cross. While shooting just 3-for-12 from the field, Tatham more than made up for it by dishing out five assists against the Crusaders. She also had five rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Stepping It Up ... After averaging just 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game last season, senior Judit Zsedenyi has dramatically stepped up her game. The Budapest, Hungary, native tied a career-high with nine points in the Minutewomen's season-opening loss at Sacred Heart. In the first two games this season, Zsedenyi is third on the team pouring in 8.0 points per game and is first on the squad pulling down 5.5 rebounds per game. She has also dished out four assists, has a pair of steals and is a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Getting It Done At The Line ... Massachusetts' inability to convert at the free throw line may have cost them a few wins in close games last year. This season, UMass is making the most of its opportunities to the charity stripe. The Minutewomen are 13-19 (.684) in their first two games from the free throw line to rank fifth in the Atlantic 10. Last year, UMass was near the bottom of the league with a .638 free throw percentage.
Massachusetts is struggling to get to the line as well. While the Minutewomen have gotten to the line just 19 times this season, their opponents have made 45 trips (29-45; .644). Last Sunday, Holy Cross was 18-for-28 (.643) from the line while UMass was just 7-for-10 (.700).
Let's Meet The Newcomers ...Most Minutewoman fans will need a program for the first few games as this year's roster features seven new faces.
Edris Bailey, is a 6-2 forward who last played at Frank Phillips (Texas) Junior College. She is one of three JUCO transfers on this year's roster. At Frank Phillips, Bailey led the team with 11.3 points per game and was third in rebounding at 5.2 boards per game. Two years ago, she averaged 16.7 points and 7.0 rebounds at Southern University in Shreveport, La.
Brooke Campbell, a 6-0 forward, is the other new JUCO transfer as she spent the last two seasons at Midland (Texas) Junior College. Campbell averaged 7.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in two years with the Lady Chaparrals.
Patrycja Gulak is a 6-4 center who transferred from St. John's University. Gulak is not eligible to play this season but can practice with her new teammates. The two-time All-Big East Academic team member averaged 8.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game with the Red Storm the past two years.
Joyce Massey is a 5-11 guard out of Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, Mich. Last year as a senior captain, Massey led her team to a city championship, district title, regional crown and a trip to the state finals while averaging 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals per game.
After sitting out last year, Ashley Sharpton is eligible this year. The 5-10 guard who transferred from the University of North Carolina-Asheville, was a Big South All-Rookie team member two years ago. She averaged 6.9 points per game in just over 25 minutes as a freshman.
The final newcomer is Tamara Tatham. She is a 6-1 forward from Chinguacousy High School in Brampton, Ontario. Last year as a senior, she averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds a game.
Holy Cross Recap ... Junior Edris Bailey scored a game-high 21 points, but the University of Massachusetts women's basketball team (0-2) lost to Holy Cross (1-1), 68-63, Sunday afternoon in its home opener at the Mullins Center. Senior Glamora Maeweather hit a jumper to open up the second half and put the Minutewomen up three at 30-27, but they could not build up any more of a lead. On the next trip down the floor, Jessica Conte hit a three-pointer to tie the game. The two teams then traded baskets for the next 10 minutes until Bailey got in foul trouble. UMass led 39-38 at the 12:57 mark but that would be the last time that they would enjoy the advantage. Bailey picked up foul number three on the next possession and it sent Holy Cross on a 9-2 run over the next 3:34. Bailey picked up foul number four during that stretch as well and was forced to the bench.
Holy Cross slowly started to pull away and built up a nine-point lead at the 4:01 mark, but Massachusetts showed that it had one gasp left. It used an 8-2 run spanning 1:55 to cut the lead to three but could not get any closer. After a lay-up by junior Brooke Campbell cut the Crusaders lead to three, UMass then got the ball back after a Holy Cross turnover with a chance to get within one or tie the game but junior Monique Govan's pass went off the hands of sophomore Ashley Sharpton. The Crusaders made their free throws down the stretch and were able to ice the game.
Freshman Tamara Tatham had 11 points, five rebounds five assists, two blocks and a steal for the Minutewomen. In addition to her 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field, Bailey also had two boards and two steals. Senior Cleo Foster had two points, six rebounds, four assists, a blocked shot and three steals. Massachusetts shot .474 from the field for the game, but committed 21 turnovers. Holy Cross shot .511 and also had 21 turnovers. The Crusaders were 18-of-28 from the free throw line led by Maggie Fontana who was 12-for-14. UMass made just 10 trips to the charity stripe, converting seven times.
It's An International Thing ... This year's UMass roster certainly has an International feel to it. There are five players who hail from overseas. Cleo Foster and Tamara Tatham are both from Ontario, Canada. Judit Zsedenyi is a native of Hungary, while junior redshirt Patrycja Gulak is from Poland. Edris Bailey is from Trinidad & Tobago.
Making Her Mark ... Prior to injuring her knee Jan. 26, 2003 at Dayton, junior point guard Katie Nelson had started in each of her 48 career games since arriving in Amherst. The Ellicott City, Md., native averaged 37.1 minutes last 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, has already cracked the top five in three-point field goals made and attempted. Nelson currently ranks third all-time in school history with 296 attempts, while her 91 trifectas are good for fourth. Nelson also ranks 10th with a .307 percentage from behind the arc.
Early Additions ... The loss of seven seniors and just two in the freshman class has left UMass head coach Marnie Dacko and her staff several scholarships to offer this recruiting season. The Minutewomen were able to ink five during the early signing period, Nov. 12-19. Here is a quick look at each of them.
Kate Mills is a 6-2 forward out of the Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Del. Last season, she averaged 18 points, eight rebounds, two steals and three blocks per game en route to All-State honors. For her career, Mills has recorded 1,122 points, 733 rebounds and 272 blocks. As a freshman, she was an honorable mention All-State pick, while earning third-team All-State accolades as a sophomore. Mills is a member of the National Honor Society and has also been a part of two volleyball state championship teams.
Pam Rosanio is a 5-10 guard out of Archbishop Wood High School in Southampton, Pa. Last season, she averaged 15.5 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals en route to All-Philadelphia Catholic League North first-team honors. She also helped the Vikings advance to the Catholic League semifinals. Rosanio currently has 851 career points and is on pace to score over 1,000 points. The school record is 1,296 points.
Kaylie Schiavetta is a 5-7 guard from Northport High School in Northport, N.Y. Last season, she averaged 17.8 points per game en route to Class A third-team All-State accolades. In 2001-02, she averaged 14.2 points per game and was a member of the Suffolk County All-Star team while her squad won the league championship. As a freshman in 2000-01, Schiavetta was named to the All-County team.
Whitney McDonald is a 6-2 forward from Ossining High School in Ossining, N.Y. Last season, she averaged 14.5 points and 10 rebounds per game and was an All-League, All-Section and All-State selection. She is a two-time member of the Gold Empire State team.
Alisha Tatham, a 5-11 guard out of Chinguacousy Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario, averaged 25 points, nine rebounds and four steals this past season which just wrapped up. She is also the sister of current UMass freshman Tamara Tatham (Brampton, Ontario). Last season, she led her high school to its first-ever OFSAA Tournament. Tatham was also a member of the Ontario Juvenile Provincial team which captured the gold medal in the Provincial Games held in Manitoba in August of 2003.
Marnie's Army Leader ... With an 8-1 start last year, 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. When the Minutewomen downed Sacred Heart, 74-48 on Nov. 22 2002, Dacko became the seventh head coach out of nine in the program's history to win their first game on the UMass bench. The 1978 Southern Connecticut State University graduate is currently 14-16 (.467) at UMass and 94-120 (.439) overall in nine-plus seasons as a head coach.
On The Other Side ... Keith Cieplicki is in first season at the helm of Syracuse after spending the past six years as the head coach of the University of Vermont. With the Catamounts, Cieplicki recorded a 127-53 (.706) overall record and was a two-time America East Coach of the Year. Dacko is 1-1 in her career against Cieplicki. She lost while at Cornell, but picked up a win last year.
From Here ... This weekend, the Minutewomen will participate in the Coca-Cola Classic in Bridgeport, Conn. UMass will take on host-school Fairfield at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and then either Delaware or Brown on Sunday. After a game with Vermont on Dec. 3 at the Cage (see next note), the Minutewomen head to Arizona to participate in the Fiesta Bowl Women's Classic. UMass plays Utah State in the first round and then either Arizona or American on the second day. It will be Dec. 30 against UNC-Greensboro before the Minutewomen return home after that. They will play at Northeastern (Dec. 14) and Hartford (Dec. 21) in that 27-day stretch between home games.
Rage In The Cage II ... On December 3, the Minutewomen will host Vermont at the Curry Hicks Cage. In Rage In The Cage I on December 11, 2002, UMass upset Villanova, 55-50. The Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight last year and defeated eventual national champion, Connecticut in the Big East Championship game and ended the Huskies' 70-game winning streak.