University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Basketball Set To Host Xavier Friday
January 22, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2004
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Game-Day Information
What: Xavier (10-7 overall, 2-4 Atlantic 10) at Massachusetts (5-12, 1-5)
Where: Mullins Center (9,493) * Amherst, Mass.
When: Friday, Jan. 23, 2004 * 7:00 PM
Radio: WMUA, 91.1 FM in Amherst
Live Stats: Gametracker available on www.umassathletics.com
Series History: Xavier leads 9-2
Last Meeting: Xavier 77-65 on Jan. 24, 2003 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Game Day... Head Coach Marnie Dacko looks for career win number 100 as the University of Massachusetts women's basketball team (5-12 overall, 1-5 A-10) hosts Xavier University (10-7, 2-4) this evening at the Mullins Center. UMass is coming off a 70-58 loss at home to St. Bonaventure, while the Musketeers knocked off Fordham, 81-69, at home also last Sunday. At 1-5, UMass is currently in last place in the A-10 East. Xavier leads the all-time series against UMass, 9-2. Both Minutewoman wins have been in the Mullins Center where they are 2-3. Xavier has won the last seven games between these two teams. After tonight, UMass will enjoy nearly a week off before returning to Philadelphia to take on Temple Jan. 29. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
Scouting The Musketeers ... Xavier University enters tonight's game with a 10-7 overall record and are 2-4 in the A-10 West, good for fourth place. The Musketeers are averaging 66.5 ppg (fourth in the A-10), while allowing 60.4 ppg (fourth in the A-10). They are shooting .458 from the field (second), .357 from three-point field goal range (fourth) and .670 from free throw range (ninth). They are out-rebounding the opposition, 33.8-30.0, while committing 17.6 turnovers a game.
2002-03 A-10 Rookie of the Year Tara Boothe leads the team and is second in the conference in both scoring 20.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.8 rpg). She also has a team-high 16 blocked shots and 28 steals. Suntana Granderson is second on the team pouring in 11.1 ppg and ranks fourth in the A-10 with 2.5 threes per game. Miranda Green is averaging 3.36 assists per game, while backcourt mate Kristy Wallner has dished out 3.18 assists per game.
Head Coach Kevin McGuff ... Kevin McGuff is now in his second season at Xavier University and is 30-17 (.638) there. Prior to arriving in Cincinnati, he was an assistant coach at Notre Dame for six seasons. He helped lead the Irish to the National Championship in 2001.
The Series ... Today marks the 12th meeting between Xavier and Massachusetts. The Musketeers hold a commanding edge, 9-2, and have won the last seven games in a row. Both of the UMass wins have been in the Mullins Center. The last UMass win (49-44) over Xavier was March 1, 1998, in the Atlantic 10 Tournament played at the Mullins Center.
The Last Time They Met ... Guards Reeta Piipari and Amy Waugh combined for 46 points as Xavier defeated UMass, 77-65, Jan. 24, 2003, 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 Nekole Smith regained the lead for the Minutewomen to open up the second half, but that would be their final advantage. Xavier 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, 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 Kristin Cannon made a lay-up 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 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. Katie Nelson (Ellicott City, Md.) 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).
From The Trainer's Room ... Redshirt sophomore Ashley Sharpton (Conyers, Ga.) injured her ankle in practice Jan. 8 and will likely be out for the remainder of the season. She had just returned after missing two games with a groin injury. Junior Katie Nelson (Ellicott City, Md.) is still recovering from a torn ACL she suffered against Dayton on Jan. 26, 2003. She will likely redshirt this season.
Road Woes ... After the 63-57 loss at Rhode Island Jen. 16, UMass has now dropped 17 consecutive games on the road. It's last win on the road was over Rhode Island, 59-45, Dec. 9, 2002, at the Ryan Center. Prior to the streak, the Minutewomen had been victorious on seven of nine road or neutral site contests. UMass is 0-9 on the road in 2003-04, but 2-0 in neutral site games. This ties the longest road losing streak in school history. The last 17-game stretch without a win on the road was from Jan. 23, 1989's 73-60 loss at Dartmouth to Feb. 3, 1990, a 78-74 win at Harvard.
Home Cookin' ... While it has not won a road game in over 13 months, The Maroon & White have now won 15 of the last 20 games on its home floor including seven of the past eight non-conference tilts. This season, UMass is scoring nearly eight more points per game at home (59.3-51.5), allowing one less point (59.3-60.5), shooting .028 percentage points better from the field as well as .019 percentage points better from three-point range and .100 percentage points better from the free throw line. In addition, UMass is committing more than four less turnovers a game at home while forcing nearly four more turnovers by its opponents.
Block Party ... Freshman Tamara Tatham swatted a career-high five shots in the Jan. 18 loss to St. Bonaventure. It was the highest block total in nearly four years for any Minutewoman and ranks as the second-most in a game played in the Mullins Center. Tatham ranks eighth in the A-10 averaging 0.88 blocked shots a game.
Career Game ... A defensive specialist for three seasons, senior Cleo Foster was forced to be the starting point guard this year with Katie Nelson still recuperating her knee. Foster broke out for a career-high 12 points in the Jan. 11 win over Dayton at the Mullins Center. Foster also dished out seven assists in the win, her second-highest total this year. Foster, who was 6-for-6 from the free throw line against the Flyers, is second on the team shooting at an .882 clip from the charity stripe this year. Foster is currently averaging 2.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 3.18 apg this year. She is tied for 10th in the league in assists per game and 12th with a 1.02 assist to turnover ratio. At home, Foster has compiled a 1.93 assist to turnover ratio.
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 leads the team this year pouring in 10.8 points per game. She has scored at least 11 points in nine of her last 12 games. Zsedenyi is also averaging 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while playing in 33.7 minutes a game. Her .458 (71-155) field goal percentage is good for 15th in the conference, while her .381 (32-84) three-point field goal percentage is 6th in the A-10. She also ranks ninth in the league averaging 1.88 three-point field goals a game. Zsedenyi, who also leads the team shooting at a .909 clip from the free throw line, was named the Dinn Brothers/UMass Athlete of the Week on December 17.
Tough D ... One of the positives for Massachusetts this season has been the play by the defense. The Minutewomen have allowed just 60.1 points per game this season to rank second in the conference and 59th in the nation. Through 17 games, UMass opponents are shooting .417 from the field and committing 16.7 turnovers a game.
Tale Of Two Halves ... If college basketball was just a 20-minute game, the Minutewomen would be 10-7 this year instead of 5-12. Massachusetts has enjoyed a halftime lead in 10 of its 17 games this season, including a 12-point advantage at La Salle Jan. 3 which quickly evaporated in the second half. In the five games where UMass has surrendered the lead at intermission, it is shooting .603 (76-126) from the field in the first half, but just .393 (48-122) in the second stanza.
Nailing The Trifecta ... Massachusetts has quietly become one of the better three-point shooting teams in the Atlantic 10 this season. The Minutewomen currently rank fifth in the league with a .335 percentage from downtown. UMass is 66-for-197 from behind the arc this season. UMass has also done a solid job defending the perimeter shot as it is tied for fifth in the league allowing its opponents to shoot .333 (88-for-264) from three-point land. Senior Judit Zsedenyi has a .381 (32-84) three-point field goal percentage which is sixth in the A-10. She also ranks ninth in the league averaging 1.88 three-point field goals a 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 six games, UMass has managed to equal or out-rebound the opposition each time. Last season, Butler led the nation grabbing 14.7 rebounds a game and only three other players were over 3.0. This year, six different Minutewomen are grabbing at least three rebounds a game. Junior Brooke Campbell leads the team and is fifth in the A-10 pulling down 7.3 boards a contest. It has also been the highest single-game rebound tally in the league this season. Classmate Edris Bailey has registered the other 15-rebound game this year when she grabbed the career-high tally Jan. 3 at La Salle. Bailey is averaging 5.2 rpg this year. Overall, UMass is out-rebounding its opponents, 34.4-31.5 and are third in the league with a +2.9 rebounding margin.
Don't Want To Dominate On The Glass Though ... UMass seems to play better this year when not out-rebounding the opposition. When either tied on the glass or being out-rebounded this season, UMass is 3-3. They are just 2-9, however, when holding the edge on the glass. Dec. 30's win over UNC-Greensboro was the first time this season UMass out-rebounded its opponent and won.
Fiesta Bowl All-Tournament Team ... For the second time in as many weeks, UMass junior forward Brooke Campbell was named to an all-tournament team. This time, the Baltimore, Md., native was selected to the All-Tournament team of the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tucson, Ariz. In two games at the McKale Center, Campbell had 28 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two steals. For the season, Campbell is third on the team averaging 9.1 points per game and 7.3 rebounds a game. Her tally on the glass is good for fifth-best in the conference. Campbell is also averaging 2.1 assists, 0.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. The previous week, Campbell was selected to the Coca-Cola Classic All-Tournament Team and was also named the Dinn Brothers/UMass Athlete of the Week.
Burned At the Line ... UMass' 63-57 loss at Rhode Island Jan. 16 can be attributed to one thing-free throw shooting. The Minutewomen shot better from the field (46 percent-37 percent), made three more field goals (22-19) and out-rebounded the Rams, 32-31, but still lost. The game saw 12 ties and seven different lead changes, but URI was 23-for-25 (92 percent) from the charity stripe, including 18-for-19 in the second half to give it the edge. UMass was just 10-for-16 from the charity stripe and are last in the conference this year just shooting 58 percent.
The All-Around Center ... The future looks bright for the Minutewomen if freshman Tamara Tatham continues this pace. A forward playing as a center this year, Tatham is fourth on the team with 8.6 points per game. She is also averaging 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. The Brampton, Ontario, native has reached double-figures in scoring in 10 of the 17 games this season.
Lucky 20 For Number 24 ... Junior Edris Bailey has poured in at least 20 points on three occasions this season. Most recently, she broke our for 20 points in the Jan. 11 win over Dayton. Bailey is second on the team averaging 10.1 points, while also pulling down 5.2 rebounds per game. Her .497 shooting percentage leads the team and is ninth in the league. In the three games from Dec. 21 until Jan. 3 (at Hartford, vs. UNC-Greensboro and at La Salle), Bailey averaged 18.3 ppg and 11.3 rpg. She was named the Dinn Brothers/UMass Athlete of the Week on Jan. 7.
St. Bonaventure Recap ... The University of Massachusetts women's basketball team (5-12, 1-5) lost to Saint Bonaventure (5-11, 1-4) Jan. 18, 70-58, giving the Bonnies their win ever at the Mullins Center. SBU guard Steph Collins scored a game-high 20 points including four three-pointers to lead a squad that canned 11 threes and never trailed. Saint Bonaventure opened up an early 8-2 lead off the opening tip and never looked back holding a 36-24 lead at the half.
In the second half, UMass cut the 12-point halftime deficit to 10, but a 13-3 run by the Bonnies over the next 3:35 gave them a 20-point lead and closed the door for the Minutewomen. UMass never got any closer than 14 points until the end of the game. UMass had four players in double figures including freshman guard Joyce Massey (Detroit, Mich.) who netted a career-high 16 points. Also totaling double-digits were junior forward Edris Bailey (Mt. Hope, Trinidad & Tobago) who had 14, senior forward Judit Zsedenyi (Budapest, Hungary) who had 11, and freshman forward Tamara Tatham (Brampton, Ontario) who totaled 10. Tatham also had a career-high five blocked shots which tied for the second-most in a game at the Mullins Center and was the most by a UMass player in nearly four seasons.
Saint Bonaventure also got 14 points and a team-high six rebounds from Tory Vyborny to round out an attack that was more productive from beyond the arc (52.4 percent) than in was inside it (46.3 percent). UMass recorded 20 assists on its 22 field goals and was out-rebounded, 34-27.
It's An International Thing ... This year's UMass roster certainly has an International feel to it. There are five players who are not from the US. 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. In addition, four of the five usual starters are not from the United States.
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 19-25 (.432) at UMass and 99-129 (.434) overall in nine-plus seasons as a head coach. She is now just one win shy of 100 in her career.
From Here ... Massachusetts will head back to Philadelphia next Thursday (Jan. 29) for a 7:00 p.m. game at Temple. The Minutewomen then return home for a 12:00 p.m. game against Fordham on Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Mullins Center. The game is the A-10 Game of the Week and will be carried on the A-10 Television Network.