University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Hoops Hosts Fordham Sunday At Noon
January 31, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2004
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Game-Day Information
What: Fordham (10-8, 3-4) at Massachusetts (5-14, 1-7)
Where: Mullins Center (9,493) * Amherst, Mass.
When: Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004 * 12:00 PM
TV: A-10 Network (locally on NESN at 4:00 PM)
Larry Rosen (play-by-play) & Pam Roecker (color)
Radio: WMUA, 91.1 FM in Amherst
Live Stats: Gametracker available on www.umassathletics.com
Series Information: UMass leads 14-7 (9-1 at home and 8-0 in Mullins)
Last Meeting: 64-51 UMass on Feb. 27, 2003
Game Day... Today on Super Bowl Sunday, head coach Marnie Dacko looks for career win number 100 as the University of Massachusetts women's basketball team (5-14, 1-7 A-10) hosts Fordham University in a game that will be televised on the Atlantic 10 Television Network. The Minutewomen have now lost four games in a row and 10 of their last 12. Most recently, UMass fell to Temple, 63-52, on Thursday night in Philadelphia. Fordham, meanwhile, defeated St. Bonaventure, 50-47, Friday night at home improving to 10-8 overall and 3-4 in the Atlantic 10. That conference record is good for third place in the A-10 East. UMass leads the all-time series with Fordham, 14-7. They are 9-1 at home against the Rams and 8-0 in games played at the Mullins Center.
Scouting The Rams ... Fordham University enters this afternoon's game with a 10-8 overall record. They are 3-4 in A-10 play good for third place in the East Division. The Rams are scoring 62.9 ppg (eighth in the A-10), while allowing 62.2 ppg (sixth). Fordham is shooting .420 from the field (fifth), .371 from three-point range (first) and .680 at the free throw line (seventh). Fordham is out-rebounding its opponents, 37.4-35.1 while committing 18.5 turnovers a game. They are also averaging 15.2 assists per game and 9.1 steals a contest.
Beth Ann Dickinson leads the team in scoring at 13.8 ppg. She has also dished out 55 assists. Monica Mack is a close second pouring in 13.2 ppg and has dished out a team-high 57 assists. Stacey Price leads the way in rebounding at 6.2 rpg, while Kyshawn Ruff is hauling in 6.1 boards a game.
Head Coach Jim Lewis ... Jim Lewis has the program heading in the right direction, as the team has increased its win total in each of his first three season. The team finished the 2002-03 season with 14 wins, the most for the program in seven years, and five Atlantic 10 wins, the most for Fordham since joining the Atlantic 10 in 1995-96. Last year's squad also ranked among the most improved team in the NCAA, finishing tied for 15th with a 7.5 game improvement. Lewis has compiled a 236-247 in 17-plus seasons as a head coach. In three-plus years at Fordham, Lewis has a 35-70 record.
The Series ... This afternoon marks the 22nd meeting between these two teams. UMass leads 14-7, including a 9-1 mark at home. In addition, the Minutewomen are a perfect 8-0 against the Rams at the Mullins Center. Last year, both teams won on their home floor. UMass has won 12 of the last 16 games in the series.
The Last Time They Met ... UMass used a 17-2 run midway through the game to defeat Fordham Feb. 27, 2003, at the Mullins Center. Jen Butler scored a game-high 21 points. She also pulled down 19 rebounds to become the conference's all-time leader with 708 boards in A-10 play.
The Minutewomen trailed 25-14 at the 5:55 mark of the first half, but went on a 17-2 run extending into the second half. Massachusetts tied the game just before intermission on a lay-up by Nekole Smith. UMass then took the lead for good when Butler converted on an old-fashioned three-point play on its first second half possession. After UMass built a six-point lead, 33-27, at the 15:59 mark of the second half, Fordham scored two quick baskets to pull within two. The Minutewomen responded with a 7-0 run of its own. The knock-out punch proved to be a three-pointer by Ebony Pegues followed by a Butler basket stretching the lead from six to 11 (48-37) and forcing the Lady Rams to use a timeout at the 7:51 mark. Fordham never got any closer than six points the rest of the way.
In addition to her 22nd double-double of the season, Butler had five steals, two assists, one blocked shot and did not commit a turnover. Smith chipped in 14 points and six boards, while Pegues had eight points off the bench. Monique Govan (Chicago, Ill.) and Judit Zsedenyi (Budapest, Hungary) each had seven points and four rebounds in the victory.
UMass outscored the Lady Rams, 40-15 in the paint and held the edge in rebounding, 43-40. After committing eight turnovers in the first half, UMass had just one in the second to finish with nine. The Minutewomen were 24-39 (.615) from the free throw line, while Fordham made just seven trips all night (5-7).
Mobolaji Akiode led the way for Fordham with 16 points. Monica Mack and Beth Ann Dickinson each had 11 in the loss. All of Dickinson's scoring came in the first half.
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 redshirt this season. Junior Brooke Campbell (Baltimore, Md.) will be out indefinitely as well due to personal reasons.
Road Woes ... After the 63-52 loss at Temple Jan. 29, UMass has now dropped a school-record 18 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 0-10 on the road in 2003-04, but 2-0 in neutral site games. The previous record was a 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 21 games on its home floor including seven of the past eight non-conference tilts. This season, UMass is scoring nearly seven more points per game at home (57.0-50.2), allowing more than four less points (58.4-62.6), shooting .027 percentage points better from the field as well as .041 percentage points better from three-point range and .045 percentage points better from the free throw line. In addition, UMass is committing more than four less turnovers a game at home while forcing more than four 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 seventh in the A-10 averaging 0.89 blocked shots a game.
The New Point Guard ... 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 injured 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 .857 clip from the charity stripe this year. Foster is currently averaging 2.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 3.11 apg this year. She is 11th in the league in assists per game and with a 1.04 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 10.2 points per game. She has scored at least 11 points in nine of her last 14 games. Zsedenyi is also averaging 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while playing in 33.9 minutes a game. Her .380 (35-92) three-point field goal percentage is 6th in the A-10. She also ranks ninth in the league averaging 1.84 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 59.8 points per game this season to rank second in the conference and 55th in the nation. Through 19 games, UMass opponents are shooting .414 from the field (fifth in the A-10) and committing 16.7 turnovers a game.
Tale Of Two Halves ... If college basketball was just a 20-minute game, the Minutewomen would be 11-8 this year instead of 5-14. Massachusetts has enjoyed a halftime lead in 11 of its 18 games this season, including an eight-point advantage vs. Xavier Jan. 23. In the six games where UMass has surrendered its halftime lead in the second stanza, it is shooting .585 (86-147) from the field in the first half, but just .333 (54-141) in the second stanza. UMass led the Musketeers 40-26 with 8:16 left in the game only to see Xavier close out the contest on a 27-3 run. Xavier shot 19 percent in the first half and did not reach double-figures on the scoreboard until there was 2:43 left until halftime.
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 eighth in the league with a .332 percentage from downtown. UMass is 71-for-214 from behind the arc this season. UMass has also done a solid job defending the perimeter shot as it is sixth in the league allowing its opponents to shoot .341 (103-for-302) from three-point land. Senior Judit Zsedenyi has a .380 (35-92) three-point field goal percentage which is sixth in the A-10. She also ranks ninth in the league averaging 1.84 three-point field goals a game.
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 3-5. 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 9.4 points per game and 7.4 rebounds a game. Her tally on the glass is good for a fourth-place tie in the conference. Campbell is also averaging 2.1 assists, 0.4 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 ... Massachusetts currently ranks last in the A-10 and 318th in the nation shooting 57 percent at the free throw line. UMass has gone just 166-for-290 at the charity stripe while its opponents have converted on 220 of their 309 (.712) opportunities. It's' 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.
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 8.9 points per game. She is also averaging 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. The Brampton, Ontario, native has reached double-figures in scoring in 12 of her 19 career games.
Freshman Fitting In ... After a slow start to her collegiate career, freshman Joyce Massey has been very solid off the bench for the Minutewomen in the last month or so. The Detroit, Mich., native has averaged 9.3 points in her last four games, including a career-high 16 points against St. Bonaventure on Jan. 18. For the season, Massey is averaging 4.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg and is a .333 shooter from three-point range. She is 12-for-36 from downtown this year and also a .333 (31-93) shooter from the field.
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 .500 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.
Temple Recap ... The University of Massachusetts women's basketball team (5-14 (1-7 A-10) fell to Temple University, 63-52, Jan. 29 at the Liacouras Center. Junior forward Edris Bailey (Mt. Hope, Trinidad and Tobago) led all scorers with 18 points, while grabbing seven rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Freshman center Tamara Tatham (Brampton, Ontario) chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds, while freshman guard Joyce Massey (Detroit, Mich.) poured in 11 points and gathered four rebounds.
Coming out of halftime facing a 13-point deficit, the Minutewomen were able to cut the lead to seven on a Tatham layup with 3:17 left in the game. UMass then got the ball back with another opportunity to further cut the Owl lead, but could not convert. Massachusetts opened the game with a 2-0 lead, but would not hold the lead again. Freshman guard Britney Jordan scored 17 points on 7-9 shooting to lead Temple.
With the win, the Owls improve to 11-7 overall and remain unbeaten (7-0) in Atlantic 10 Conference play. Joining Jordan, who was a perfect 3-3 from three point range, in double figures was sophomore center Candice Dupree with 10 points. Senior forward Toni Belafonte added nine points and was 3-5 from beyond the arc, while fellow senior Christena Hamilton also had nine points and five assists.
Temple out-rebounded the Minutewomen 37-27, including 15 offensive rebounds, which led to 23 second-chance points. TU shot 46.2 percent for the game, going 24-52 from the floor, including 58.3 percent from three-point range, sinking seven of 12 long-range attempts. They also were 8-12 at the charity stripe, helping to close the game down the stretch. Massachusetts did win the turnover battle, as they surrendered the ball 15 times to Temple's 16.
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 19-27 (.413) at UMass and 99-131 (.430) overall in nine-plus seasons as a head coach. She is now just one win shy of 100 in her career.
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.
From Here ... UMass hits the road for a pair of games after today's matinee on Super Bowl Sunday. It will be at Duquesne (Feb. 8; 2:00 p.m.) and Fordham (Feb. 13; 7:00 p.m.). UMass then returns home to host Saint Joseph's on Feb. 15 at 2:00 p.m. before hitting the road again for a two-game stretch at St. Bonaventure and Richmond on Feb. 19 and Feb. 22.