University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Basketball Set For Fordham Friday
February 10, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2004
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Game-Day Information
WHAT: Massachusetts (5-16, 1-9) at Fordham (11-10, 4-6)
WHERE: Rose Hill Gym (3,470) * Bronx, N.Y.
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 13, 2004 * 7:00 PM
RADIO: WMUA, 91.1 FM in Amherst
SERIES: UMass leads 14-8
LAST MEETING: Fordham, 61-45, on Feb. 1, 2004, at the Mullins Center
Game Day... For the second time in less than two weeks, the University of Massachusetts women;s basketball team (5-16, 1-9) will hook up with Fordham University (11-10, 4-6). This time, these two A-10 East foes will meet in the Bronx on Friday the 13th at 7:00 p.m. The Minutewomen are looking to snap a six-game overall losing streak as well as a 19-game road losing streak. In addition, head coach Marnie Dacko is in search of career win number 100. The Minutewomen are coming off a 46-42 loss to Duquesne in Pittsburgh last Sunday, while Fordham dropped a 63-40 game to Saint Joseph's at home last Sunday. On Feb. 1, Fordham defeated UMass, 61-45, at the Mullins Center, but the Minutewomen still lead the all-time series 14-8. They are 5-5 in the Bronx.
Scouting The Rams ... Fordham University comes into this evening's game with an 11-10 overall record. They are currently 4-6 in Atlantic 10 Conference play which is good for fourth-place in the East Division. The Rams are averaging 60.9 ppg (10th in the league), allowing 62.0 ppg (sixth), shooting .410 from the field (sixth), .368 from three-point range (second) and .663 at the free throw line (10th). Fordham second in the league with a +2.7 rebounding margin (37.5-34.8) and ninth with a 0.78 assist to turnover ratio (15.0 apg; 19.1 tpg).
Monica Mack leads the team in scoring at 13.3 ppg. She has also dished out a team-high 66 assists. Beth Ann Dickinson is second with 13.1 ppg and also has 62 assists and a team-high 39 steals. Stacey Price paces the Rams with 6.3 rebounds a game and has blocked a team-high 29 shots.
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 237-249 in 17-plus seasons as a head coach. In three-plus years at Fordham, Lewis has a 36-72 record.
The Series ... This evening marks the 23rd meeting between these two teams. UMass leads 14-8, including a 5-5 mark on the road. Last year, both teams won on their home floor, but the Rams have already downed the Minutewomen 61-45, Feb. 1, at the Mullins Center. Fordham will be looking for its first season series sweep of the Minutewomen tonight. UMass has won 12 of the last 17 games in the series.
The Last Time They Met ... Fordham University (11-8, 4-4) went on a 22-5 run over the first 8:30 of the second half en route to a 61-45 win over the University of Massachusetts (5-15, 1-8) Feb. 1 in Atlantic 10 women's basketball action at the Mullins Center. The Minutewomen, who were outscored, 36-22 in the second half, have now lost a season-high five games in a row. Fordham committed 16 first-half turnovers, but UMass struggled from the field and could not capitalize. The Minutewomen shot just 29 percent in the first half while Fordham shot 39 percent . The Rams held a slim 25-23 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Fordham came out firing, going on a 10-3 run to start the half and take a 35-26 lead, following a three-point play by Patricia Williams. The Rams then outscored UMass, 12-4, over the next six minutes to take a 47-30 lead with 11:00 to go with Williams scoring six of those points. Fordham continued to pour on the offense as Mack hit back-to-back three-pointers as the Rams led by 21, 55-34 with 7:16 left. Senior Glamora Maeweather (Country Club Hills, Ill.) hit for five straight points for UMass to cut the Fordham lead to 59-43, but the Rams would hold on to win by 16. UMass, which shot 27 percent for the game, made more free throws (15) than field goals (14). Freshman Joyce Massey (Detroit, Mich.) was the only Minutewoman to reach double-figures. She had 14 points. Freshman Tamara Tatham (Brampton, Ontario) had nine points and six rebounds, while Maeweather and junior Edris Bailey (Mt. Hope, Trinidad & Tobago) had eight points and four steals apiece. Fordham out-rebounded UMass, 43-30, and shot 45 percent from the field for the game. Junior Monica Mack had a game-high 18 points to go with seven assists, while senior Patricia Williams recorded her second career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Seniors Lauren Fleischer and Beth Ann Dickinson each added 12 points as well for the Rams. This marked the first win for Fordham at the Mullins Center and just the second in 11 meetings in Amherst.
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 46-42 loss at Duquesne Feb. 8, UMass has now dropped a school-record 19 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 0-11 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 22 games on its home floor including seven of the past eight non-conference tilts. This season, UMass is scoring six more points per game at home (55.5-49.5), allowing more than two less points (58.8-61.1), 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 five 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 ninth in the A-10 averaging 0.81 blocked shots a game.
Grabbing Those Boards ... After being out-rebounded for four straight games, junior Edris Bailey made sure that UMass did not make it five in a row Feb. 8 at Duquesne. Bailey pulled down a career-high 18 boards, including 11 in the first half, to up her season total to 123 (5.9 rpg). She currently ranks 17th in the league on the glass. That was her third double-digit performance on the glass this season.
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 2.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 2.95 apg this year. She is 13th in the league in assists per game and 12th with a 1.05 assist to turnover ratio. At home, Foster has compiled a 1.81 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 is second on the team this year pouring in 9.8 points per game. She has scored at least 11 points in nine of her last 16 games. Zsedenyi is also averaging 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while playing in 34.2 minutes a game. Her .340 (36-106) three-point field goal percentage is 11th in the A-10. She also ranks 10th in the league averaging 1.71 three-point field goals a game.
Tough D ... One of the positives for Massachusetts this season has been the play by the defense. The Minutewomen have allowed just 59.2 points per game this season to rank in a second-place tie with Saint Joseph's in the conference and 52nd in the nation. Through 21 games, UMass opponents are shooting .411 from the field (fourth in the A-10) and committing 17.0 turnovers a game.
Tale Of Two Halves ... If college basketball was just a 20-minute game, the Minutewomen would be 11-10 this year instead of 5-16. Massachusetts has enjoyed a halftime lead in 11 of its 20 games this season, most recently 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.
Don't Want To Dominate On The Glass ... 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 3-6. They are just 2-10, 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 fifth 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 317th in the nation shooting 58 percent at the free throw line. UMass has gone just 181-for-314 at the charity stripe while its opponents have converted on 2231of their 326 (.709) opportunities. Its' 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 8.7 points per game. She is also averaging 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. The Brampton, Ontario, native has reached double-figures in scoring in 12 of her 21 career games.
Making The Most Of The Minutes ... With UMass suffering from a depleted roster this year, junior walk-on Michelle Cantave has had a chance to get some time on the floor. Cantave sank a free throw against Temple Jan. 29 for her first career point. She then drained a three-pointer against Fordham for her first career field goal. Most recently at Duquesne, Cantave set a career-high with four points. She has appeared in a total of five games this year with six rebounds, an assist and a steal.
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 six weeks. The Detroit, Mich., native has averaged over 10 points per game in her last five games, including a career-high 16 points against St. Bonaventure on Jan. 18. For the season, Massey is averaging 4.7 ppg and 1.7 rpg. She made her first career start on Feb. 8 at Duquesne and responded with five points, six rebounds, two assists and a career-high two blocked shots in 34 minutes.
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 first on the team averaging 10.2 points, while also pulling down 5.9 rebounds per game. Her .472 shooting percentage leads the team and is 12th 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.
Duquesne Recap ... The University of Massachusetts women's basketball team (5-16, 1-9 Atlantic 10) fell to Atlantic 10 foe Duquesne, 46-42, at the A.J. Palumbo Center Feb. 8. Junior forward Edris Bailey (Mt. Hope, Trinidad and Tobago) led the Minutewomen with a double-double, scoring 16 points and pulling down a career-high 18 boards. Aiga Bautre led the Dukes with 18 points. She went 7-10 from the field, including 4-7 from behind the three-point line. Atlantic 10 leading scorer Candace Futrell added 14 points on the day to go along with her eight rebounds, and sophomore forward Nicole Sinclair chipped in with seven points and a team high nine rebounds. Maria Stankevich had a team and game high four blocks. All seven UMass players that got into the game grabbed at least two rebounds. This was the 12th time this season that UMass has out-rebounded their opposition, yet their record in those games stands at 2-10. The game was epitomized by aggressive defensive play resulting in bodies on the floor throughout the day. Duquesne was held scoreless for a six minute and seven second stretch in the first half when they were up 13-8. But Massachusetts was only able to score two points during that time. UMass shot 30% (20-66) on the day, while Duquesne shot 32% (17-54) for the afternoon.
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 19-29 (.396) at UMass and 99-133 (.427) 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 ... After tonight, UMass has just five games left in the regular season. It hosts Saint Joseph's on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. before hitting the road for a very long and strange trip. The Minutewomen will leave early Wednesday for Olean, N.Y. After next Thursday night's game at St. Bonaventure (7:00 p.m.), UMass travels to Richmond, Va., for a Sunday matinee against the Spiders (2:00 p.m.). UMass then returns home for a two-game set that closed out the regular season. It welcomes George Washington to the Mullins Center on Feb. 26 (7:00 p.m.) and Rhode Island on Feb. 29 (2:00 p.m.).