University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Basketball Set For St. Bonaventure
February 17, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2004
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Game-Day Information:
WHAT: Massachusetts (6-17, 2-10) at St. Bonaventure (7-16, 3-9)
WHERE: Reilly Center (6,000) ? Olean, N.Y.
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 19 * 7:00 PM
RADIO: WMUA, 91.1 FM in Amherst
SERIES: UMass leads 26-13
LAST MEETING: St. Bonaventure, 70-68, on Jan. 18 at the Mullins Center
Game Day... The University of Massachusetts women's basketball team looks to bounce back from Sunday's 52-40 loss at home against Saint Joseph's this evening against St. Bonaventure. The Minutewomen, who are on their final road trip of the regular season, are now 6-17 overall and trail the Bonnies by one game for fifth-place in the A-10 East with a 2-10 conference record. UMass leads the season-series against St. Bonaventure, 26-13, after losing 70-58 on Jan. 18 at the Mullins Center. St. Bonaventure is 7-16 overall. It has lost three games in a row and four of its last five. UMass is looking to avoid being swept by St. Bonaventure is a season-series for the first time since the 1991-92 season.
Scouting The Bonnies ... St. Bonaventure enters this evening's game with a 7-16 overall record. They are 3-9 in A-10 play, one game ahead of the Minutewomen for fifth-place. The Bonnies are averaging 63.8 ppg (seventh in the A-10) and allowing 67.1 ppg (ninth). They are shooting .405 from the field (eighth), .359 from three-point range (third) and .753 at the free throw line (second). The Bonnies are getting out-rebounded, 36.1-33.1, and committing 15.1 turnovers per game.
Stefanie Collins leads the team in scoring at 16.5 ppg, but has missed the last couple of games with an injury. She is listed as day-to-day. Lyndsey Maurer is second on the team in scoring at 7.9 ppg. Tori Vyborny is third at 7.5 ppg. Caitlin Crist leads the way pulling down 4.3 rebounds a game, while Shannon Bodamer has dished out a team-high 60 assists.
Head Coach Jim Crowley ... In just three short years, Jim Crowley has significantly raised the level of expectations for women's basketball at St. Bonaventure. Crowley's 2001-02 club won six more games than his first team did, going 13-15 overall and 7-9 in the competitive Atlantic 10 Conference. Crowley demonstrated his flexibility as a coach that season, adopting a defense-first philosophy after using a run-and-gun style his first season. Renowned for his work ethic, Crowley's players follow their coach's example on and off the court. Crowley is now 32-74 in his tenure at St. Bonaventure.
The Series ... Today marks the 40th meeting in the series between Massachusetts and St. Bonaventure. UMass holds a commanding 26-13 lead, including a 15-6 mark at home and a 10-8 record on the road. The Minutewomen, who are 8-0 against the Bonnies at the Mullins Center have won 17 of the past 21 games between these two teams.
The Last Time They Met ... 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 first 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.
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 ... With the 66-64 win at Fordham Feb. 13, UMass snapped a school-record 19 game road losing streak. It's last win on the road had been 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 1-11 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.
Seventh Times' A Charm ... When UMass head coach Marnie Dacko won her 99th career game on Jan. 11 vs. Dayton, she probably didn't imagine it would be nearly a month before number 100. After failing in six prior games, the Minutewomen finally gave Dacko the milestone with a 66-64 win at Fordham on Feb. 13. Dacko becomes just the second coach in school history to eclipse the 100-game plateau.
Home Cookin' ... While it has won just one road game in over 13 months, The Maroon & White have now won 15 of the last 23 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, allowing more than two less points, 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 10th in the A-10 averaging 0.78 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. She currently ranks 20th in the league on the glass pulling down 5.8 boards a game. 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 first on the team shooting at a .778 clip from the charity stripe this year. Foster is currently averaging 2.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 3.00 apg this year. She is 13th in the league in assists per game and 11th with a 1.12 assist to turnover ratio. At home, Foster has compiled a 1.83 assist to turnover ratio.
Two Extremes Against Fordham ... UMass has had two very different shooting performances against Fordham. The Minutewomen shot a season-low .265 (14-52) from the field in a 61-45 loss to Fordham on Feb. 1 at the Mullins Center, but then shot a season-high .480 (24-50) from the field en route to a 66-64 win at Fordham Feb. 13. The win in the Bronx on Friday the 13th for UMass also avoided being swept by the Rams for the first time ever in the season series.
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 9.4 points per game. She has scored at least 11 points in 10 of her last 18 games. Zsedenyi is also averaging 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while playing in 34.4 minutes a game. Her .321 (36-112) three-point field goal percentage is 16th in the A-10. She also ranks tied for 12th in the league averaging 1.57 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 59.1 points per game this season to rank third in the conference and 57th in the nation. Through 23 games, UMass opponents are shooting .407 from the field (fourth in the A-10) and committing 17.3 turnovers a game.
Tale Of Two Halves ... If college basketball was just a 20-minute game, the Minutewomen would be 12-11 this year instead of 6-17. Massachusetts has enjoyed a halftime lead in 13 of its 23 games this season. 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.
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 4-7. 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.
No Offensive Rebounds? ... In the Feb. 15 loss to Saint Joseph's, Massachusetts did not register an offensive rebound. The Minutewomen were out-rebounded, 45-19, in the contest. The Hawks had 17 offensive boards and turned it into eight second-chance points.
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 318th in the nation shooting 57 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 9.0 points per game. She is also averaging 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. The Brampton, Ontario, native has reached double-figures in scoring in 14 of her 23 career games, including a career-high 15 against Saint Joseph's on Feb. 15.
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. Feb. 8 at Duquesne, Cantave set a career-high with four points. She has appeared in a total of seven games this year with 10 points, six rebounds, an assist and two steals.
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 10.3 points per game in her last seven games, including a career-high 16 points against St. Bonaventure on Jan. 18. For the season, Massey is averaging 5.2 ppg and 1.8 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 four occasions this season. Most recently, she broke our for 20 points in the Feb. 13 win at Fordham. Bailey is first on the team averaging 10.8 points, while also pulling down 5.8 rebounds per game. Her .478 shooting percentage leads the team and is 11th 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.
Saint Joseph's Recap ... The University of Massachusetts women's basketball team (6-17, 2-10 A-10) dropped its contest with St. Joseph's Feb. 15 at the Mullins Center, 52-40. The Minutewomen shot 40% to the Hawks' 35%, but were out-rebounded 45-19 and failed to grab an offensive board for the first time all season.
Stephanie Graf of St. Joseph's was the leading scorer in the game, pouring in 17 points to go with her seven rebounds and three blocks. The Minutewomen saw two players reach double-figure point totals, as Tamara Tatham (Brampton, Ontario) and Edris Bailey (Mt. Hope, Trinidad and Tobago) scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, while each grabbing four rebounds. Amra Mehmedic scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds for St. Joe's, while Erin Brady collected 10 rebounds to go with her six points.
St. Joseph's held a 23-18 lead at halftime, but increased their edge to 10 points on a layup by Irina Krasnoshiok at the 14:57 mark in the second half. Tatham's layup with 7:15 remaining cut the lead to seven, but that was as close as the Minutewomen would come. UMass was only able to muster five points in the last six minutes, while St. Joseph's sank seven of their last eight free-throw attempts, to help seal the Hawk victory.
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 this evening, UMass has just three games left in the regular season. UMass travels to Richmond, Va., for a Sunday matinee against the Spiders (2:00 p.m.). The Minutewomen then return 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.).