University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Basketball Hosts Wagner Tonight On Dollar Day
November 30, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 30, 2006
Minutewomen Open Up Two-Game Homestand Thursday Against Wagner
• UMass (5-1) returns to the Mullins Center after a successful 3-1 road trip in back-to-back tournaments the last two weekends. The Minutewomen won the Aeropostale Seton Hall Basketball Classic (Nov. 17-18) and then finished second at the Best Western Roundball Classic last weekend since last playing at Mullins when they captured a 60-38 win over New Hampshire in the home opener on Nov. 14. Tonight's game is one of four UMass games at Mullins in a six-game stretch.
• Wagner (1-3) is in town tonight for the first time since the 1997-98 season. The Seahawks are coming off a loss at La Salle last Saturday.
• The Minutewomen will be looking to extend their seven-game homecourt winning streak this weekend.
• Tonight's game will be broadcast live on WMUA, 91.1 FM in Amherst, and online at www.umassathletics.com. Marc Bertrand will have the play-by-play duties while Mike Walsh handles color commentary. The audio, as well as live video and stats via Gametracker are available free of charge at www.umassathletics.com.
• After tonight's game, UMass will host Northeastern Saturday at Noon. Please note, the tip of this game has been moved from the original 4:45 start to allow fans to make their way to Alumni Stadium afterwards to see the football NCAA Quarterfinal game against New Hampshire. Kick-off is set for 2:30.
Scouting Wagner
• Wagner comes into the game with a 1-3 record. The Seahawks' lone win was against Lafayette, while they have lost to Princeton, New Hampshire and La Salle.
• Wagner is averaging 61.8 ppg while allowing 72.2 ppg. The Seahawks are shooting 41 percent from the field, 25 percent from three-points range and 64 percent at the free throw line. Wagner has been out-rebounded 43.5-33.0 and is committing 18.3 turnovers a game.
• Olivia Nagle and Chelsey Bunyer are each averaging 13.5 ppg. John'a Poole is also in double-figures at 11.3 ppg, while Takesha Dye is averaging a team-high 10.3 rebounds a game.
UMass vs. Wagner
• This will be the fourth all-time meeting between UMass and Wagner and the first since the 1997-98 season.
• The Minutewomen won the last game, 72-47, on Nov. 16, 1997. Prior to that, the teams split a pair of meetings at the Wagner Christmas Tournament. Wagner won the first game, 58-52, on Dec. 28, 1992, while UMass was victorious 70-67 in overtime on Dec. 28, 1996.
Hot Start
• After beating Stephen F. Austin, 71-63, in the first round of the Best Western Roundball Classic on Nov. 25, UMass began the season 5-0 for the first time since the 1988-89 season. That team also began the year 5-0.
• The best start to a season in school history was 9-0 by the 1968-69 team, the first women's basketball squad in school history.
• Dating back to last year, UMass has won 13 of its last 17 regular season games.
A Tourney Win
• UMass' win in the Aeropostale Seton Hall Basketball Classic was its third in-season tournament win all-time and first since taking the Blue Sky Dartmouth Classic, Dec. 28-29, 1999, in Hanover, N.H. The Minutewomen beat Furman and William & Mary en route to the title.
• The only other in-season tournament UMass has won was the Wagner Christmas Tournament, Dec. 28-29, 1996, in Staten Island, N.Y. That year, the Minutewomen knocked off Wagner and New Hampshire en route to the title.' • Overall, UMass is 37-58 (.389) in regular season tournament play.
Tough Defense
• UMass got off to its best defensive start since the 1973-74 season season after allowing just 47.0 ppg in its first four games.
• In 1973-74, the Minutewomen allowed just 141 points (35.3 ppg) in their first four games against Connecticut (68-27), Northeastern (45-37), Keene State (33-36) and Central Connecticut (51-41).
• It was also the best four-game defensive effort since the 1995-96 team allowed just 182 points (45.5 ppg) in consecutive games against Temple, Xavier, Duquesne and Fordham (Feb. 8-18).
• So far this year, UMass has held opponents to just 34 percent (127-296) from the floor and 22 percent (25-114) from three-point range.
• The Minutewomen rank second in the league in scoring defense (56.2 ppg), first in field goal percentage defense (.341) and second in three-point field goal defense (.219).
Younger Sister Breaks Out
• Junior Alisha Tatham recorded back-to-back solid games at the Best Western Roundball Classic Nov. 25-26, and was a major factor on UMass' comeback win against Stephen F. Austin in the first round.
• Tatham had nine points against Stephen F. Austin, all in a five minute span of the second half that was part of UMass' 25-12 run to erase a 12-point halftime deficit.
• Tatham followed that up with a career-high-tying 13 points in the championship game against South Florida the next day. Tatham was 7-for-11 from the line against the Bulls and 7-for-11 from the field for the weekend, including a perfect 3-for-3 against South Florida.
• Tatham is fourth on the team averaging 7.5 ppg and is shooting 60 percent (15-25) from the field.
Young's Dishing Them Out
• During the Best Western Roundball Classic, sophomore point guard Sakera Young dished out eight assists while committing just one turnover. That is even more impressive when you consider the fact that both of the Minutewomen's opponents were pressing and playing a tough pressure defense.
• Young had a career-high five assists against Stephen F. Austin and now has 14 on the year and a 1.40 assist to turnover ratio.
Benton Finds The Range
• Freshman Kim Benton scored a career-high 11 points off the bench, all in the first half, while dishing out four assists in UMass' home opener against New Hampshire Nov. 14.
• Benton was 3-for-5 from three-point range and drained three consecutive trifectas during a 21-3 UMass first-half run.
• Benton's threes seem to come at a good time as she hit two during UMass' big comeback against Stephen F. Austin Nov. 25 in the first round of the Best Western Roundball Classic. Benton nailed a pair of trifectas in the second half as part of the Minutewomen's 25-12 run that erased a 12-point halftime deficit.
• For the season, Benton is fifth on the team averaging 6.3 ppg and has 13 assists. She is shooting 90 percent (9-10) at the line.
Dacko In Non-Conference Play
• In four-plus years under Dacko, UMass has fared quite well in its non-conference schedule. The Minutewomen are 27-23 (.540) in 50 games.
• UMass has won 12 of its last 16 non-conference home games.
Mullins Magic
• After the Nov. 14 win against New Hampshire, UMass has now won seven straight games at the Mullins Center.
• In addition, the Minutewomen have won 31 of its last 49 games at home which is a .633 winning percentage.
• During this seven-game homecourt winning streak, UMass is averaging 65.1 ppg while allowing just 54.9 ppg.
• The Minutewomen are shooting 45 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and an amazing 81 percent at the free throw line. • UMass has averaged 17.3 assists and 6.6 steals as well in this span.
• From the line, UMass has made nearly twice as many free throws (129) as its opponents have taken (72).
• Three current UMass players are averaging double-figures during this run led by Kate Mills' 14.3 ppg. Pam Rosanio (13.5 ppg) and Tamara Tatham (11.8 ppg).
• This ties UMass' longest winning streak at home since Feb. 10, 2002 against St. Bonaventure to Jan. 18, 2003, vs. the Bonnies.
• UMass' longest home winning streak prior to this was 14 from Feb. 18, 1995 against Temple to Feb. 27, 1996 vs. Rhode Island. That is also the school record.
Mills And Rosanio Pick Right Up Where They Left Off
• Juniors Kate Mills and Pam Rosanio have picked right up where they left off after All-Conference seasons in 2005-06.
• Mills began the season with consecutive double-doubles and is now averaging 16.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 2.0 bpg. Mills is first on the team and tied for fifth in the A-10 in points, while she is tied for fourth in the league in rebounding and tied for second in blocked shots.
• She tallied 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in UMass' season-opening win at Vermont en route to A-10 Co-Player of the Week honors.
• Mills was named MVP of the Aeropostale Seton Hall Basketball Classic Nov. 17-18 after averaging 19.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg as the Minutewomen captured the championship. She scored a season-high 22 points, her fifth career 20-point game, in the championship against Seton Hall despite playing the final 8:03 in foul trouble.
• Mills then picked up All-Tournament team accolades at the Best Western Roundball Classic. She averaged 13.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg.
• Rosanio just missed her first career double-double as she added 19 points and nine rebounds against the Catamounts and is averaging 11.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 2.7 apg.
• She was selected to the Aeropostale Seton Hall Basketball Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 11.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg.
• Mills is shooting 58 percent (37-64) from the field and a 78 percent (25-32) at the free throw line.
• The duo were each A-10 Preseason Third-Team All-Conference selections.
Closing In On 1,000
• Senior Tamara Tatham needs just 142 more points to become the 15th player in UMass history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau.
• Tatham is currently tied for 21st in UMass history with her 824 points.
• Junior Pam Rosanio is also quickly moving up the career ranks. She needs 268 more points to break 1,000 for her career.
• Rosanio ranks 26th in UMass history with her 715 career points.
Block Party
• Both Tatham and Mills are quickly moving up the career blocks chart.
• Mills is currently seventh all-time at UMass with 74 blocked shots, over one a game, while Tatham ranks 10th with 54.
• Mills is tied for second in the A-10 this year with 12 blocked shots, an average of 2.00 a game.
Snapping The Road Streak
• UMass' 60-48 win at Vermont Nov. 10 was the first season-opening road win in its last 10 games.
• The last UMass win on the road to begin a season was also against Vermont, a 60-52 victory on Nov. 26, 1988.
