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University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Basketball Hosts Eastern Michigan Wednesday At 7:00
December 12, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 12, 2006
UMass Looks For 10th Straight Home Win Wednesday vs. Eastern Michigan
• UMass (8-2) looks for its 10th straight win at the Mullins Center when Eastern Michigan (4-3) makes its first visit to Amherst.
• Eastern Michigan is the second straight team from the Mid-American Conference that the Minutewomen have faced after beating Buffalo, 72-67 in overtime Sunday afternoon.
• Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on WMUA, 91.1 FM in Amherst, and online at www.umassathletics.com. Marc Bertrand and Zach Claudio have the call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:30 PM. Live streaming video and stats via Gametracker will also be available at www.umassathletics.com.
• The Minutewomen have now won 16 of their last 21 regular season games, including nine straight at the Mullins Center.
• UMass is looking to avenge a blow-out loss at Eastern Michigan last season. The Minutewomen missed 17 of their first 18 shots and were down 31-13 at halftime en route to a 63-45 loss in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Nov. 22, 2005.
• After Sunday's overtime win at Buffalo, UMass is now 5-4 against MAC schools. The Minutewomen have played Eastern Michigan (0-2), Toledo (2-0), Ohio (1-0), Kent State (1-1) and Buffalo (1-1).
Scouting Eastern Michigan
• Eastern Michigan (4-3) has been a streaky team this year. The Eagles started off the year with convincing wins against New Orleans and Morehead State before losing three in a row to Oakland, Northern Arizona and Boston University. Since then, Eastern Michigan has won two games in a row vs. Detroit and Wright State.
• Eastern Michigan is averaging 74.3 ppg while allowing 67.3 ppg. The Eagles are shooting .423 from the field, .326 from three-point range and .589 at the free throw line. They are +5.5 (43.9-38.4) on the boards and averaging 16.7 assists a game.
• Sarah VanMetre leads the team in scoring at 17.0 ppg while grabbing 8.4 rpg. Patrice McKinney is scoring 15.9 ppg while hauling in a team-high 10.7 rpg.
UMass vs. Eastern Mich.
• Wednesday will mark just the third all-time meeting between UMass and Eastern Michigan with the Eagles winning both games.
• UMass dropped a 63-45 decision on Nov. 22, 2005, in Michigan. Prior to that, the teams had not met since the consolation game of the Lady Kats Invitational in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 26, 1994. EMU won 56-55.
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.
• 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. That team finished the season 13-2.
• Dating back to last year, UMass has won 16 of its last 21 regular season games.
• It was Feb. 2, 2006 before the Minutewomen posted their eighth win last season, a 54-43 win at Rhode Island.
A Rare Overtime
• UMass defeated Buffalo, 72-67, in overtime on Dec. 10. That was the Minutewomen's first overtime contest since a loss at St. Bonaventure on Feb. 19, 2004.
Grabbing Those Boards
• Senior Tamara Tatham hauled in a career-high 18 rebounds in UMass' win over Northeastern on Dec. 2.
• It was the most rebounds by a Minutewoman since Edris Bailey had 18 vs. Duquesne on Feb. 8, 2004.
• As a team, the Minutewomen rank fourth in the league in rebounding margin (+3.6).
• UMass has three players in the top 14 for rebounding, the most of any school in the league.
• Tatham is second with 9.8 rpg. Kate Mills is 10th at 6.9 rpg while Pam Rosanio is 14th at 6.4 rpg.
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 37 percent (220-598) from the floor and 29 percent (56-192) from three-point range.
• The Minutewomen rank second in the league in scoring defense (58.0 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage defense and third in three-point field goal defense.
Tatham Seeing Double
• After a 14-point and 11-rebound effort against Buffalo on Dec. 10, Tamara Tatham now has four double-doubles in her last six games.
• Tatham had just six career double-doubles heading into this season. • The four double-doubles ties her for the most by an A-10 player this year.
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.
• For the season, Tatham is fourth on the team averaging 6.6 ppg and is shooting 50 percent (24-48) from the field.
Freshman Earns First Start
• Freshman Kim Benton earned her first career start Dec. 10 at Buffalo and that proved dividends from the opening tip.
• Benton scored a career-high 15 points and hit a three-pointer on three consecutive UMass possessions early in the game.
• The Springfield, Pa's three balls 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 6.4 ppg. She is also shooting 83 percent (10-12) at the line. She ranks 10th in the A-10 in three-point field goals made (1.60/game) and is tied for 15th in three-point field goal percentage (.333).
Gerardot Notches High Game
• Sophomore Stephanie Gerardot scored a career-high 15 points in UMass' win against Wagner on Nov. 30.
• Gerardot had broke into double-figures just one other time in her career.
• For the season, Gerardot is sixth on the team averaging 5.1 ppg.
Dacko In Non-Conference Play
• In four-plus years under Dacko, UMass has fared quite well in its non-conference schedule. The Minutewomen are 30-24 (.556) in 53 games.
• UMass has won 14 of its last 18 non-conference home games.
Mullins Magic
• After the Dec. 2 win against Northeastern, UMass has now won nine straight games at home.
• In addition, the Minutewomen have won 33 of its last 51 games at home which is a .647 winning percentage.
• This is UMass' longest winning streak at home since reeling off eight in a row 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.
• UMass currently has the 12th-longest active home winning streak in the country as of Dec. 8. LSU leads the way having won its last 37 games at the Pete Maravich Center.
Getting To The Line
• The UMass coaching staff has stressed going to the line and that has certainly been the case this year.
• UMass has gone to the line 227 times, almost double the 121 trips its opponents have made.
• UMass is second in the league to Saint Louis in free throws (246).
• UMass has made more free throws than its opponents have taken in six of the 10 games this season and 18 of the last 24 games dating back to last year.
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 15.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg and 1.8 bpg. Mills is first on the team and fifth in the A-10 in points, while she is 10th in the league in rebounding and fourth 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.
• Mills is a 59 percent (64-109) shooter from the field, good for third in the league, and 82 percent (31-38) at the free throw line, 11th in the league.
• For the second time this season, Rosanio just missed her first career double-double against Wagner (18 pts, nine rb) and is averaging 11.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 2.2 apg.
• She was selected to the Aeropostale Seton Hall Basketball Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 11.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg.
• Rosanio scored 22 points against Northeastern Dec. 2, her fourth career 20-point game.
Closing In On 1,000
• Senior Tamara Tatham needs just 93 more points to become the 15th player in UMass history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau.
• Tatham is currently 19th in UMass history with her 907 points.
• Junior Pam Rosanio is also quickly moving up the career ranks. She needs 216 more points to break 1,000 for her career.
• Rosanio is tied for 24th with her 784 career points.
Block Party
• Both Tatham and Mills are moving up the career blocks chart.
• Mills is now sixth all-time at UMass with 79 blocked shots, over one a game in her career. Tatham, meanwhile, ranks 10th with 54.
• Mills is fourth in the A-10 this year with 17 blocked shots, an average of 1.7 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.
