University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Minutewomen Blast Rhode Island In A-10 Opener, 91-53
January 12, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 12, 2008
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
AMHERST, Mass. - The dynamic duo of seniors Pam Rosanio (Southampton, Pa.) and Kate Mills (Elkton, Md.) scored 23 and 19 points, respectively, to lead UMass (8-7, 1-0 A-10) to a 91-53 victory over Rhode Island (7-9, 0-1 A-10) in Saturday afternoon's Atlantic 10 women's basketball opener at the Mullins Center. Stefanie Gerardot (Fort Wayne, Ind.) scored 12 points and Stephanie Lawrence (Riguad, Quebec) set a career-high with 10 for UMass. UMass' 91 points was its highest total since Jan. 14, 1981, when the Minutewomen defeated Maine, 97-62, at the Curry Hicks Cage. It was also the Minutewomen's most points scored in the Mullins Center, breaking the previous high of 89, set twice, most recently in 2003 vs. Temple.
UMass was 32-for-36 (88.9%) from the foul line, coming within one of its single-game record for made free throws.
Amanda McGrew led Rhode Island with 12 points, while Crystal Bellinger added 10.
At the 13:08 point of the first half and with the score tied 9-9, the Minutewomen went on a 14-0 run over the next 3:29 to open up a 23-9 lead. After a Rams basket, UMass scored seven-straight points on layups by Mills and Rosanio and then a Rosanio 3-pointer that led to a URI timeout with 6:05 left and UMass ahead, 30-11. A Gerardot 3-pointer with 4:56 left gave UMass a 20-point lead, 35-15. The Minutewomen would go into halftime with a 42-19 lead.
UMass shot 45.8% (11-24) from the floor, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range, in the first half. Rosanio led the way with 13 points, while Mills added 12 points and six rebounds. Rhode Island shot 30.8% (8-26) and was 2-for-8 from behind the arc. Mojidi led the Rams with five points. Rebounding was a dead heat in the opening 20 minutes with 17 for each club.
The Minutewomen kept pouring it on, starting the second half with a Mills basket and another Rosanio 3-pointer to make it 47-19 just over a minute in. A Whitney McDonald (Ossining, N.Y.) layup with 11:35 left put UMass up by 31, 64-33. Lawrence upped the lead to 36, 83-47, with a 3-point play with 4:24 left. The UMass lead would reach as much as 43 with 1:03 to go.
For the game, UMass shot 52.9% (27-51) from the floor and was 5-for-9 from 3-point range. Rhode Island shot 35.8% (19-53) was 7-for-19 from long-range. The Minutewomen won the battle on the glass, 35-26.
