University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Dayton
Minutewomen Fall To Dayton, 57-51, In A-10 Tourney
March 07, 2008 | Women's Basketball
March 7, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - Kate Mills (Elkton, Md.) poured in 17 points and a career-high 19 rebounds, but Dayton, led by Nikki Oakland's 20 points and 13 rebounds proved too much down the stretch, as the fifth-seeded Flyers downed 12th-seeded UMass, 57-51, in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Championship at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse. It was a close battle throughout, with five lead changes and nobody every leading by more than nine. Senior Pam Rosanio (Southampton, Pa.) and freshman Cerie Mosgrove (Needham, Mass.) each added 11 points each for UMass. For Mosgrove it was a career-high. Brittany Holterman added 10 points and eight rebounds for Dayton. The Minutewomen finish the season at 13-17 overall, while the Flyers improve to 24-7 and move on to face fourth-seeded Charlotte on Saturday.
Both teams' shooters struggled, with UMass shooting 35.4% (23-65) and 3-for-19 from 3-point range, while Dayton shot 35.0% (21-60) and 4-for-21 from behind the arc. Rebounding was a dead heat at 42 each, while UMass turned the ball over 14 times to Dayton's 10.
UMass struck first in the game, thanks to a Rosanio 3-point play 27 seconds in. With UMass leading, 11-8, Dayton scored five-straight to take a 14-10 lead with 11:28 left in the half. The Minutewomen responded with a 7-0 spurt, capped off by a Mosgrove 3-pointer, resulting in a Dayton timeout, to put UMass up 17-14, with 8:57 left. The teams traded baskets for most of the remainder of the half, with Mills and Rosanio providing UMass' last six points, while Oakland scored six of Dayton's last seven points of the half to give the Flyers' a one-point lead at halftime, 27-26.
Mills led the way in the first half with eight points on 4-for-7 shooting and seven rebounds. Rosanio added seven points, while the Minutewomen shot 40.0% (12-30) from the field. Dayton was led by Oakland's nine first half points, while the Flyers shot 31.3% (10-32). UMass also held a 23-19 rebounding edge at the half.
The Flyers got off to a quick start in the second half, scoring six-straight points to increase their lead to seven, 33-26, with 16:38 to go. The UMass offense struggled early on in the second half with just six points at the 12:00 mark. Back-to-back baskets by Oakland upped the Flyers lead to nine, 50-41, with 6:01 remaining. Mills answered right back however, with a 3-point play that cut the deficit back down to six with 5:34 to go. Oakland, who scored nine-straight Dayton points, and Rosanio then traded two baskets each to keep it a six-point game. The Flyers however, were able to make free throws down the stretch to nullify another Mosgrove 3-pointer and hang on for the six-point victory.
Mills finishes her UMass career with 1,525 points, fourth on the Minutewomen's all-time list. Rosanio's total of 1,466 places her seventh.
