University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Rice
Free Throw Shooting Helps UMass Past Rice, 71-57
November 27, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - With a near-perfect evening at the free throw line on Friday at the BankUnited Center, the UMass women's basketball team defeated Rice, 71-57, to advance to the championship game of the Wyndham Miami Thanksgiving Tournament. The victory was the second straight for the Minutewomen who move to 3-2 on the year, while the Owls drop to 0-5.
Sophomore Kristina Danella led all scorers with 21 points and chipped in with seven rebounds for UMass, making 12-of-12 free throws. Her 1.000% free throw percentage matched a program single game record (minimum 10 attempts), last set by Melissa Gurile who was 15-for-15 at the charity stripe against Providence in 1993.
Redshirt junior Megan Zullo had her second double-digit scoring game in a Minutewoman uniform, totaling 10 points and four assists. Sophomore Nicole Jones followed with nine points and added four blocks and five rebounds. Junior Stephanie Lawrence recorded eight points in 12 minutes on the floor, while freshman Jasmine Watson contributed eight points and five rebounds. Senior Diatiema Hill was UMass' top rebounder with eight and registered seven assists and four steals, as well.
After the teams traded baskets over the first seven minutes of the contest, Zullo hit a jumper at 13:28 that sparked a 16-6 run for the Minutewomen. Five straight points by Lawrence gave UMass its first 10-point lead of the contest, capped off by a layup with 9:10 on the clock. The Minutewomen maintained its double figure edge for the remainder of the period and went into halftime holding a 40-27 advantage. UMass shot 15-for-29 (51.7%) in the first half and made all seven free throws attempted.
Rice came out and hit the first four field goals of the second half to trim its deficit to six at 42-36 with 14:14 remaining. However, the Minutewomen responded with treys from junior Cerie Mosgrove and Danella to push the margin back above 10.
Another Danella three gave UMass a 53-39 lead at the 12:23 mark, but the Owls refused to fade. Over the next five minutes, Rice held the Minutewomen to just one field goal and crept back to within seven at 59-49 with 7:24 on the clock. Lawrence ended the draught with a trey at 4:54, making it a 59-49 advantage for UMass.
That would be the final field goal of the game for the Minutewomen, but the squad's defense and impeccable free throw shooting was all the team required the rest of the way. The Owls came no closer than six points of UMass the rest of the way as the Minutewomen drained 12 free throws in the final two minutes of the contest.
Tara Watts and Morgan Mayse both finished in double figures for Rice with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Mayse also pulled down a team-high eight boards.
UMass shot 21-for-50 (42%) overall, 7-for-23 (30.4%) from three and 22-for-23 (95.7%) at the free throw line. Rice finished 21-for-63 (33.3%) overall, 6-for-22 (27.3%) from three and made 9-of-10 (90%) free throws.
The Minutewomen will play for the Wyndham Miami Thanksgiving Tournament championship tomorrow night, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m., facing the winner of tonight's Miami-Long Beach State contest.
