Dec. 20, 2010
AMHERST, Mass. -
Riding high from a thrilling comeback victory over Wagner, the UMass women's basketball team will look to keep the momentum going as the squad plays host to Miami-Ohio on Tuesday evening, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. in Amherst. Closing out a three-game homestand, the Minutewomen (2-9) will try to snap the Redhawks' (7-3) six-game winning streak. Also, it will be $1 Concessions Night for small sodas, popcorn and hot dogs at the Mullins Center.
Scouting Miami
The Miami Redhawks enter Tuesday's game at the Mullins Center with a record of 7-3 and are currently riding a six-game winning streak. During the steak, Miami has posted victories over Stetson (77-60), Wright State (62-57), Marshall (89-63), Indiana (67-61), Cal State Bakersfield (101-92) and Northeastern.
Three Redhawks hold double figure scoring averages, led by Courtney Osborn's 18.4 points per-game. Maggie Boyer follows with 12.9 points per-game and Rachael Hencke has contributed 10.6 points per-game.
Kristin Olowinski is just shy of double figures with 9.7 points per-game and has corralled an average of 11.1 rebounds per-game, a team best.
Comeback Kids
On Dec.19, the Minutewomen overcame a 17-point second half deficit to defeat Wagner, 79-62. UMass trailed 57-40 with 14:12 to play in the contest and were still down by double-digits, 69-58, with 4:55 remaining. The Minutewomen scored the last 14 points of the game, including nine from sophomore Shakia Robinson.
It marked the largest second half deficit overcome in a UMass victory since the team rallied from down 20 with 16:08 left against Manhattan on Nov. 16, 2008, to pull out a 71-68 win. The program's last comeback of 15+ in a win prior to that contest was against Providence on Dec. 11, 1993, when the team went from down 18 at the 19-minute mark of the second half to defeat the Friars, 82-80.
UMass is the only team in the A-10 this season to win a game in which it has trailed by 15 or more points.
Triple Threat
Continuing its reputation as one of the best three-point shooting teams in the Atlantic 10, UMass is currently ranked in the top-40 nationally for both three-point field goal percentage (11th, 38.6%) and three-point field goals per-game (39th, 7.1).
In the Atlantic 10, the Minutewomen are first in three-point percentage, having made 78-of-202, and are tied for first in threes per-game.
10's Treys
Senior Megan Zullo is having a career year from beyond the arc and currently ranks second in the nation with a 50.8 three-point percentage (31-for-61) and is 32nd in three-point field goals per-game (2.8). Zullo is first in the Atlantic 10 in threes per-game and has 31 to her credit in 11 games and is second in three-point percentage. She is well on pace to eclipse her total of 54 in 29 games last season.
In less than 1 1/2 seasons with the Minutewomen, Zullo has already cracked the top-10 in career three pointers, 10th in program history with 85. She also stands second in career three-point percentage at .403 (85-211). If she maintains her current shooting percentage beyond the arc, it would set a new UMass record for a single season.
Welcome Back
Sophomore Jasmine Watson saw her first action of the season on Dec. 8 at Boston University and had nine points less than seven minutes into the contest. Watson finished just shy of a double-double with 13 points and a team-leading nine rebounds. The center also hit her first career three-pointer in the contest.
Dating back to last season, Watson has scored in double figures in 15 of the last 20 games she has played.
On Dec. 19, Watson helped the Minutewomen defeat Wagner, chipping in 14 points in 24 minutes. She also matched her career high of six blocks in that contest, which ranks tied for fifth all-time at UMass for a single game.
Center Of Attention
Sophomore Jasmine Watson, UMass' top returning scorer, was named to the preseason Atlantic 10 third team this fall.
The league's reigning Rookie of the Year, Watson played in all 30 games in 2009-10, starting the final 16. She finished second on the squad in scoring last season with 307 points, an average of 10.2 per-game, and brought down a team-best 176 rebounds (5.9 per-game). She also registered 38 blocks for an average of 1.3 per-game.
Watson, who was named A-10 Rookie of the Week a school-record four times, finished her rookie campaign as the leading freshman scorer in the Atlantic 10. In conference play, Watson averaged a team-best 13.0 points per-game to rank 10th in the conference.
The center scored in double figures 16 times in 2009-10 and had two 20-point games and two double-doubles, including a season-high 21 points against Fordham on Feb. 6. She was the team's leading scorer on six occasions and the leading rebounder 11 times.
Watson is just the third player in program history to log 300+ points and 150+ rebounds as a freshman. She joins Melissa Gurile and Octavia Thomas in that elite group. Both Gurile and Thomas finished their UMass careers with 1,500+ points and 800+ rebounds.
A Little Help From My Friends
Against Boston College on Dec. 5, the Minutewomen handed out 26 assists on 29 baskets, the most since the program record of 28 in a game was set on Dec. 6, 2004, against Toledo.
Individually, Megan Zullo is third in the Atlantic 10 in assists per-game with a 4.6 average and began the week ranked 69th nationally. She currently has 51 in 11 games after handing out 72 in 29 games last season.
Four Minutewomen (Zullo, Dee Montgomery, Kelly Robinson and Abbey Lalime) have posted 5+ assist games this season, the most recent being Montgomery with 10 against Wagner on Dec. 19. Both Montgomery and Zullo have logged 10+ assist games thus far in 2010-11.
As a team, UMass is second in the A-10 in assists per-game (16.1), good for 37th nationally.
Robinson Earns Weekly Honors
Sophomore forward Shakia Robinson was named both co-Atlantic 10 Player of the Week and co-UMass Athlete of the Week on Dec. 6.
Robinson shared her Atlantic 10 honor with Xavier's Amber Harris after averaging 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shooting 18-for-35 (72%) in a 1-1 week for the Minutewomen. It marked the first conference Player of the Week honor for UMass since Kate Mills was recognized by the league on Feb. 11, 2008.
In the Minutewomen's first victory of the season, a 78-55 win over Brown on Dec. 1, Robinson contributed 18 points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes on the floor to go along with two steals.
She followed up with her first career double-double against Boston College, logging a team-leading 25 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 78.6% from the floor (11-for-14) and playing a career-high 39 minutes.
Robinson was honored again on Dec. 20 as UMass Athlete of the Week after putting up 22 points and 12 boards in the squad's 72-69 come-from-behind win over Wagner.
Reaching New Heights
Returning players Shakia Robinson and Emilie Teuscher both made their first career starts in the season opener against George Mason. Robinson set new career high in steals (5) and scored in double figures for the first time. It also was a first for Robinson leading the team in scoring and rebounding. She improved upon her career high in rebounds against Wagner with 12, and posted her first career double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds against Boston College.
Teuscher eclipsed her career highs in points and rebounds against Boston College with 13 and seven, respectively. She recently played a career high 37 minutes against Binghamton.
Sophomore Dee Montgomery registered career highs in rebounds (6) and steals (3) against George Mason, while earning her first career start vs. Maryland. She recently played a career-high 38 minutes against Wagner and set a new personal best with 10 assists.
Senior Stephanie Lawrence set a new career high in minutes played with 28 at Seton Hall, while Robinson played 39 minutes against BC for a new personal best.
Senior Cerie Mosgrove posted her first career 20-point game vs. Brown to set a new career high. Both Mosgrove and senior Megan Zullo surpassed their previous career rebounding highs with nine and eight, respectively against Binghamton.
True Minute Women
Seniors Cerie Mosgrove and Megan Zullo and sophomore Shakia Robinson have been fixtures on the floor for UMass this season, all averaging 31+ minutes per-game. Zullo is the team leader in minutes played (39.0 average) and also ranks first in the Atlantic 10 in minutes per-game. She has been on the floor for 429 of 440 possible minutes this season.
Zullo leads the Minutewomen in scoring with 13.3 points per-game, while Robinson follows with 13.1 points per-game and Mosgrove is contributing 11.4 points per-game.
One of the three has led the team in scoring in 10 out of 11 games with Zullo finishing as the leading scorer four times and Mosgrove and Robinson three times apiece. The trio has combined for 19 double-digit scoring performances this season, with Zullo scoring in double figures eight consecutive games.
Rookies Doing Their Part
Freshmen Talen Watson and Kelly Robinson have each seen time in the starting lineup this season. Watson began her career by scoring six points against George Mason. Another freshman, Sara English, came off the bench in that contest to make her first appearance in a UMass uniform.
In game two at Providence, Watson, English and Robinson, joined by classmate Abbey Lalime, combined for half of the team's point total. Led by Watson's team-best 11 points, the group registered 24 points against the Friars. Lalime had six points in her collegiate debut.
English managed seven points in six minutes against LSU. Lalime posted her first double-figure scoring performance with 11 at East Carolina while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing three assists. Against Boston College, Lalime logged her first five-assist game with five against the Eagles.
What A Difference A Year Makes
Sophomore Shakia Robinson passed her freshman year playing total of 139 minutes just five games into the 2010-11 season. She passed her 2009-10 rebound total (27) five games in, as well, and has well surpassed her point total, improving from 18 last year to 144 through 11 games this season.
Junior Emilie Teuscher has posted new career highs for a season in virtually every statistical category, while 302 of her 432 career minutes have been played this season. Teuscher has 66 points in 11 games, not only surpassing her 2009-10 total of 21, but nearly doubling her career total of 34 entering this season. She currently has 43 rebounds after grabbing a total of 11 through her first two campaigns with the Minutewomen.
15 For 30
Sophomore Shakia Robinson poured in 30 points on Nov. 28 at East Carolina, shooting 13-for-19 and 4-6 at the free throw line. It not only marked a career high for Robinson, but was the first 30-point game for a UMass player since Jen Butler had 31 against Temple on Jan 6, 2003, and is tied for ninth-most all-time in a single game by a member of the Minutewomen.
Robinson was 8-for-10 and had 18 points in the second half alone, which equaled her point total from her entire freshman season.
Robinson is just the sixth player in program history to log a 30-point game, joining Butler, Melissa Gurile, Barbara Hebel, Julie Ready and Octavia Thomas. All five of those players finished their UMass careers with 1,400+ points and rank in the top-10 in career scoring.
The UMass single game record for points is 38, set by Gurile on Dec. 11, 1993 against Providence.
Zullo Sets Mullins Assist Record
Senior Megan Zullo recorded a remarkable 13 assists on 21 UMass baskets (19 possible assist opportunities since two field goals in the contest were her own), setting a new women's Mullins Center record for a single game on Nov. 12 vs. George Mason. Her previous career high was seven against Fordham on Feb. 6, 2010.
The total is second all-time in program history for a single game, trailing only her aunt, the late Christel Zullo, who dished 15 assists against Temple on Feb. 14, 1986.
The previous Mullins Center record was last set by Diatiema Hill during the 2009-10 season with 11 assists on Senior Day vs. Saint Joseph's.
UMass Women's Basketball Radio Show On WMUA
Throughout the 2010-11 season, catch up on what's going on with the Minutewomen as WMUA broadcasters John Windheim and Matt Lopes talk with head coach Sharon Dawley and other special guests from the UMass women's basketball team on the UMass Women's Basketball Coach's Show, Mondays from 5 to 5:30 p.m. on WMUA 91.1 FM and www.wmua.org.
Upcoming show dates include: 1/10, 1/17, 1/24.
A New Era
Sharon Dawley, the former women's basketball coach at the University of Vermont, was named as the 10th head coach in program history on April 6, 2010. Dawley joins Minutewomen after a highly successful tenure with the Catamounts that included two consecutive America East titles (2008-09 and 2009-10) and three straight postseason berths.
In seven seasons at Vermont, Dawley posted a mark of 128-86 (.598) and holds a career record of 267-157 (.630) in her 17th season as a head coach. She became the winningest coach in Vermont women's basketball history when the Catamounts upset No. 7-seed Wisconsin in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on March, 21, 2010, the program's first NCAA tournament victory.
A native of Revere, Mass., Dawley was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in October of 2009.
Dawley earned her first victory as UMass head coach on Dec. 1, 2010, a 78-55 win over Brown at home in the Mullins Center.
The Supporting Cast
Joining head coach Sharon Dawley on the sidelines are Steve Lanpher, Jen MacAulay, Morgan Valley and Alison Brown.
Both Lanpher and MacAulay came to UMass from Vermont along with Dawley, while Brown was one of Dawley's former players at UVM. Lanpher's background includes 10 years of head coaching experience and nearly 20 seasons overall.
Valley is a native of Vermont, but joins Dawley's staff from Towson. She was a member of three NCAA national championship teams at the University of Connecticut and won two BIG EAST titles while playing for the Huskies from 2000-04. She helped the squad to a four-year record of 139-8.
From Near And Far
UMass' 13-player roster is comprised of individuals from 11 different states and provinces. Senior Cerie Mosgrove is the lone representative from the state of Massachusetts, hailing from Needham.
Megan Zullo and Millie Niggeling are the first Minutewomen in program history from their respective home states of North Carolina and Iowa.
New Faces
The Minutewomen welcomed six new players to the fold this fall: freshman guards Abbey Lalime, Kelly Robinson and Talen Watson, freshmen centers Sara English and Millie Niggeling and sophomore guard Carolann Cloutier.
Among the high school accomplishments of this group, Talen Watson helped Arundel High School to a state title, Lalime was tabbed the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year and Niggeling won two state championships at Bishop Heelan High School.
Cloutier, a transfer from Old Dominion, played with Team Canada at the World University games before college.
Both Cloutier and Niggeling with redshirt the 2010-11, season, Cloutier's is per-NCAA transfer rules.
Three Party
The 2010-11 UMass roster contains three of the best three-point shooters in program history as seniors Stephanie Lawrence, Cerie Mosgrove and Megan Zullo all have etched their names into the UMass record book in various three-point shooting categories.
Lawrence sunk 20 of 52 shots from beyond the arc in 2009-10, for a .385 shooting percentage. Her single season mark from a year ago stands ninth all-time.
Mosgrove has 110 career treys, good for fifth all-time. She also ranks fifth in career three-point attempts (326) and ninth in career three-point percentage (.337). Mosgrove registered 51 threes as a sophmomore in 2008-09, fifth-most all-time for a single season.
Zullo was the UMass leader with 54 three-pointers last season, shooting 54-for-150 (.360) from beyond the arc. Her career percentage (.403) ranks secind all-time, while her single season total for threes made stands third, as well. Against Quinnipiac on Dec. 6, 2009, Zullo made six treys for a career high.
Youth-Full Roster
Nine of the 13 players on the Minutewomen roster are either freshmen or sophomores, accounting for nearly 70% of the team.
Senior Cerie Mosgrove is the squad's most tenured player with 94 career games played and 34 starts. She entered the 2009-10 season as the lone member of the team with over 1,000 minutes played and is the program's active leading scorer with 475 points.
Just four players on the UMass roster had seen time in the starting lineup prior to the 2010-11 season. Megan Zullo and Jasmine Watson, the team's two returning starters, both played their first campaigns with the Minutewomen last season.
Challenging Road Ahead
The Minutewomen's 2010-11 schedule features tough competition from the ACC, America East, BIG EAST, Colonial, Conference USA, Ivy, Mid-American, Northeast, Patriot and SEC before beginning the always-challenging Atlantic 10 schedule.
Out of UMass' 28 opponents, 14 are coming off 2010 postseason appearances in the NCAA and WNIT. According to Realtimerpi.com, the Minutewomen entered the season with the 39th-toughest schedule out of 347 Division I teams. 
