Dec. 6, 2011
AMHERST, Mass. -
The UMass women's basketball team will wrap up its three-game stretch away from the Mullins Center this Wednesday, Dec. 7, when the Minutewomen will be in action at Boston College. UMass (1-6), which has dropped its last two by a combined six points, will be in search of its first win over the Eagles (2-4) since 2007.
Scouting Boston College
Boston College enters Wednesday's game against the Minutewomen with a record of 2-4 on the season, and has dropped its past two--at Wisconsin (58-50) and against another Atlantic 10 opponent, Dayton (69-60). The Eagles two victories have come at home vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (68-57) and Bryant (68-42).
Katie Zenevitch leads BC in scoring with an average of 9.8 points per-game and chips in 5.3 rebounds per-game, the highest among the squad's players with 100-plus minutes this season. Shayra Brown is chipping in 8.2 points per-game, while five more Eagles are contributing between 7.3 and 5.7 points per-game.
UMass Against Current ACC Teams (10-20)
Boston College (4-9)
Clemson (1-1)
Duke (0-0)
Florida State (0-0)
Georgia Tech (0-1)
Maryland (0-2)
Miami (0-2)
North Carolina (0-0)
NC State (0-0)
Virginia (0-0)
Virginia Tech (5-4)
Wake Forest (0-1)
Series History
Wednesday's game will be the 14th meeting all-time between UMass and Boston College, a series that began on Dec. 12, 1981 with a 54-41 victory by the Minutewomen. The Eagles have taken seven of the last eight against UMass, with the Minutewomen's last win in the series coming on Nov. 14, 2007, in Amherst.
Last Time Against Boston College
UMass women's basketball sophomore Shakia Robinson logged her first career double-double and senior Megan Zullo recorded 22 points, but the efforts were not enough to withstand a second half surge by Boston College in a 93-80 setback at the Mullins Center on Dec. 5, 2010.
For a third straight game, UMass shot over 50%, aided by an 11-for-14 performance from Robinson, who totaled 25 points and 10 rebounds. Scoring in double figures for a fifth-straight game, Zullo shot 8-for-11 in the contest, including 5-for-7 from three, while handing out a game-high seven assists.
Junior Emilie Teuscher enjoyed a career day for the Minutewomen, posting personal bests in points (13) and rebounds (7) against BC. Senior Cerie Mosgrove totaled seven points and freshman Abbey Lalime dished five assists in 19 minutes on the floor.
UMass began the afternoon with a pair of threes from Zullo and Teuscher to lead 6-2 in the opening minutes. Neither side managed more than a two-possession advantage until the Eagles scored on consecutive possessions around the eight-minute mark. A layup by Carolyn Swords and a trey from Tiffany Ruffin gave Boston College an eight-point edge, 24-16, with 7:40 remaining in the period.
The Minutewomen countered with a Robinson layup at the other end of the floor that sparked a 17-6 UMass run over the next 4:22 of play. Robinson scored 10 during that stretch, including a basket at the 3:03 mark that gave the Minutewomen a five-point lead, their largest of the contest, 35-30. However, the Eagles were quick to respond and outscored UMass 9-2 in the final 2:02 of the period and held a 41-39 advantage at the intermission.
Swords kept the momentum moving in BC's direction coming out of the break by scoring eight points in the first 2:55 of the second half, part of a 13-4 run that gave the Eagles their first double-digit lead of the day, 54-43. The Minutewomen kept their deficit under 15, but were unable to come any closer than seven of Boston College the rest of the way.
After shooting a blistering 65.4% (17-for-26) from the floor in the first half, UMass finished the contest at 54.7% (29-for-53) overall. The Minutewomen made 9-for-21 (42.9%) from three and converted 13-of-15 (86.7%) free throw attempts. BC shot 36-for-74 (48.6%) overall, were 8-for-26 (30.8%) from beyond the arc and 13-of-19 (68.4%) at the charity stripe.
Stefanie Murphy contributed 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Eagles, while Swords tallied 20 points. Jaclyn Thoman added 16 points, six assists and four steals, Shayra Brown was just shy of double figures with nine points and Kristen Doherty added seven points, six assists and three steals.
Last Time: Mason Holds Off Minutewomen, 55-52
The UMass women's basketball team spent most of the contest within striking distance of George Mason, but 32 points from Taleia Moton helped the Patriots hold off the Minutewomen, 55-52, on Dec. 1 at the Patriot Center.
It marked the second straight game for UMass that was decided by three points. Four of the Minutewomen's seven games on the year have been decided by five points or less, five of seven have been 10-point or less margins.
Junior Jasmine Watson scored in double figures for the sixth straight game, totaling 14 points and six boards. It was her 37th time in double figures in her career.
Shakia Robinson joined Watson with 14 points and had a team-best seven rebounds. Watson and/or Robinson have led UMass in scoring in all but one game this season. The game against the Patriots was Robinson's first as the team's leading rebounder this season.
Senior Megan Zullo added 10 points and five assists. It was her 26th time in double figures and 16th career game with five or more assists. She now has 297 assists for her career (combined N.C. State and UMass) and is one shy of cracking the top-15 in UMass history with 232 helpers in her time as a Minutewoman.
Freshman Aisha Rodney grabbed five rebounds, marking her third time wifht five or more boards this season.
UMass comitted a season-low 14 turnovers in the contest.
Many Happy Returns
The Minutewomen have just five members of their 12-player squad that saw action at UMass in 2010-11. However, four out of the five (Dee Montgomery, Emilie Teuscher, Jasmine Watson and Megan Zullo) were starters for the Minutewomen last season.
UMass brings back five of its top-six returning scorers or 65% of the team's point production from a year ago. Those five were also five of the top-six rebounders, accounting for 594 of the team's 1091 boards in 2010-11 or 54%.
Zullo Back For More
Guard Megan Zullo returns for the Minutewomen in 2011-12 after being granted a sixth year by the NCAA. Zullo was awarded the additional year of eligibility due to the injuries she sustained as a freshman at North Carolina State and as a junior.
Zullo played all 30 games last season and averaged 10.5 points per-game, good for fourth on the squad and was third in the Atlantic 10 win an average of 4.5 assists per-game. Her total of 135 helpers was the ninth-best single season total of all time in program history, while her tally of 70 three-pointers is second-most on the single season list. She set UMass records for minutes played in a season in 2010-11 with 1,136 and minutes average (37.9).
Through two seasons and counting with the Minutewomen after coming from N.C. State, Zullo has totaled 598 career points, 232 assists and is 139-for-368 (.378) beyond the arc. She is currently ranked fourth on the UMass career list in three-point field goals made (139), fifth in three-point percentage and assist average (3.5), and sixth in minutes average (32.0).
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, 2010 vs. George Mason, last year's season opener.
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.
Earlier this fall, Zullo was named to the College Sports Madness Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference second team.
All That Jas
Junior Jasmine Watson, UMass' top returning scorer, has been named to the preseason Atlantic 10 third team for a second straight year.
After missing the first eight games of 2010-11, Watson came back from injury to lead the team in scoring and rebounding with averages of 14.4 and 7.6, respectively, while also contributing 1.7 blocks per-game.
She posted seven double-doubles on the year and was the team's top scorer in seven games. In conference play, Watson averaged 14.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest, good for 12th and sixth in the league, respectively.
Through two seasons and counting at UMass, Watson has totaled 709 career points (12.0 ppg), 403 rebounds (6.8 rpg) and 88 blocks. At Rhode Island this past January, Watson scored a career-best 27 points.
Watson, the 2009-10 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, begins her junior season seventh on the program's all-time list for career blocks and ranks third in blocked shots average.
From Near And Far
UMass' 12-player roster is comprised of individuals from 11 different states and provinces, including three international players.
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 have six new players that will see the floor for the first time this season: freshman guard Emily Mital, freshman forwards Ronni Grandison, Kim Pierre-Louis and Aisha Rodney and two players who sat out as redshirts in 2010-11, center Millie Niggeling and guard Carolann Cloutier.
Among the high school accomplishments of the freshman group, Rodney was a four-time all-state selection at Grosse Pointe South High School in Michigan and Mital was an all-state honoree as a senior and as a junior out of Frisco Liberty High School in Texas.
Cloutier, a transfer from Old Dominion, played with Team Canada at the World University games before college. Niggeling was a four-time all-state selection at Bishop Heelan and helped the team to two Iowa state titles.
Pair Of Telecasts To Air Live in Boston
Nelligan Sports Marketing has reached an agreement with WBIN-TV that will allow UMass fans in the greater Boston area to watch approximately a dozen live broadcasts of UMass games, including two women's basketball games. The contests will be produced by the UMass Sports Network.
In addition to every home game airing locally on CBS 3 Now, the Minutewomen's matchups against Maine on Dec. 11 and Saint Joseph's on Jan. 7 will air on WBIN-TV.
WBIN-TV, the only locally owned and operated TV station in the Boston/Manchester market, reaches 2.4 million households and over 5 million people in 500 towns in eastern and central Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is available on Comcast channel 18 (811 in HD), FiOS channel 6 (506 in HD), DirecTV channel 50/950 and Dish Network channel 50/8777.
UMass Women's Basketball Radio Show On WMUA
Throughout the 2011-12 season, catch up on what's going on with the Minutewomen as WMUA broadcasters Ryan X. Murray and Pat O'Neil 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.
Mosgrove Playing Overseas
Recent graduate Cerie Mosgrove is continuing her basketball career overseas. The 6-0 guard, who completed her fourth year with the Minutewomen in 2010-11, signed with T71 Dudelange of the Luxembourg-Diekirch League this past summer.
Mosgrove led the nation in three-point percentage in 2010-11, finishing her senior campaign 78-of-157 from beyond the arc for a 49.7% clip, and won the National Women's 3-Point Shooting Championship in Houston, Texas.
She set UMass records for threes made, three-point percentage and free throw percentage (.864) in 2010-2011 and ranks third all-time for career three-point field goals made (171) and career three-point percentage (.390).
The guard set career highs in every statistical category in her final campaign with the Minutewomen, including points (408) and rebounds (195). She finished second on the squad in scoring (14.4 ppg) and rebounding average (6.5 rpg). In her four-year career at UMass, Mosgrove totaled 758 points and 336 rebounds.
Tatham Sisters Help Canada To Bronze At FIBA Americas
UMass women's basketball alums Tamara and Alisha Tatham recently helped Team Canada to a bronze medal at the FIBA Americas Tournamen this fall. Canada will now move on to the World Olympic Qualifier in June for a chance to secure a position in the 2012 Olympics.
Canada defeated Cuba, 59-46, in the bronze medal game, aided by six rebounds from Tamara Tatham. She also contributed five points, while Alisha Tatham played five minutes and recorded one blocked shot.
Alisha Tatham has been a member of the Canadian National Team for eight years and has played in 64 international contests. Tamara Tatham has been with Team Canada for six years, appearing in 59 games.
A 2007 graduate, Tamara Tatham plays professionally with the Halle Lions in Halle, Germany. The 6-1 forward finished her career with the Minutewomen 10th all-time in scoring (1,186 points) and ranks in the top-10 for career steals (4th, 190), rebounds (5th, 755), blocks (8th, 115) and free throws (8th, 282), as well.
Tamara's younger sister, Alisha, graduated from UMass in 2008 and appeared in 116 career games with the Minutewomen. She totaled 524 points with 281 rebounds and 147 assists. She currently plays for Point Chaud Sprimont in Belgium. 
