University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Hoops Ends Homestand With Holy Cross Sunday
December 10, 2014 | Women's Basketball
| University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes | |
| Game 9 | Massachusetts (4-4) vs. Holy Cross (2-7) |
| Date | Time | Sunday, December 14, 2014 | 2:00 p.m. |
| Location | William D. Mullins Memorial Center (9,493) | Amherst, Mass. |
| Live Statistics | GameTracker |
| Watch Live | Atlantic 10 Digital Network |
| Radio Broadcast | WMUA 91.1 FM |
| Series History | Holy Cross leads, 11-9. Last meeting: Holy Cross 76, Massachusetts 54; Nov. 26, 2013 |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts  | Holy Cross (available shortly) |
| Team Records | Massachusetts | Holy Cross |
| Social Media | @UMassAthletics  | @UMassWBB
|
| Buy Tickets | Available through UMassAthletics.com or 866-862-7784 |
Scouting Holy Cross Women's Basketball
Holy Cross women's basketball sits at 2-7 on the season with a trip to Amherst, Mass., up next for the Crusaders. The squad lost its opening six games, but rebounded with wins in two of the previous three contests, including a 73-69 victory over Georgetown and an 80-64 drubbing of Boston College. However, despite their recent success, the Crusaders are 0-4 in true road games so far.
Bill Gibbons is in his 30th season leading the team and holds a 555-334 record at Holy Cross. Gibbons led the Crusaders to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently during the 2006-07 season. He is the all-time winningest coach in Holy Cross women's basketball history and was the 24th active Division I coach to reach 500 wins when he accomplished the feat during the 2011-12 season.
Raquel Scott, who missed three games early in the season, leads the Crusaders with 20.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Lisa Mifsud scores 14.8 and dishes out 4.3 assists in each contest while Kate Gillespie chips in 10.3.
As a team, Holy Cross struggles on the boards outside of Scott's prowess and is out-rebounded, 46.0-to-38.1 on average as a result. Opponents also hold the advantage in field goal percentage, .403-to-.385 and own more assists, 143-137, with a greater number of steals as well, 89-58.
Home, Conference Contests Available On A-10 Digital Network
UMass women's basketball will have 12 of its 13 home games broadcast online through the Atlantic 10 Digital Network, with Cody Chrusciel providing play-by-play commentary. A link will be accessible in each game preview to direct fans or other interest parties to the subscription page, where the viewer can purchase the plan he or she believes to be appropriate. The lone game that will not be broadcast on the A-10 platform will be available on TV through the CBS Sports Network as CBSSN will air the UMass-George Washington tilt on Jan. 18, 2015.
WMUA 91.1 FM To Broadcast Women's Basketball
Each Massachusetts women's basketball contest during the 2014-15 campaign will be broadcast live on WMUA 91.1 FM. Fans can listen in through the FM radio station locally or catch the game via the online live streaming app, which is free of charge and linked in each game preview as well as on the interactive team schedule.
On Top Of The Tweet Game
Instant information about the University of Massachusetts women's basketball program, including an inside look at key possessions and statistics in each game as well as updates from practice and other team events can be found through the Twitter handle @UMassWBB. Follow the Minutewomen there and catch information about each UMass Athletic Department program through @UMassAthletics.
Quick Look: Massachusetts 71, American 61
UMass topped American, 71-61 during a Saturday, Dec. 6 game. Kim Pierre-Louis paced the team with 22 points in 23 minutes as she went 10-for-17 from the floor and 2-2 at the line. Pierre-Louis also led all players with 11 boards for her first double-double of the season and helped the squad own a 40-23 advantage on the boards.
Freshman Cierra Dillard added a career-best 18 points. She was 6-of-12 on field goals with a 5-for-6 afternoon at the charity stripe.
After the UMass lead dipped to one point following a Jen Dumiak layup with 16 minutes, 13 second left to play, Massachusetts put together a 9-0 run to earn its first double-digit advantage, 43-33. Dillard spearheaded the stretch with seven of the points, including an and-one play to cap the streak.
Dumiak ended the UMass run with another layup, but the Minutewomen responded with a Pierre-Louis bucket and Alyx Stiff three-pointer from the left wing to push the advantage to 50-35 at the 10:22 mark. Massachusetts did not see its lead slip below nine points during the remainder of the play.
There's No Place Like Home
UMass women's basketball has won three times at home this season as the squad took a 68-60 victory from Maine on Wednesday, Nov. 19 before it earned the 67-62 win over UCF on Sunday, Nov. 30 and 71-61 triumph over American on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Kim Pierre-Louis averaged 21.0 points per game in those contests, followed by Rashida Timbilla's 10.0 scored to go with 8.0 boards and 20 total assists. As a team in those games, the Minutewomen shot 48.1 percent from the floor (76-of-158), including 42.9 percent from three-point land (12-of-26). They also outrebound foes at home, 35.3-to-26.3 on average.
The Centerpiece On Offense
Kim Pierre-Louis leads UMass with 132 points scored during the first eight contests. In total, UMass scored 482 points during those games, meaning Pierre-Louis is responsible for 27.4 percent of the team's entire offense so far.
In addition to leading the team in total points and points per game (16.5), Pierre-Louis is tops among Minutewomen in field goals attempted (106) and made (56), offensive rebounds (24) and blocks (6) while she is tied with Rashida Timbilla for most free throws made (20).
Timbilla Reaches 500 Rebounds
Rashida Timbilla surpassed 500 career rebounds at UMass during the contest against Harvard. Timbilla is up to 513 as a Minutewoman eight games into her junior season. She had 241 as a freshman and 207 during her sophomore season. Currently, Timbilla averages 8.1 boards per game as a junior and 7.9 per game for her career.
If she continues to average 7.9 rebounds per game over the remainder of her career, Timbilla projects to finish as one of only three Minutewomen ever to earn at least 900 career rebounds alongside Jennifer Butler (1,328; 1999-2003) and Octavia Thomas (903; 1992-96).
The Hometown Girl
Junior guard Victoria Stewart is a native of Amherst, Massachusetts, and played scholastically at nearby Amherst-Pelham High School.
Stewart, who walked on to the team as a freshman in 2012-13, earned a scholarship for her hard work, dedication and positive attitude before her sophomore year. For her career, she has appeared in 22 games with the Minutewomen.
A First For Kymber Hill
Kymber Hill recorded her first collegiate double-double through 10 points and as many rebounds against North Texas. Hill was 4-for-7 from the floor 2-of-4 at the foul line while she split her 10 boards evenly between the offensive and defensive ends of the court.
Mital, The Scholar
Senior guard Emily Mital received a pair of Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll awards during 2013-14. Mital, a kinesiology major and a member of the University of Massachusetts Dean's List, was also chosen for the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll following the Spring 2013 semester to give her three nods to the two-per-year academic listing in four semesters eligible for it.
The Canadian Connection
UMass women's basketball has had eight Canadian players compete for the program in the history of the squad including Kim Pierre-Louis and Rashida Timbilla.
The list also included sisters Alisha Tatham (2004-08) and Tamara Tatham (2004-07), Cleo Foster (2001-04), Carolann Cloutier (2011-13), JoAnn Dupuis (1985-87) and Stephanie Lawrence (2007-11). The Minutewomen have had at least one Canadian-born player on their roster for each of the previous 13 seasons dating back to Foster's arrival in Amherst ahead of the 2001 campaign.
Griffith Joins Coaching Staff
Yolanda Griffith, a two-time Olympic gold medal-winning member of the U.S. National Team and WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, joined the UMass coaching staff on Sept. 5.
Griffith, a 2014 first ballot inductee into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, played 11 seasons in the WNBA and was the 2005 finals MVP when Sacramento won the WNBA Championship. Most recently, Griffith assisted at Lafayette in 2013-14 after she spent two seasons as a coach on the Dartmouth staff in 2011-13.
Wielgus Named Assistant Coach
Chris Wielgus was elevated from director of operations to assistant coach ahead of the 2014-15 season. Wielgus served as the director of operations during 2013-14 and has 30 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level.
Wielgus was the women's basketball coach at Dartmouth for 28 years (1976-84; 1993-2013), where she led the Big Green to seven NCAA Tournament appearances and two WNIT berths. She also coached the Fordham Rams to 37 victories over a two-season span from 1991-93 and has 436 victories as a collegiate head coach in total.
Olson To Fill Operations Role
Kellie Olson took over as the women's basketball director of operations Sept. 4, 2014. Olson brought a wealth of experience within the corporate realm to the position as she has worked for UPS as an accounts executive and UMass Athletics with the Learfield Sports Marketing team.
Olson competed for the Stetson women's basketball program from 2006-08 after two seasons at Mesa Junior College. Following completion of her competitive career, Olson stayed involved in basketball as an official. She has refereed games since 2010, including ECAC Division III (2012) and Northeast-10 Division II (2013) contests.
She is the granddaughter of legendary Arizona men's basketball head coach and NCAA Champion Lute Olson.