University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
7-8, 1-2 A-10
Saint Joseph's
5-10, 1-2 A-10
Minutewomen Shoot Down Hawks On The Road, 65-47
January 10, 2015 | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - Cierra Dillard poured in a team-high 18 points while Kim Pierre-Louis had her ninth career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds when UMass women's basketball raced by Saint Joseph's, 65-47 at Hagan Arena on Saturday afternoon. Rashida Timbilla added a 17-point, nine-rebound performance as the Minutewomen improved to 7-8 overall and 1-2 in Atlantic 10 play.
Dillard added four assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals while Leah McDerment scored six points - all at the foul line - with two helpers and one steal in 29 minutes.
The win at Hagan Arena was the first for the Minutewomen since 2005 and only the third in the 56-game series including a victory earned at Saint Joseph's in 1998. The 18-point margin represents the largest UMass victory in the history of the two teams facing off, which dates back to the 1977-78 season.
"Even with a 10-point lead I don't think we were particularly smooth, but we were able to keep it around 10 and then luckily we made our free throws when we went to the foul line," head coach Sharon Dawley said after the win. "I thought it was critical we had that cushion and that confidence. Our underclassmen did a great job stepping up to the foul line and making their shots."
Natasha Cloud had a game-high 20 points and seven assists for Saint Joseph's (5-10 overall, 1-2 Atlantic 10). No other Hawk scored more than seven points as Saint Joseph's was held to its fewest points scored this season. Chelsea Woods pulled down a game-best 14 rebounds including nine on the offensive glass, though the Hawks were outrebounded overall, 43-33.
"Their press rattled us the first and second times they put it on but after that we did alright," Dawley continued. "In the course of the game, Rashida [Timbilla] was a leader and did a little bit of everything for us. Leah [McDerment] and Cierra [Dillard] were great and a lot of other players contributed. It was great to go on the road and play our best conference game yet."
Massachusetts shot 47.9 percent from the floor (23-of-48) and went 15-for-19 on free throws (78.9 percent), including 14-of-17 during the second half. UMass limited Saint Joseph's to just 16 made field goals in 65 attempted (24.6 percent), including a 4-of-21 line from beyond the arc (19.0 percent).
Dillard provided an early spark from distance while Pierre-Louis controlled the paint as the Minutewomen duo helped UMass enter the third media timeout with a 17-16 advantage.
Exiting the stoppage, Emily Mital corralled a loose ball near the arc, stepped back and drained a triple with six minutes, 38 seconds left in the first. The three-pointer, one of three made by the Minutewomen in the stanza, sparked a 13-4 run to close the half up, 30-20.
Pierre-Louis continued her strong start to the game with four points in the run and 10 on the half, but she left the game with 3:40 left in the frame after a teammate collided with the senior forward in the defensive paint during a loose ball play.
Pierre-Louis returned at the start of the second half and held the UMass lead near or above double-digits the remainder of the way with help from Dillard and Timbilla. The Minutewomen expanded their advantage to as much as 18 points while the trio scored the opening 17 UMass points of the frame.
After Pierre-Louis took another hard hit defending the basket and had to leave with 10:59 left, the freshmen elevated their offensive game to supplant the loss. Ahead, 48-38, McDerment and Dillard combined to score 10 consecutive points, including eight at the foul line, during a 10-2 run when the Minutewomen expanded their lead to 58-42 with 2:54 left.
Massachusetts (7-8, 1-2) returns home to the Mullins Center to host La Salle (10-5, 1-1) for a Thursday, Jan. 15 contest at 7 p.m.
