University of Massachusets Athletics
Minutewomen Go To Richmond For Saturday A-10 Competition
January 22, 2015 | Women's Basketball
| University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes | |
| Game 19 | Massachusetts (8-10 Overall, 2-4 Atlantic 10) at Richmond (11-7, 3-2) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, January 24, 2015 | 2:00 p.m. |
| Location | Robins Center (7,201) | Richmond, Va. |
| Live Statistics | NeuLion (provided by Richmond) |
| Watch | Atlantic 10 Digital Network (provided by Richmond) |
| Radio Broadcast | WMUA 91.1 FM |
| Series History | Richmond leads, 14-2. Last meeting: Richmond 89, Massachusetts 76; Feb. 19, 2014 |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts (available shortly) | Richmond (available shortly) |
| Team Records | Massachusetts  | Richmond |
| Social Media | @UMassAthletics  | @UMassWBB
|
| Buy Tickets | Available through Richmond's Ticket Central |
Scouting Richmond Women's Basketball
Richmond women's basketball is 11-7 overall and 3-2 in Atlantic 10 competition ahead of its Saturday, Jan. 24 meeting with UMass. Though the Spiders have put together and up-and-down season that includes a four-game losing streak followed by five consecutive wins, the squad has been consistently successful at home with six victories in seven contests.
Michael Shafer is in his 10th season as the head coach at Richmond after an 11-year stint as an assistant at the University of Georgia, during which the Bulldogs reached the NCAA Tournament in each season. Shafer is 166-134 overall with the Spiders and led the team to five WNIT appearances from the 2008-09 season through 2012-13.
Janelle Hubbard's 14.1 points leads the way on offense while Lauren Tolson (12.1) and Genevieve Okoro (11.1) also average double-digits. Okoro pulls down 8.2 boards per game and leads the way with 21 blocks, followed by Liz Brown's 6.2 rebounds and 19 stuffs.
Last Meeting: Richmond 89, Massachusetts 76; Feb. 19, 2014
Kim Pierre-Louis recorded her fifth career double-double on 15 points and 10 rebounds, but it was not enough in an 89-76 loss to Richmond in the Mullins Center. Seven of her rebounds came off of the offensive glass while she went 6-for-12 on field goal attempts. Rashida Timbilla also stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks.
The UMass offense surged during the second half after entering the frame trailing by 16 points. After the Spiders pushed their lead to as much as 20 points, 55-35 with 15 minutes, 48 seconds remaining, an 8-0 run pulled the Minutewomen within 55-43 only 95 seconds later.
However, UMass was unable to pull closer that within seven of tying down the stretch as back-to-back layups from Kristina King grew the visiting team's lead back to 11 points at the 6:16 mark. Richmond used free throws in the final minutes to keep hold of its double-digit advantage.
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.
A Defensive First In Over Six Year
UMass limited Saint Joseph's to just 24.6 percent on field goal attempts (16-of-65), the first time the Minutewomen limited a foe to less than 25.0 percent from the floor since Brown hit 21.8 percent (12-of-55) of its attempts in a 64-41 Maroon and White victory on Dec. 7, 2008 - a span of 184 games between the two contests.
Rarities In The UMass-Saint Joseph's Series
The 65-47 win at Saint Joseph's marked a few rarities in the series between the sides, including the fewest points allowed to the Hawks (47) since a 42-33 win for the Minutewomen on Jan. 13, 2005, which was 11 games prior in the series.
The victory in Hagan Arena was also the first for the Minutewomen since Jan. 13, 2005, and only the third in the history of the series, which includes 25 games played on Saint Joseph's campus. The other road victory was on Feb. 14, 1998 when UMass won on the road, 55-46 en route to an NCAA Tournament berth.
The 18-point margin of victory also marked the largest winning gap for the Minutewomen against Saint Joseph's overall.
Pierre-Louis Picked For Atlantic 10 Player Of The Week
Kim Pierre-Louis earned Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honors on Monday, as announced by the conference office. The award marks the first such for Pierre-Louis. She earned the laurel after the Ottawa, Ontario, native recorded a 33-point, 14-rebound performance in the 78-57 win at Boston University on Sunday, Dec. 28.
Pierre-Louis scored her 33 via a 10-for-15 day from the floor and 13-of-14 performance at the foul line. The points total is tied for fifth in program history for most in one game and went as the highest single-game total by a Minutewoman since Melissa Gurile had 38 versus Providence on Dec. 11, 1993.
The last Minutewoman to earn Atlantic 10 Player of the Week was Jasmine Watson on Nov. 12, 2012.
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
In the eight team wins this season, Kim Pierre-Louis leads UMass with 22.6 points over 28.6 minutes averaged per game. She is 71-for-117 from the floor (60.7 percent) with 76 rebounds (9.5 per game), 12 steals, 11 assists and 10 blocks during those victories.
The Centerpiece On Offense
Kim Pierre-Louis leads UMass with 322 points scored through 18 contests. In total, UMass tallied 1,102 points during those games, meaning Pierre-Louis is responsible for 29.2 percent of the team's entire offense.
In addition to leading the team in total points and points per game (17.9), Pierre-Louis is tops among Minutewomen in field goals attempted (233) and made (127), free throws made (68) and attempted (97), offensive rebounds (54) and blocks (15).
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 Same Starting Five
UMass used the same starting five in each of its 16 games so far in 2014-15. Leah McDerment serves as the point guard, Cierra Dillard is the shooting guard, Rashida Timbilla holds down the No. 3 spot as a combo guard/forward, Kim Pierre-Louis start at forward (No. 4) and Kymber Hill is the center.
UMass is the only Atlantic 10 Conference team to use the same starting five in each game this season. By comparison, last season the Minutewomen used 10 different starting lineups through 18 games played.