Minutewomen Open Atlantic 10 Play at Duquesne

University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information
Game 14	Massachusetts (10-3, 0-0 Atlantic 10) at Duquesne (10-3, 0-0 Atlantic 10)
Date // Time	Saturday, Jan. 4 // 7:30 p.m.
Location	Pittsburgh, Pa. // Kerr Fitness Center (LaRoche University)
Tickets	Free
Live Statistics	SIDEARM Stats
Watch	ESPN+ United States // International
Social Media	Facebook: UMass Women's Basketball Twitter: @UMassWBB // @CoachVerdiUMass Instagram: @UMassWBB
Game Notes	Massachusetts // Duquesne

• Winners in seven straight and 10 of its last 11, University of Massachusetts women's basketball tips off the Atlantic 10 Conference schedule on Sat., Jan. 4, visiting Duquesne in a 7:30 p.m. game from the Kerr Fitness Center at LaRoche University.

• A win on Saturday would give the Minutewomen their first eight-game winning streak since taking nine in a row from Feb. 4-March 1, 1998. The squad also begins Atlantic 10 play with 10 wins–matching a feat last set in 2006-07.

• UMass closed out the 2019 calendar year on Dec. 30 with a dominant 86-43 win over Southern Connecticut State at the Mullins Center. Juniors Sam Breen and Paige McCormick each recorded the first double-doubles of their collegiate careers. McCormick contributed 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, while Breen came off the bench to provide 28 points and 11 boards, both career-bests, in just her second game as a Minutewoman. It was the highest scoring total off the bench by a Minutewoman since the 2002-03 campaign.

• Senior Vashnie Perry (16 points) was just short of her own double-double performance with eight assists vs. SCSU, the most in a game in Perry's career.

• Breen made her UMass debut on Dec. 21 at Iona with eight points and nine rebounds after sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules. Breen played in 26 games at Penn State during 2017-18 and 2018-19, and was the 2017 Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year as a high school senior.

• Senior Hailey Leidel moved up to No. 4 on the Massachusetts all-time career scoring list in the game at Boston University on Dec. 11. The Brownstown, Mich. native (1,576) needs 103 points to tie former Minutewoman Melissa Gurile (1992-96; 1,679) for No. 3 on the list. At the top is Sue Peters (1,858), who reached that mark in a career spanning 1976-80.

• Leidel is also one of 17 players in program history with at least 1,000 points plus 500 rebounds. She has made at least one three-point field goal in 18 straight games since Feb. 24, 2019, and 35 of her last 36 games dating back to Dec. 7, 2018.

• Perhaps one of the biggest new additions for the Maroon and White this season has been the inside presence of freshman Maeve Donnelly. Donnelly (3.46) leads all Division I freshmen nationally in blocks per game and with 45 total, needs just seven to tie the UMass freshman record–Melissa Gurile had 52 stops in her rookie season of 1992-93.

• In the 11 games since UMass fell to Providence on Nov. 9, the Minutewomen (10-1) are averaging over 73 points per game with a +18.1 scoring margin. Leidel leads the attack averaging 18.6 points in that span followed up by Breen and sophomore Destiney Philoxy (13.6 ppg).

• Following Saturday's contest, UMass will cap a quick two-game road swing at St. Bonaventure on Wed., Jan. 8 at 5 p.m. in Olean, New York.

From the Twittersphere

??? #ToryTuesdays Episode 4?

?? Non-conference play = ?
?? Record of 1?0? - 3?
?? Program is growing ?? as the ??s come together!

???"We need your continued support and hope you get out to a game. See you soon!" - @CoachVerdiUMass #FlagshipIsRising | #Flagship?? pic.twitter.com/IqPgsPqUSP
— UMass Women's Basketball (@UMassWBB) December 31, 2019

This picture says it all! The love and respect they have for one another! #CultureWins pic.twitter.com/UzgmU2k8E5
— Tory Verdi (@CoachVerdiUMass) December 31, 2019

Scoreboard

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Sam Breen

Maeve Donnelly

Hailey Leidel

Paige McCormick

Vashnie Perry

Destiney Philoxy

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics