Total Team Effort Gives Massachusetts 82-61 Win vs. Davidson

Together. #Flagship ?? pic.twitter.com/usgUsObhBC
— UMass Women's Basketball (@UMassWBB) January 8, 2021

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts women's basketball trailed for just 43 seconds in a return to the win column with an 82-61 triumph over Davidson at the Mullins Center on Friday night. The Minutewomen improve to 7-2 (3-1 A-10) on the season, the best start for the program since the 2006-07 campaign. Davidson falls to 6-4 and 3-1 in league competition.

Sydney Taylor led all scorers with a career-high 27 points on 10-of-15 from the field. Destiney Philoxy had her first career double-double with 13 points and a career-best 11 assists, while Sam Breen (19), Ber'Nyah Mayo (10) and Maddie Sims (10) also added double-digit scoring. Sims, playing in her 100th collegiate game, also logged five rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Returning from injury, Maeve Donnelly made her season debut and Danielle Sanderlin saw her first game action as a Minutewoman.

Massachusetts jumped out to an 8-2 lead right off the opening tip, spearheaded by Taylor. The sophomore opened the night with a trey and added an and-one with 7:37 to go. After the Wildcats clawed back and briefly snuck ahead, another 15-5 stretch in the final 5:23 of the period ultimately put UMass ahead for the remainder of the night.

The home side held Davidson to just 25% (3-of-12) from the field in the second quarter and was lights out at the other end with a 61.5% clip (8-of-13). Mayo keyed the Minutewomen with six points in the quarter to cap a standout first half for the squad with a 39-23 lead. Philoxy headed into the break with five assists and Taylor already with 14 points.

It was an exchange of buckets throughout the third that never let the UMass lead slip below 13. The Minutewomen had assists on all seven made baskets, four set up by Philoxy. Davidson did go on a 10-0 run in the final stanza, but with the game safely in hand for the Maroon and White.

Massachusetts caps a busy week with a Sun., Jan. 10 home game vs. Fordham at 1 p.m. inside the Mullins Center.

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Scoreboard