University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
South Dakota State
Women's Basketball Set For Gulf Coast Showcase In Florida
November 25, 2021 | Women's Basketball
Minutewomen take on South Dakota State on Friday at 11 a.m.
| University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 6 | Massachusetts (5-0) vs. South Dakota State (2-3) |
| Date // Time | Friday, Nov. 26Â // 11Â a.m. |
| Location | Estero, Fla. // Hertz Arena |
| Watch | Flo Hoops |
| Live Statistics | LiveStats |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts // South Dakota State |
| Social Media | Facebook:Â UMass Women's Basketball Twitter:Â @UMassWBBÂ //Â @CoachVerdiUMass Instagram:Â @UMassWBB |
The Need to Knows
Follow the Minutewomen on Social Media
Follow UMass women's basketball on Twitter (@UMassWBB), Instagram (UMassWBB) and Facebook (UMass Women's Basketball) for the latest news and updates around the program. In addition, fans can follow head coach Tory Verdi on Twitter @CoachVerdiUMass.
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Breen and Philoxy Tabbed Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference
Breen was named to the preseason all-conference first-team coming off a season where she averaged 18 points per game and 10 rebounds on her way to being named to the A-10 All- Conference First-Team in 2020-21. The graduate student led the league in double-doubles with 15, including a stretch where she recorded seven straight from Jan. 29-March 13. Breen reached double figures in scoring in 22 of 24 contests, including eight games with 20 or more.
Philoxy was tabbed to both the preseason all-conference second-team and all-defensive team after leading the Atlantic 10 and ranking eighth nationally in assists a season ago as a junior with 156. The guard played in all 24 contests for the Minutewomen and scored in double figures in 12 games on her way to being named second-team all-conference in 2020- 21. Philoxy averaged 11.5 points to go along with 6.5 assists per game.
Last Time Out
University of Massachusetts women's basketball improved to 5-0 after defeating Providence on the road, 80-62.
Junior Sydney Taylor led all players with a season best 26 points, one shy of her career-high, while sophomore Makennah White tied her career best 12 points. Junior Angelique Ngalakulondi recorded her second career double-double, logging 17 points and grabbing 11 boards.Â
All-Time Series vs. South Dakota State
The Minutewomen and the Jack Rabbits will have their first ever meeting at the Gulf Coast Showcase.Â
Breen, the Double-Double Machine
Sam Breen collected three straight double-doubles on the season in the last four games for UMass, moving her career total to 26. She tallied double-doubles against Harvard (23 pts., 12 rebs), Iona (13 pts., 13 rebs) and Holy Cross (19 pts., 13 rebs), so far this season.
Breen owned a league-leading 15 double-doubles last season and 23 in her career, including 14 such performances in the last 19 games in the 2020-21 season, and narrowly missed the feat in the final game of the season vs. Ohio (3/22/21)–finishing with 27 points and nine rebounds. She was one of just three players in the A-10 to average both double-figure scoring and rebounding. She finished last year second in scoring (18.0 ppg) and fourth in the league rebounding (10.0 rpg).
Breen was one of just 12 players nationally to own as many double-double performances last season. The last time an Atlantic 10 player had 15 such games was during the 2017-18 season, when three players did so.
Double Figures Reached
Six Minutewomen have reached double figure points this season. Sam Breen, Sydney Taylor and Ber'Nyah Mayo each totaled 10 or more points in all five games.
Angelique Ngalakulondi registered three double figure games, while Destiney Philoxy and Makennah White have both recorded two double figure contests.
#Savage7
Massachusetts returns the Savage 7, who picked the names after brainstorming and deciding upon sophomore Ber'Nyah Mayo's suggestion of Savage 7. The seven players include Sam Breen, Stefanie Kulesza, Mayo, Angelique Ngalakulondi, Destiney Philoxy, Sydney Taylor and Makennah White.
The name came about when UMass finished runner-up in the Atlantic 10 Championship after winning three games in three days, with just seven active players. Seeded No. 7 in the tournament, the determined group knocked off No. 10 Saint Joseph's in overtime before winning a quarterfinal matchup vs. No. 2 Fordham and semifinal tilt against No. 3 Saint Louis.
"Swish" Taylor
Junior Sydney Taylor has been one of the most improved Minutewomen since the 2019-20 season, and entered the WNIT ranking second on the team and No. 5 in the Atlantic 10 in scoring (15.2 ppg) last season. Taylor was outstanding during the 2020-21 A-10 Tournament, averaging a team-high 20 points and being named to the A-10 All-Championship Team alongside Sam Breen and Destiney Philoxy, while adding a career-high-tying 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting, that came in the Quarterfinal win over Fordham.
Taylor kept the momentum going into this season, logging double figures in all five games played. She tallied a team best 16 points against Central Connecticut State in the season-opener, registered 17 against Harvard, and added 25 points versus Iona, nearly tying her career best of 27. On the road, she has continued to have the hot hand putting up 13 at Holy Cross and 26 over Providence.
Next Up
The Minutewomen will compete against the winner of the UCLA/Kent State game on Saturday, November 27. The time is still to be determined.Â
