University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Saint Joseph's
Air Force Reserve A-10 Championship Begins vs. St. Joe's
March 10, 2021 | Women's Basketball
No. 7 seed Massachusetts opens with the No. 10 Hawks Thursday night in the Second Round
| University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Atlantic 10 Second Round • Championship Central • Printable Bracket | |
| Game 18 | No. 7 Massachusetts (11-6) vs. No. 10 Saint Joseph's (7-9) |
| Date // Time | Thursday, March 11 // 5 p.m. |
| Location | Richmond, Va. // Siegel Center (VCU) |
| Stream | ESPN+ |
| Live Statistics | StatBroadcast |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts // Saint Joseph's |
| Social Media | Facebook:Â UMass Women's Basketball Twitter:Â @UMassWBBÂ //Â @CoachVerdiUMass Instagram:Â @UMassWBB |
THE OPENING TIP: THE MASSACHUSETTS-SAINT JOSEPH'S PREVIEW
• It's on to March for University of Massachusetts women's basketball as the Minutewomen open up the Atlantic 10 Championship presented by Air Force Reserve. Seeded seventh in the tournament field, UMass earned a bye out of the First Round and meets No. 10 Saint Joseph's in the Second Round on Thursday at 5 p.m. The winner of Thursday's game will advance into the Quarterfinal round and face second-seeded Fordham on Friday at 5 p.m.
• The entirety of the Championship (through March 14) will be played at the Siegel Center on the campus of VCU. All games through Friday's Quarterfinals will air on ESPN+, Saturday's Semifinals on CBS SN, and the Championship Final (Sunday) on ESPNU.
• Atlantic 10 postseason awards were unveiled on Tuesday. Senior Sam Breen was named to both the All-Conference First Team and All-Academic Team, while junior guard and fellow captain Destiney Philoxy was placed on the All-Conference Second Team.
• Massachusetts last played on Feb. 28, capping the regular season with a 70-65 win over Richmond in a neutral site conference game played in the Ryan Center at URI. Both the Richmond game and Feb. 26 tilt vs. VCU were originally scheduled to be played in Amherst at the Mullins Center, but were moved due to pandemic-related circumstances.
• Four Minutewomen scored in double figures in the Richmond win, led by freshman Ber'Nyah Mayo (17). Philoxy had one of her top performances of the season and was electric all over the floor with 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Breen (14 points, 18 rebounds) added her fourth straight double-double and league-leading 12th of the season, and freshman Makennah White provided 12 points plus eight boards in her first collegiate start.
• For her efforts on Feb. 28, coupled with a career-high 20 points vs. VCU (Feb. 26), Mayo was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on March 1.
• Philoxy's day included sinking a halfcourt heave at the halftime buzzer. The SportsCenter Top 10 highlight sparked the Minutewomen in the third quarter as the squad went a stretch of seven straight field goals made. The third quarter sequence was part of a 10-0 run for the Maroon and White that ultimately put the team in the lead for the rest of the game.
• Thursday's tilt with St. Joe's marks multiple "first time since" milestones: UMass last played an A-10 Championship game in Richmond, Virginia in 2016 across town at the Richmond Coliseum. The Minutewomen also last tangled with the Hawks in a tournament game in the 1994 Quarterfinals and won that matchup, 76-63 and are 1-2 all-time in the tournament vs. SJU. Previously, the sides played in the Quarterfinal Round both in 1988 and '89.
• Last Thursday, March 4, the UMass men's basketball team also opened its respective Atlantic 10 Championship against Saint Joseph's. The last time such a basketball feat happened at UMass was in 2009, when both men's and women's teams began the tournament vs. Duquesne.
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