University of Massachusets Athletics
Friday, March 12
Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
5 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
13-6,7-5Atlantic 10
80
vs
70
Fordham
12-4,8-2Atlantic 10
1
2
3
4
F
Massachusetts
22
12
23
23
80
Fordham
19
18
13
20
70
Photo by: Brian McWalters - Atlantic 10
Massachusetts Downs Fordham, 80-70, in A-10 Quarterfinals
March 12, 2021 | Women's Basketball
Minutewomen vault into first A-10 Semifinals since 2002
RICHMOND, Va. – No. 7 seed University of Massachusetts women's basketball upset No. 2 Fordham, 80-70, at the Siegel Center on Friday night in the Air Force Reserve Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals.
The win in exciting fashion advances UMass (13-6) into the A-10 Semifinals for the first time since 2002, where the Minutewomen will match up with No. 3 Saint Louis. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday on CBSSN.
Sophomore Sydney Taylor tied a career-high with 27 points on 8-of-14 from the field, adding six rebounds. Senior Sam Breen recorded her 13th double-double of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds, making Breen the first Atlantic 10 player with as many performances since there were three during the 2017-18 season. Freshman Makennah White capped the double-digit scorers (10).
Both freshman Ber'Nyah Mayo and junior Destiney Philoxy contributed eight points and five boards, and Mayo handed out a team-high five assists. Philoxy also grabbed three steals.
The two squads had hot shooting hands in the first quarter with the Minutewomen an even 50% from the field and Fordham clocking in at 53.3%. It was a period of momentum swings that saw Fordham jump out to multiple six point leads, before Massachusetts clawed its way back to level the score at 19 and take the lead on a Taylor trey in the closing seconds.
The pendulum continued to swing in the second stanza, though this time the Rams closed the half on a 14-5 run to go ahead 37-34 at halftime.
Coming out of halftime the tide turned UMass' way on its own 16-7 stretch, including a jumper off the hand of White with 5:22 on the third quarter clock to give the team a 44-42 lead. Although Fordham immediately tied the score again, on the next UMass possession Philoxy kicked out to Taylor on the wing before Taylor buried a driving layup–from then on the Maroon and White held the lead the rest of the night.
It was not Taylor's last highlight play of the night, as Breen grabbed a defensive rebound in the waning seconds of the third, hitting Taylor with a home run pass for Taylor to lay it in at the buzzer. UMass continued to pull away in the final frame and at one point found itself ahead by 15 on the second-seeded Rams.
Follow UMass women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@UMassWBB).
NOTES: UMass has won back-to-back tilts overall with the Rams, a feat that last happened from 2006-10 (five straight) ... Massachusetts won for the first time vs. Fordham in an A-10 Championship game ... Freshmen Stefanie Kulesza and Makennah White were not yet born when the Minutewomen last played in the Atlantic 10 Semifinals ... UMass is the third No. 7 seed since 2014 to reach the semifinals ... The Minutewomen have won three times in the Siegel Center this season, the first such occurrence off campus since the squad triumphed in three games at Temple's Liacouras Center during 2001-02.
The win in exciting fashion advances UMass (13-6) into the A-10 Semifinals for the first time since 2002, where the Minutewomen will match up with No. 3 Saint Louis. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday on CBSSN.
TO THE @A10WBB SEMIS#Flagship?? pic.twitter.com/75ZZdxaf2n
— UMass Women's Basketball (@UMassWBB) March 13, 2021
Sophomore Sydney Taylor tied a career-high with 27 points on 8-of-14 from the field, adding six rebounds. Senior Sam Breen recorded her 13th double-double of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds, making Breen the first Atlantic 10 player with as many performances since there were three during the 2017-18 season. Freshman Makennah White capped the double-digit scorers (10).
Both freshman Ber'Nyah Mayo and junior Destiney Philoxy contributed eight points and five boards, and Mayo handed out a team-high five assists. Philoxy also grabbed three steals.
The two squads had hot shooting hands in the first quarter with the Minutewomen an even 50% from the field and Fordham clocking in at 53.3%. It was a period of momentum swings that saw Fordham jump out to multiple six point leads, before Massachusetts clawed its way back to level the score at 19 and take the lead on a Taylor trey in the closing seconds.
The pendulum continued to swing in the second stanza, though this time the Rams closed the half on a 14-5 run to go ahead 37-34 at halftime.
Coming out of halftime the tide turned UMass' way on its own 16-7 stretch, including a jumper off the hand of White with 5:22 on the third quarter clock to give the team a 44-42 lead. Although Fordham immediately tied the score again, on the next UMass possession Philoxy kicked out to Taylor on the wing before Taylor buried a driving layup–from then on the Maroon and White held the lead the rest of the night.
It was not Taylor's last highlight play of the night, as Breen grabbed a defensive rebound in the waning seconds of the third, hitting Taylor with a home run pass for Taylor to lay it in at the buzzer. UMass continued to pull away in the final frame and at one point found itself ahead by 15 on the second-seeded Rams.
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— UMass Women's Basketball (@UMassWBB) March 12, 2021
Syd lays it in at the buzzer and we're up 57-50 after 3Q.
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?? https://t.co/o8e8IykXcz
?? https://t.co/dFelrSduCD#Flagship?? pic.twitter.com/itFFzUjCtg
Follow UMass women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@UMassWBB).
NOTES: UMass has won back-to-back tilts overall with the Rams, a feat that last happened from 2006-10 (five straight) ... Massachusetts won for the first time vs. Fordham in an A-10 Championship game ... Freshmen Stefanie Kulesza and Makennah White were not yet born when the Minutewomen last played in the Atlantic 10 Semifinals ... UMass is the third No. 7 seed since 2014 to reach the semifinals ... The Minutewomen have won three times in the Siegel Center this season, the first such occurrence off campus since the squad triumphed in three games at Temple's Liacouras Center during 2001-02.
Team Stats
UMass
FU
FG%
.467
.375
3FG%
.462
.276
FT%
.818
.700
RB
40
37
TO
16
15
STL
6
9
Game Leaders
Pts
27
FGM
8
3FGM
5
FTM
6
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
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