University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, March 13
Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
4 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
90
vs
81
Saint Louis
Photo by: Brian McWalters - Atlantic 10
Breen, Philoxy Lead UMass To First A-10 Title Game Since 1998
March 13, 2021 | Women's Basketball
Minutewomen will play for the league title vs. VCU on Sunday at 12 p.m. on ESPNU
RICHMOND – Sam Breen and Destiney Philoxy scored 28 points apiece, and the No. 7 seed Massachusetts women's basketball team (14-6) scored a season-high 52 points in the paint to knock off No. 3 seed Saint Louis in the Atlantic 10 Championship Semifinals on Saturday afternoon at the Siegel Center, 90-81.
The victory sends UMass, which was making its seventh appearance all-time in the conference semifinal (first since 2002), into the Atlantic 10 Championship game for the second time in program history, and first time since 1998.
The Minutewomen will take on No. 5 seed VCU in the Atlantic 10 Championship Game on Sunday at 12 p.m. on ESPNU with the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament on the line.
"I'm just extremely proud of our kids," said head coach Tory Verdi. "It's amazing what you can do with just and the amount of fight that they have for one another, the amount of love that they have for one another. You go out there and they did a great job following the game plan. We were very disciplined, and we had some unbelievable performances. But, at the end of the day, we just found a way to win."
UMass, which has gone 3-0 in the tournament this week despite just seven active players, scored a season-high 90 points on 55% shooting (32-of-58) and tied a season low with just nine fouls committed on the afternoon.
Breen (11-of-16 from the floor; 10 rebounds) and Philoxy's (11-of-17 from the floor; six rebounds; two assists) had nights for the ages, marking the first time in more than 20 years that two Minutewomen have scored 25 or more points in an Atlantic 10 Championship game.
After a back-and-forth opening quarter that left the Billikens up by a bucket after 10 minutes, UMass came out hot in the second with a 71% shooting performance (10-of-14), highlighted by a 9-0 run late to take a six-point lead into the locker room, 42-36.
The steady shooting continued into the third as the Minutewomen extended its lead up to 13 points thanks to an 8-0 run to close the quarter, 65-52.
UMass would lead by as many as 14 early in the fourth quarter as Breen eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the sixth time this season and recorded her seventh straight double-double, and 15th of the season.
Ber'Nyah Mayo also reached double-figures for the Minutewomen with 13 points and a team-high four assists, while Saint Louis was led by 18 points from Rachel Kent (5-of-11 shooting), leading four Billikens in double figures.
The victory sends UMass, which was making its seventh appearance all-time in the conference semifinal (first since 2002), into the Atlantic 10 Championship game for the second time in program history, and first time since 1998.
The Minutewomen will take on No. 5 seed VCU in the Atlantic 10 Championship Game on Sunday at 12 p.m. on ESPNU with the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament on the line.
"I'm just extremely proud of our kids," said head coach Tory Verdi. "It's amazing what you can do with just and the amount of fight that they have for one another, the amount of love that they have for one another. You go out there and they did a great job following the game plan. We were very disciplined, and we had some unbelievable performances. But, at the end of the day, we just found a way to win."
UMass, which has gone 3-0 in the tournament this week despite just seven active players, scored a season-high 90 points on 55% shooting (32-of-58) and tied a season low with just nine fouls committed on the afternoon.
Breen (11-of-16 from the floor; 10 rebounds) and Philoxy's (11-of-17 from the floor; six rebounds; two assists) had nights for the ages, marking the first time in more than 20 years that two Minutewomen have scored 25 or more points in an Atlantic 10 Championship game.
After a back-and-forth opening quarter that left the Billikens up by a bucket after 10 minutes, UMass came out hot in the second with a 71% shooting performance (10-of-14), highlighted by a 9-0 run late to take a six-point lead into the locker room, 42-36.
The steady shooting continued into the third as the Minutewomen extended its lead up to 13 points thanks to an 8-0 run to close the quarter, 65-52.
UMass would lead by as many as 14 early in the fourth quarter as Breen eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the sixth time this season and recorded her seventh straight double-double, and 15th of the season.
Ber'Nyah Mayo also reached double-figures for the Minutewomen with 13 points and a team-high four assists, while Saint Louis was led by 18 points from Rachel Kent (5-of-11 shooting), leading four Billikens in double figures.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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