Women's Basketball Sets For Road Test At Rhode Island On Monday

University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information
Game 17	Massachusetts (14-2, 2-0 Atlantic 10) at Rhode Island (12-3, 2-0 Atlantic 10)
Date // Time	Monday, January 17 // 6 p.m.
Location	Kingston, R.I. // Thomas M. Ryan Center
Watch	ESPN+
Stream	ESPN+
Live Statistics	LiveStats
Game Notes	Massachusetts // Rhode Island
Spectator Policies	Rhode Island Athletics' COVID-19 Policies
Social Media	Facebook: UMass Women's Basketball Twitter: @UMassWBB // @CoachVerdiUMass Instagram: @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.

COVID-19 Protocols
Proof of vaccination and/or a negative COVID-19 test is NOT required to attend URI Women's basketball games or smaller live events at the Ryan Center however it is recommended. The University is requiring all guests over the age of 2 are required to wear a mask at the Ryan Center at any time, except while actively eating or drinking as permitted. The mask requirement while indoors will remain in effect until further notice. For more information, click here.

Last Time Out
University of Massachusetts improved to an overall record of 14-2 and an Atlantic 10 conference record of 2-0 after a thrilling overtime 73-72 victory over Richmond, thanks to a Ber'Nyah Mayo game-winning layup, on the road.

Sam Breen led the team with 19 points and 14 rebounds to earn her ninth double-double of the season and 32nd of her career. Sydney Taylor followed with 16 points, while Angelique Ngalakulondi and Destiney Philoxy each finished in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Ngalakulondi also recorded a double-double, adding 13 boards to the score sheet, marking her fourth of the season and fifth of her career, while Philoxy contributed a team-high four assists and team best three steals.

All-Time Series vs. Rhode Island
The Minutewomen and the Rams are meeting for the 87th time, as UMass leads the series all-time, 49-37, including the road series 22-18. The two program's first met at a neutral site on March 7, 1974 where Massachusetts won 61-53. The last meeting between UMass and URI occurred on January 5, 2021 at the Mullins Center. The Rams came out on top, edging out the Minutewomen, 48-47 on the day.

In the Latest Polls...
On January 4, the Minutewomen received one vote in the USA Today's Sports Women's Basketball Coaches Poll. It marks the first time UMass has received votes in a national poll since the 1994-95 season.

In this week's (Jan. 11) USA Today's Sports WBCA poll, Massachusetts received three votes.

Shaking Up the Record Book
Along with becoming the first team in program history to have the best start to a season since the enactment of Title IX and the recognition of women's sports by the NCAA, UMass has one of the best starting records to a season in all of program history with 14-2. The Minutewomen tied the 1968-69 season (only a 15 game season) for one of the best starting records to season (13-2) with their win over VCU on Jan. 12, 2022.

Massachusetts was on a nine-game winning streak that dated back to last season (Mar. 20, 2021 - Nov. 27, 2021), before that came to an end when the team fell to No. 13 Iowa State. The nine consecutive wins for the Minutewomen matched the second most victories in a row achieved three times in program history - the 1968-69 inaugural season (9-0 to begin the year), in 1976-77 (Jan. 21, 1977-Feb. 8, 1977) and in 1997-98 (Feb.4-March 1, 1998).

Statistically Speaking
The Minutewomen are first in the Atlantic 10 conference in scoring offensively, averaging 74.3 points per game (1,189 pts). The team also is second in the scoring margin with 12.4 per game.

With a 43.2 field goal percentage (443-of-1,025), UMass sits in third, while ranking first in rebounding offense (43.7 rpg), tallying 15.8 offensive rebounds per game, and first in rebounding defense with a 31.6 average. The team is tied for 16th in the nation in total rebounds (699), tied for 16th in rebounds per game (43.7) and is sixth in rebound margin (12.1).

Sam Breen currently ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with a 16.6 ppg (266 pts), and is first in rebounds with 11.0 per game, 176 boards total. In the nation, she is eighth in rebounds and tied for 11th with nine double-doubles this season, while ranking 15th in defensive rebounds per game (7.6; 122 total). Breen also is ranked in field goal attempts (11th; 258) and rebounds per game (15th; 11.0).

Sydney Taylor sits in third in scoring (16.9 ppg, 271 pts) in the A-10 and is fourth with 2.6 three-point FGs per game. In the nation, Taylor is tied for 11th in 3FGs attempted (126) and tied for 24th in 3FGs made (42).

Angelique Ngalakulondi is 67-for-112 from the field, placing first in the A-10 with a 59.8 percentage. She is also first in total offensive rebounds (73) and in offensive rebounds per game with a 4.6 average. In the nation, Ngalakulondi ranks seventh in the offensive rpg category. Destiney Philoxy has aided her teammates, averaging 5.5 assists per game (88 total), to sit in first in the league, while tying for 16th in the nation with her total dimes.

Walking the [Mile]Stone Path
Sam Breen and Destiney Philoxy each eclipsed their 1,000th career point on Dec. 8, 2021. They became the 21st and 22nd Minutewomen to achieve the feat, while becoming the third pair in progam history to earn it in the same season, and first since 2006-07. The duo may also be the first to reach the milestone in the same game in NCAA history. Breen is now 20th in career points, while Philoxy sits 21st in career points in program history.

In addition to reaching the career milestone, Breen reached 1,000 points in the Massachusetts uniform on Dec. 22, 2021 at Hartford. With just her UMass career, Breen would sit in 21st on the career points scored list. The graduate student has alos collected her 653rd career rebound, to place 11th in all-time career records, surpassing former teammate Hailey Leidel (647; 2016-20). Philoxy hit 400-plus career assists on Dec. 11, 2021. She is now etched in fourth in the career records all-time, surpassing Leah McDerment (368 - 2014-18).

Head Coach Tory Verdi is 11 wins away from achieving his 100th victory at the helm of Massachusetts. His current record with the Minutewomen stands at 89-74.

"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 12 of 14 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, 26 over Providence, 23 more vs. South Dakota State, 16 in the win over Kent State, 19 at Columbia and 18 at Hartford. At VCU, the junior finished with a new career-high 32 points that led the way for the Minutewomen and added 16 more at Richmond.

The Huntington Station, N.Y., native, is third in the Atlantic 10 in scoring, tallying 271 points (16.9 ppg). She also sits in fourth in three-point field goals per game, averaging 2.6, with 42 recorded (2nd in the league). In the nation, Taylor is tied for 11th in 3FGs attempted (126) and tied for 24th with 42 3FGs made.

Ngalakulondi's Glass
Angelique Ngalakulondi was absolutely dominant on the offensive glass last season. Overall, the now junior avergaed 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, including going off for a career-high 19 points and nin rebounds vs. VCU (3/14/21). 34 of Ngalakulondi's 56 boards came at the offensive end in the 2020-21 season.

Ngalakulondi has averaged 7.5 rebounds per game for the Minutewomen in the 2021-22 season, coming down with a career best 14 at Columbia. The junior is first in the Atlantic 10

with 73 offensive rebounds in total, while ranking seventh in the nation with a 4.4 offensive rpg average.

Next Up
UMass will return to Mullins Center on Wednesday, January 19, to take on Dayton at 7 p.m. on NESN+.

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