University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
George Washington
Women's Basketball Heads To George Washington On Saturday
January 21, 2022 | Women's Basketball
The Minutewomen and Colonials battle at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
| University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 19 | Massachusetts (14-4, 2-2 Atlantic 10) at George Washington (7-9, 0-3 Atlantic 10) |
| Date // Time | Saturday, January 22 // 2 p.m. |
| Location | Washington, D.C. // Charles E. Smith Center |
| Watch | ESPN+ |
| Stream | ESPN+ |
| Live Statistics | LiveStats |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts // George Washington |
| Spectator Policies | George Washington's COVID-19 Policies |
| 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.
COVID-19 Protocols
The George Washington University will continue to limit some in-person activity on campus until January 31, with the anticipation of restoring in-person activities in a phased approach beginning February 1. This decision will impact certain home men's and women's basketball's games, as these events will occur without ticketed fans and students. For more information, click hereÂ
Last Time Out
University of Massachusetts moved to 14-4 overall and 2-2 in the Atlantic 10 conference after falling to Dayton, 69-60. Despite the outcome, the Minutewomen have tied the 2019-20 season, through 18 games, to have the best starting record to a year.Â
Sam Breen and Destiney Philoxy led UMass with 19 points apiece, while Breen registered 12 rebounds. Breen earned her third straight double-double in as many games, 11th of the season and 34th of her career. The duo also contributed five assists each. Ber'Nyah Mayo came away with three steals, as Philoxy and Sydney Taylor both tallied two.
All-Time Series vs. George WashingtonThe Minutewomen and the Colonials are meeting for the 55th time, with George Washington leading the all-time series, 10-44, including the road series, 0-23. The two teams' first met at a neutral site on January 10, 1981 where GW won 82-56. The last meeting between UMass and George Washington occurred on January 26, 2020 at GW. The Colonials came out on top, escaping the Minutewomen, 50-47. The Colonials have won the last eight matchups, dating back to January 29, 2014.
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.Â
On Jan. 11, Massachusetts received three votes and this week (Jan. 18), the Minutewomen received seven in the USA Today's Sports WBCA poll.
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 14-4, tying with the 2019-20 season through 18 games. 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 second in the Atlantic 10 conference in scoring offensively, averaging 72.6 points per game (1,307 pts), with Richmond ahead in total points by 19, averaging a 73.7 ppg. The team also is third in the scoring margin with 10.1 per game.
With a 42.7 field goal percentage (486-of-1,137), UMass sits in third, while ranking first in combined team rebounds (42.1 rpg), tallying 14.8 offensive rebounds per game (267 total). They are also first in rebounding margin with 9.4. The team is 11th in the nation in total rebounds (758) and is 15th in rebound margin (9.4).
Sam Breen currently ranks fourth in the conference in scoring with a 17.2 ppg (310 pts), and is second in rebounds with 11.2 per game, 201 boards total. In the nation, she is sixth in rebounds and tied for seventh with 11 double-doubles this season, while ranking 15th in defensive rebounds per game (7.8; 141 total). Breen also is ranked in field goal attempts (7th; 297), field goals made (T-14th; 123) and rebounds per game (16th; 11.2).
Sydney Taylor sits in ninth in scoring (15.5 ppg, 279 pts) in the A-10 and is fourth with 2.4 three-point FGs per game. In the nation, Taylor is tied for fifth in 3FGs attempted (136) and tied for 23rd in 3FGs made (44).
Angelique Ngalakulondi is 71-for-119 from the field, placing first in the A-10 with a 59.7 percentage. She is also first in total offensive rebounds (76) and second in offensive rebounds per game with a 4.3 average. In the nation, Ngalakulondi ranks 12th in the offensive rpg category. Destiney Philoxy has aided her teammates, averaging 5.4 assists per game (98 total), to sit in first in the league, while placing 12th 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 program 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 tied in 17th in career points (1,124), while Philoxy is now 20th in career points (1,090) 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 also collected 678 career rebounds, so far, to place ninth in all-time career records, surpassing Kate Mills (679; 2004-08). Philoxy hit 400-plus career assists on Dec. 11, 2021. She is now etched in fourth in the career records all-time with 439, so far, 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 89-76.
Breen, the Double-Double Machine
Sam Breen has collected 11 double-doubles on the season for UMass, moving her career total to 34. She tallied double-doubles against Harvard, Iona, Holy Cross, versus Kent State, against No. 13 Iowa State, Fairfield, UMass Lowell, Vermont at Richmond, at Rhode Island and vs. Dayton, so far this season. Her 11 double-doubles in 18 games have helped the graduate student tie for seventh in the nation. The graduate student recorded four consecutive double-doubles from Nov. 27 through Dec. 5.
Breen owned a league-leading 15 double-doubles last season and 23 in her career, including 14 such performances in the last 19 games of 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.
Queen[s] of the Assist (well, almost)
Senior Destiney Philoxy has established herself among the top ball distributors in the country, averaging 6.5 assists per game last year. That ranks tied for fifth in the country, with Syracuse's Tiana Mangakahia (7.5 apg) in the national lead and Philoxy. In terms of total assists (156), Philoxy was No. 8 in Division I last season.
The Queens, N.Y. native set up a career-high 11 buckets in the Davidson win on Jan. 8, 2021, and became the first UMass player since Megan Zullo (2010-11) to have multiple games in the same season with 10-plus assists–the other being on Jan. 3 at La Salle (10). She recorded eight-plus dimes in eight games last season.
Philoxy continued to add her to her total, contributing a team-leading 10 assists in the 2021-22 season-opener on Nov. 9, and tying her career high of 11 on Dec. 22 at Hartford. She sits in first in the league currently with 98 assists (5.4 assists/game), and is 12th in the nation.
Next Up
UMass will be back in action on Wednesday, January 26, to close out the home-and-home series against Rhode Island at the Mullins Center. The game will be streamed on NESN+ at 7 p.m.
