Women's Basketball Sets For FIU Thanksgiving Classic Championships On Sunday

University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information
Game 7	Massachusetts (5-1) at Florida International (2-2)
Date // Time	Sunday, Nov. 27 // 1 p.m.
Location	Miami, Fla. // Ocean Bank Convocation Center
Stream	CUSA.tv
Live Statistics	LiveStats
Game Notes	Massachusetts // FIU
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.

Last Time Out
A late surge in the second half allowed the University of Massachusetts women's basketball team to force overtime, coming out on top with a 100-83 victory over Drake University at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Friday afternoon for its fourth straight win. After a 5-0 run to end regulation, the Minutewomen continued with a 17-0 run in overtime to score 100 points, marking the first 100-point contest for the program since December 7, 2017 (Fisher College – W, 121-38).

Five Minutewomen reached double figures, led by Sydney Taylor with a game-high 29 points, as the senior went 11-for-22 (.500) from the field, including matching a career best six made three-pointers. Destiney Philoxy followed with 20 points, while Sam Breen and Ber'Nyah Mayo tallied 19 points apiece. Angelique Ngalakulondi recorded her second double-double of the season, and eighth of her career, after totaling 13 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Mayo sat atop the leaderboard with six assists and five steals on the day.

All-Time Series vs. FIU
Massachusetts and Florida International will meet for only the second time in program history. UMass and FIU first met on Dec. 27, 2016, in the FIU Holiday Classic, hosted by FIU, in Miami, Florida. The Panthers lead the all-time series, 1-0, over the Minutewomen after winning a close 58-57 contest.

In the Latest Polls...
On Oct. 26, 2022, the Minutewomen received one vote in the USA TODAY/WCBA Coaches Poll. In the Nov. 15, 2022, USA TODAY/WCBA Coaches Poll, UMass received two votes, before earning five votes on Nov. 22, 2022.

Statistically Speaking
The Minutewomen currently sit in fifth the Atlantic 10 conference in scoring offensively, averaging 70.4 points per game (352 pts), while placing ninth in defensive scoring with a 61.0 average (305 pts). The team is also fifth with a 9.4 scoring margin.

UMass ranks second in combined team rebounds (42.6 rpg), tallying 16.8 offensive rebounds per game (1st; 84 total. The Minutewomen are tied for third with Richmond with a 7.0 rebounding margin.

Sam Breen is tied for fifth in the conference in scoring with 15.4 ppg (77 pts), and fifth in rebounds with 8.8 per game, tying for fourth in total boards with 44 and tied for first in offensive rebounds (19). In the nation, she sits tied for 27th with two double-doubles this season, being one of two A-10 players with two double-doubles this season.

Sydney Taylor sits in second in scoring (17.2 ppg, 86 pts) in the A-10 and tied for second with 2.8 3FGs per game. Taylor is tied for 35th in the nation with 14 made three-pointers.

Makennah White averaged 7.2 rebounds per game, so far, this season, to tie for 11th in the A-10. She is tied for third with 3.6 offensive rebounds per game (18 total).

Destiney Philoxy continues to aid her teammates, dishing out 26 dimes, averaging 5.2 assists per game, placing third, currently, in the league. Philoxy sits tied for 35th in the nation with her total assists, while sitting tied for 46th with her average. She is also fifth in steals with 2.4 per game and 12 total.

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 ninth in career points (1,462), passing Julie Ready (1,406; 1977-81), while Philoxy is now 13th in career points (1,286) in program history, passing Tamara Tatham on the list (1,186; 2003-07). Sydney Taylor became the 23rd Minutewomen to join the 1,000-point club after garnering her 1,000th career point on Nov. 22, 2022. She currently sits 22nd on the list with 1,019 points, surpassing Beth Wilbor (1,014; 1985-89)

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 be in ninth on the career points scored list (1,418). The graduate student has also collected 800 career rebounds with the Minutewomen, so far, to place seventh in all-time career records, passing Tamara Tatham (755; 2003- 07) on the list. Philoxy hit 400-plus career assists on Dec. 11, 2021 and 500-plus career assists on Feb. 26, 2022. She is now second in the career records all-time with 554, so far, passing Christel Zullo (533 - 1985-89). She is only the fourth Minutewomen to achieve 500-plus dimes and is 24 assists away from passing Sabriya Mitchell's 578 total (1994-98) and etching her name in first. Philoxy also played in her 100th career game on Jan. 22 at George Washington, while Breen reached her 100th career game played in the A-10 Quarterfinals vs. Fordham (March 4).

Philoxy has also put her name on the career steals list, tying for 10th with Kathy Coyner (1997-01) with 169 total, so far, in her career. Fellow teammates Ber'Nyah Mayo and Sam Breen are etched on the career steals list in the record book, as Mayo sits in 14th with 135 total, while Breen is tied for 15th, withh 132, passing Pam Rosanio (130; 2004-08).

Head Coach Tory Verdi achieved his 100th victory at the helm of Massachusetts in the 76-58 win over Saint Joseph's in the A-10 Semifinals on March 5. His current record with the Minutewomen stands at 106-80.

Double Figures Reached
Sam Breen reached double figures in three of the five contests this season, beginning with 31 points in the season opener against CCSU (11/7), 18 points at No. 5 Tennessee and 11 points vs. Maine. Destiney Philoxy and Sydney Taylor recorded four double figure games this season, while Ber'Nyah Mayor and Makennah White have registered three contests with 10-plus points, and Angelique Ngalakulondi has one.

Next Up
Massachusetts returns to the Mullins Center on Wednesday, Nov. 30, to face Yale. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. on NESN+/ESPN+.

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