Women's Basketball Returns To Action With Midweek Matchup Against Saint Peter's

University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information
Game 12	Massachusetts (8-3) vs. Saint Peter's (0-9)
Date // Time	Wednesday, Dec. 21 // 2 p.m.
Location	Amherst, Mass. // Mullins Center
Watch	NESN/ESPN+
Stream	ESPN+
Live Statistics	LiveStats
Game Notes	Massachusetts
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
The University of Massachusetts women's basketball team played last on December 10, falling, 83-74, to Columbia on the afternoon, moving to 8-3 on the season.

Graduate student Sam Breen finished with her sixth double-double of the season, 46th of her career, recording 23 points and 12 rebounds. In addition to Breen reaching double figures, Destiney Philoxy put up 17 points, followed by Ber'Nyah Mayo with 13 and Sydney Taylor with 11. Philoxy and mayo tallied four assists each, while Mayo led the team with five steals, falling one shy of matching her career-high.

All-Time Series vs. Saint Peter's
Massachusetts and Saint Peter's will meet for the sixth time in program history, as the Minutewomen hold a 4-1 advantage over the Peacocks. UMass and Saint Peter's first met on Dec. 14, 1994, with the Minutewomen coming out on top, 63-40. The last meeting between the two programs saw an 81-65 Massachusetts victory on Dec. 10, 2017.

In the Latest Polls...

USA TODAY/WCBA Coaches Poll

Oct. 26 - 1 vote; Nov. 15 - 2 votes; Nov. 22 - 5 votes; Nov. 29 - 4 votes; Dec. 6 - 4 votes

AP Top 25 Poll

Nov. 28 - 2 votes

Home Court Advantage
The Minutewomen went on an eight-game win streak at home, dating from Feb. 5, 2022 to Nov. 30, 2022. It was the program's third longest streak in Amherst in the Atlantic 10 era. The longest streak dated from Feb. 18, 1995 to Feb. 27, 1996, with 15 total games, with the second longest being a 10-game win streak from Jan. 19, 2006 to Dec. 13, 2006.

Statistically Speaking
The Minutewomen currently sit in first the Atlantic 10 conference in scoring offensively, averaging 77.0 points per game (847 pts), while placing third in defensive scoring with a 67.4 average (741pts). The team is also fifth with a 9.6 scoring margin. The team ranks 43rd in the nation with its scoring offense.

UMass ranks second in combined team rebounds (41.3 rpg), tallying 14.5 offensive rebounds per game (1st; 160 total), good to tie for 42nd in the nation. The Minutewomen are sixth with a 3.7 rebounding margin.

Sam Breen is second in the conference in scoring with 18.6 ppg (205 pts) and in rebounds with 9.6 per game, placing fourth in total boards with 106 and fifth in offensive rebounds (37). In the nation, she is tied for 29th in rebounds and tied for eighth with six double-doubles this season.

Sydney Taylor sits third in scoring (17.3 ppg, 173 pts) in the A-10 and second with 3.0 3FGs per game. Taylor is tied for 16th in the nation with her 3FGs per game and tied for 28t with her three-pointers made (30 total).

Angelique Ngalakulondi averaged 4.4 offensive rebounds per game (44 total), so far, this season, to sit in first in the A-10. She is seventh with her offensive rebounds per game in the NCAA.

Destiney Philoxy continues to aid her teammates, dishing out 57 dimes, averaging 5.2 assists per game, placing second, currently, in the league. Philoxy sits tied for 31st in the nation with her total assists, while sitting tied for 29th with her average.

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 fifth in career points (1,590), passing Kate Mills (1,525; 2004-08), while Philoxy is now 12th in career points (1,380) in program history, passing Jasmine Watson on the list (1,291; 2009-13). 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 19th on the list with 1,106 points, surpassing Helen Freeman (1,105; 1986-90).

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 fifth on the career points scored list (1,546). The graduate student has also collected 915 total career rebounds, so far, to place third in all-time career records, passing Octavia Thomas (903; 1992-96) on the list. With the Minutewomen, Breen has totaled 862 boards, good enough for fourth on the list. Philoxy hit 400-plus career assists on Dec. 11, 2021 and 500-plus career assists on Feb. 26, 2022. She is in the career records all-time with 585, claiming the top spot in the category, passing Sabriya Mitchell (578; 1994-98). She is only the fourth Minutewomen to achieve 500-plus dimes, along with Mitchell, Christel Zullo (1985-89) and Kathy Coyner (1997-01). 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 games played list, playing 124 contests, so far, passing Hailey Leidel (123; 2016-20) and on the career steals list, ranking seventh with 183, also passing Leidel, 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 12th with 158, passing Rebecca Kucks (153;1982-86), while Breen is tied for 13th with Kucks, with 153.

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 109-82.

Double Figures Reached
Destiney Philoxy and Sam Breen recorded nine 10-plus point contests, while Sydney Taylor acheived double figures for the eighth time this season, including scoring 20-plus points in four consectuive games. Ber'Nyah Mayo also reached double figures in seven of the 11 contests this season. Angelique Ngalakulondi totaled four, while Makennah White has registered three contests reaching double figures on the year.

Next Up
Massachusetts hosts Dartmouth for its final non-conference contest on Wednesday, Dec. 28, at the Mullins Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on NESN+/ESPN+.

Scoreboard