University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, March 19
Norman, Okla.
7:30 PM
University of Massachusetts
26-7,11-4Atlantic 10
78
vs
89
Notre Dame
23-8,12-5ACC
1
2
3
4
F
Massachusetts
17
24
18
19
78
Notre Dame
32
17
18
22
89
Photo by: Chris Tucci - UMass Athletics
#5 Notre Dame Tops #12 Women’s Basketball in NCAA First Round
March 20, 2022 | Women's Basketball
Breen finished with 31 points to tie her career-high on the night.
NORMAN, Okla. – Making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998, the No. 12 University of Massachusetts women's basketball team fell, 89-78, to No. 5 University of Notre Dame in the First Round at the Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday evening. Graduate student Sam Breen put up 31 points to tie her career best, as the Minutewomen concluded a historic 2021-22 season.
Breen went 12-for-19 (.632) from the field, sinking three of her four attempts from behind the arc, and making all four of her free throws. Sydney Taylor followed with 21 points of her own, shooting 50.0 percent (4-of-8) from beyond the three-point arc. Ber'Nyah Mayo accumulated 12 points and led the team with five rebounds and five steals Breen and Taylor registered four boards apiece. Destiney Philoxy had a team best six assists, with Taylor contributing five dimes.
Massachusetts averaged 43.8 three-point field goals and was 13-for-14 (.929) from the charity stripe, outshooting Notre Dame in both categories. The Minutewomen outscored the Fighting Irish in points off turnovers, 17-6.
Notre Dame controlled the pace early in the first, hitting back-to-back triples that started a 7-0 run to make it a quick 10-2 contest. After the run, Notre Dame kept pushing its lead, rounding out the quarter scoring 22 more points to UMass' 14 more.
Taylor opened the second quarter with her first three-pointer of the game, before UMass and Notre Dame traded four points each. The Minutewomen went on a couple of runs, going on a 10-5 run over a span of four minutes and 38 seconds for a 45-34 score, in favor of Notre Dame. UMass also went on a 6-3 run, that saw Breen hit a half court buzzer beater to end the half and bring the Minutewomen back within eight.
In the third quarter, both UMass and Notre Dame totaled 18 points. Six of Massachusetts' points came from Mayo, while Taylor added five. A layup from Angelique Ngalakulondi began the third to close the gap to six, but a 7-4 run for the Fighting Irish pulled them ahead, 58-47 at the 5:07 mark. Back-to-back baskets for UMass made it a six-point game at 58-52, thanks to a good layup from Mayo and three-pointer from Breen. The two teams traded a pair of points, before three made free throws pushed Notre Dame to a 65-56 lead. Taylor sank another triple close the gap again to six, but Notre Dame made a layup with five seconds on the clock to head into the fourth quarter with a 67-59 lead.
The made layup from the previous quarter started a 14-2 run for the Fighting Irish. Taylor knocked down a three-pointer, while Breen made a layup to make it 79-66, in favor of Notre Dame. UMass finished the final frame with 12 more points to Notre Dame's 10, but it was not enough, concluding the game with its final score of 89-78.
UMass wrapped up the year with a 26-7 overall mark, recording the most wins in program history. Massachusetts became the first team to win an Atlantic 10 Championship, while Breen became the first Minutewomen to ever receive the A-10 Player of the Year honor.
Breen went 12-for-19 (.632) from the field, sinking three of her four attempts from behind the arc, and making all four of her free throws. Sydney Taylor followed with 21 points of her own, shooting 50.0 percent (4-of-8) from beyond the three-point arc. Ber'Nyah Mayo accumulated 12 points and led the team with five rebounds and five steals Breen and Taylor registered four boards apiece. Destiney Philoxy had a team best six assists, with Taylor contributing five dimes.
Massachusetts averaged 43.8 three-point field goals and was 13-for-14 (.929) from the charity stripe, outshooting Notre Dame in both categories. The Minutewomen outscored the Fighting Irish in points off turnovers, 17-6.
Notre Dame controlled the pace early in the first, hitting back-to-back triples that started a 7-0 run to make it a quick 10-2 contest. After the run, Notre Dame kept pushing its lead, rounding out the quarter scoring 22 more points to UMass' 14 more.
Taylor opened the second quarter with her first three-pointer of the game, before UMass and Notre Dame traded four points each. The Minutewomen went on a couple of runs, going on a 10-5 run over a span of four minutes and 38 seconds for a 45-34 score, in favor of Notre Dame. UMass also went on a 6-3 run, that saw Breen hit a half court buzzer beater to end the half and bring the Minutewomen back within eight.
In the third quarter, both UMass and Notre Dame totaled 18 points. Six of Massachusetts' points came from Mayo, while Taylor added five. A layup from Angelique Ngalakulondi began the third to close the gap to six, but a 7-4 run for the Fighting Irish pulled them ahead, 58-47 at the 5:07 mark. Back-to-back baskets for UMass made it a six-point game at 58-52, thanks to a good layup from Mayo and three-pointer from Breen. The two teams traded a pair of points, before three made free throws pushed Notre Dame to a 65-56 lead. Taylor sank another triple close the gap again to six, but Notre Dame made a layup with five seconds on the clock to head into the fourth quarter with a 67-59 lead.
The made layup from the previous quarter started a 14-2 run for the Fighting Irish. Taylor knocked down a three-pointer, while Breen made a layup to make it 79-66, in favor of Notre Dame. UMass finished the final frame with 12 more points to Notre Dame's 10, but it was not enough, concluding the game with its final score of 89-78.
UMass wrapped up the year with a 26-7 overall mark, recording the most wins in program history. Massachusetts became the first team to win an Atlantic 10 Championship, while Breen became the first Minutewomen to ever receive the A-10 Player of the Year honor.
Team Stats
UMass
ND
FG%
.453
.576
3FG%
.438
.412
FT%
.929
.737
RB
22
37
TO
9
14
STL
10
6
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
7
3FGM
4
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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