University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Saint Joseph's
Women's Basketball Returns To Mullins Center To Face Saint Joseph's
January 13, 2023 | Women's Basketball
The Minutewomen and Hawks tip off at 2 p.m. on NESN+/ESPN+.
| University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 17 | Massachusetts (12-4, 2-1 A-10) vs. Saint Joseph's (14-2, 4-0 A-10) |
| Date // Time | Saturday, Jan. 14 // 2 p.m. |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. // Mullins Center |
| Watch | NESN+/ESPN+ |
| Stream | ESPN+ |
| Live Statistics | LiveStats |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts | Saint Joseph's |
| 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.
Last Time Out
UMass defeated Loyola Chicago, 76-59, on the road in the programs' first ever meeting. The Minutewomen improved to 12-4 overall, including 2-1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.Â
Four Minutewomen reached double figures, with Sam Breen leading with 23 points. Sydney Taylor followed with 15 points, while Destiney Philoxy and Ber'Nyah Mayo notched 15 and 13 points, respectively. Taylor grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and Philoxy had a game best seven assists. Taylor also added three steals, while Angelique Ngalakulondi totaled three blocks.
All-Time Series vs. Saint Joseph's
The Minutewomen and the Hawks will meet for the 67th time in program history, with saint Joseph's holding a 51-15 record in the all-time series. The two teams first met on Dec. 22, 1977, as the No. 8 Hawks took down the Minutewomen, 88-68, in the Central Connecticut Tournament in New Britain, Conn. UMass and SJU last met in the Semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Torunament last season, with the Minutewomen advancing to the Finals with a 76-58 victory on the day.
Seeing Double (And Triple) Double
Sam Breen - 49 Double-Doubles* | 1 Triple-Double (* total includes at Penn State)
2022-23: 9 | 1 (Triple-Double)
2021-22: 17
2020-21: 15
2019-20: 8
2022-23: 2
2021-22: 5
Destiney Philoxy - 4
2022-23: 1
2021-22: 2
2020-21: 1
Makennah White - 3
2022-23: 1
2021-22: 1
2020-21: 1
Ber'Nyah Mayo - 2
2021-22: 2
Laila Fair - 1
2021-22: 1* (* at Saint Joseph's)
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 76.4 points per game (1,223 pts), while tying for fifth in defensive scoring with a 63.6 average (1,018 pts). The team is also first with a 12.8 scoring margin. The team ranks 40th in the nation with its scoring offense.
UMass ranks third in combined team rebounds (41.1 rpg), tallying 13.7 offensive rebounds per game (3rd; 219 total). The Minutewomen are second with a 5.4 rebounding margin.
Sam Breen is second in the conference in scoring with 18.3 ppg (292 pts) and tied for first in rebounds with 9.9 per game (158Â total). In the nation, she is tied for 16th in rebounds and tied for eighth with nine double-doubles this season. She is also tied for second with one triple-double.
Sydney Taylor sits sixth in scoring (16.1 ppg, 241 pts) in the A-10 and second with 2.9 3FGs per game. Taylor is tied for 18th in the nation with both her 3FGs per game and tied for 21st with her three-pointers made (44 total).
Angelique Ngalakulondi averaged 3.7 offensive rebounds per game (56 total), so far, this season, to sit second in the A-10. She is 30th with her offensive rebounds per game in the NCAA.
Destiney Philoxy continues to aid her teammates, dishing out 80 dimes, averaging 5.0 assists per game, placing third, currently, in the league. Philoxy tied for 32nd in the nation with her total assists, while sitting tied for 37th 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 (1,677), passing Kate Mills (1,525; 2004-08), while Philoxy is now 10th in career points (1,430) in program history, passing Julie Ready on the list (1,406; 1977-81). 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 15th on the list with 1,174 points, passing Nekole Smith (1,165; 1998-03).
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 (1,633). The graduate student has also collected 967 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 914 boards, good enough for third 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 608, 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), and the only player in program history to reach 600-plus dimes. 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 130 contests, so far, passing Hailey Leidel (123; 2016-20) and on the career steals list, ranking sixth with 189, passing Christel Zullo (186; 1985-89), 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 tied for ninth with 176 and Breen is 13th with 165.
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 113-83.
Double Figures Reached
Sam Breen recorded 14 double figures contests, while Sydney Taylor had 10-plus point games for the 12th time this season, including Taylor scoring 20-plus points in four consecutive games. Destiney Philoxy has 12 games in double digits, while Ber'Nyah Mayo also reached double figures in 11 of the 16 contests this season. Makennah White has six double figure games and Angelique Ngalakulondi has four on the year.
Next Up
Massachusetts will take a trip to New York, New York, to take on Fordham on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.Â
