Women's Basketball Returns To Mullins Center For A Midweek Contest Against VCU

University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information
Game 20	Massachusetts (15-4, 5-1 A-10) vs. VCU (5-13, 2-4 A-10)
Game Sponsor	All State Materials Group
Date // Time	Thursday, Jan. 26 // 12 p.m.
Location	Amherst, Mass. // Mullins Center
Watch	NBC Digital
Stream	NBC Sports App
Live Statistics	LiveStats
Game Notes	Massachusetts \| VCU
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.

How To Watch
The contest between Massachusetts and VCU will air on NBC Digital platforms, NBC Sports App & NBCSports.com. No cable subscription is needed to watch the game. Fans can watch the game for free online or the app. The game will not stream on Peacock.

Last Time Out
UMass enters Thursday's contest with a 15-4 overall record, including 5-1 in the A-10, after earning a 79-60 triumph at Dayton on Sunday afternoon, the first road win since Feb.22, 2007 over the Flyers.

Sydney Taylor had a day, as the senior led the way with 30 points, on 11 field goals made, including a careeer-high seven three-pointers, with Sam Breen following with 18 points of her own, while totaling a game best 11 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season and 51st of her career. Breen's 11 boards aided her to her 1,000 career rebound. Destiney Philoxy led the team in assists with six, with Ber'Nyah Mayo garnering five of her own. Philoxy also added two steals on the day.

All-Time Series vs. VCU
The Minutewomen and the Rams will meet for the 15th time in program history, as VCU holds a 9-5 advantage in the all-time series. UMass and VCU first met in the WNIT tournament on March 23, 1995, when Massachusetts won, 70-61. The last meeting between the two teams occurred last seaon on Feb. 23, at the Mullins, as the Minutewomen topped the Rams, 66-57.

Seeing Double (And Triple) Double

Sam Breen - 51 Double-Doubles* | 1 Triple-Double (* total includes at Penn State)

2022-23: 11 | 1 (Triple-Double)
2021-22: 17
2020-21: 15
2019-20: 8

Angelique Ngalakulondi - 7

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)

Statistically Speaking
The Minutewomen currently sit in first the Atlantic 10 conference in scoring offensively, averaging 75.1 points per game (1,426 pts), while placing seventh in defensive scoring with a 62.7 average (1,191 pts). The team is second with a 12.4 scoring margin. The team ranks 41st in the nation with its scoring offense.

UMass ranks third in combined team rebounds (40.2 rpg), tallying 13.1 offensive rebounds per game (T-3rd; 248 total). The Minutewomen are third with a 4.8 rebounding margin.

Sam Breen is third in the conference in scoring with 17.3 ppg (329 pts), and is first in rebounds with 10.1 per game (192 total). In the nation, she is tied for 19th in rebounds and tied for 10th with 11 double-doubles this season. She is also tied for third with one triple-double.

Sydney Taylor sits seventh in scoring (16.2 ppg, 291 pts) in the A-10 and is second with 3.0 3FGs per game. Taylor is tied for 11th in the nation with her 3FGs per game and tied for 19th with her three-pointers made (54 total).

Angelique Ngalakulondi averaged 3.4 offensive rebounds per game (61 total), so far, this season, to place fourth in the A-10. Ber'Nyah Mayo sits in third in the league with 2.8 steals per game (53 total). Mayo is 26th in the nation with her swipes per game and tied for 21st in total steals.

Destiney Philoxy continues to aid her teammates, dishing out 94 dimes, averaging 4.9 assists per game, tying for third, currently, in the league. Philoxy tied for 38th in the nation with her total assists, while sitting tied for 38th 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 fourth in career points (1,714), passing Melissa Gurile (1,679; 1992-96), while Philoxy is now 10th in career points (1,450) 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 14th on the list with 1,224 points, passing Tamara Tatham (1,186; 2003-07).

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 (1,670). The graduate student has also collected 1,001 total career rebounds, so far, to place third in all-time career records, passing Octavia Thomas (903; 1992-96) on the list. She collected her 1,000th career board at Dayton (1/22). With the Minutewomen, Breen has totaled 948 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 622, 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 133 contests, so far, passing Hailey Leidel (123; 2016-20) and on the career steals list, ranking fourth with 194, passing Sabriya Mitchell (193; 1994-98), 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 eighth with 181 and Breen is 12th with 170.

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 116-83.

Keep Watch

Sam Breen was one of 15 members named to the 2023 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Midseason Watch List on January 18. She was the only A-10 player on the list.

Breen landed on three Preseason Watch Lists entering the 2022-23 season. On October 19, Breen was tabbed to the 2023 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, presented by Her Hoop Stats, as one of 25 members. The graduate student became a semifinalist for the honor last season.

On November 4, the Gibsonia, Pa., native earned a spot on the 50-member 2023 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's Watch List and on November 15, she was selected to the 2022-23 John R. Wooden Award Women's Preseason Top 50 Watch List, presented by Wendy's. Breen is the only Atlantic 10 Conference player to land on the Naismith and Wooden Award watch lists.

Next Up
Massachusetts heads to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Jan. 29, for a 2 p.m. match up with Duquesne on ESPN+.

Scoreboard