University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Duquesne
Women's Basketball Heads To Duquesne On Sunday
January 27, 2023 | Women's Basketball
The Minutewomen and Dukes tip off at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
| University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 21 | Massachusetts (16-4, 6-1 A-10) at Duquesne (14-7, 4-4 A-10) |
| Date // Time | Sunday, Jan. 29 // 2 p.m. |
| Location | Pittsburgh, Pa. // UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse |
| Watch | ESPN+ |
| Stream | ESPN+ |
| Live Statistics | LiveStats |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts | Duquesne |
| 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 enters Sunday's contest with a 16-4 overall record, including 6-1 in the A-10, after earning an 83-57 victory over VCU on Thursday afternoon.Â
Sam Breen recorded a game-high 29 points and 11 rebounds en route to her 12th double-double of the year, and 52nd of her career, adding eight assists, falling two shy of a triple-double, and a team best four steals. Sydney Taylor and Ber'Nyah Mayo also reached double figures, putting up 21 and 13 points, respectively.
All-Time Series vs. Duquesne
The Minutewomen and the Dukes will meet for the 55th time in program history, as Duquesne holds a 29-25 advantage in the all-time series. UMass and Duquesne first met on Feb. 20, 1984, on the road, where Massachusetts defeated its opponent, 61-59. The two teams met last season at the Mullins Center, with the Minutewomen coming out on top, 89-59.
Seeing Double (And Triple) Double
Sam Breen - 52Â Double-Doubles* | 1 Triple-Double (* total includes at Penn State)
2022-23: 12Â | 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)
Statistically Speaking
The Minutewomen currently sit in first the Atlantic 10 conference in scoring offensively, averaging 75.5 points per game (1,509 pts), while placing 10th in defensive scoring with a 62.4 average (1,248 pts). The team is second with a 13.1 scoring margin. The team ranks 41st in the nation with its scoring offense.
UMass ranks third in combined team rebounds (40.0 rpg), tallying 13.1 offensive rebounds per game (5th; 262 total). The Minutewomen are third with a 4.7 rebounding margin.
Sam Breen is third in the conference in scoring with 17.9 ppg (358 pts), and is first in rebounds with 10.2 per game (203 total). In the nation, she is 24th in rebounds and tied for 10th with 12 double-doubles this season. She is also tied for third with one triple-double.
Sydney Taylor sits sixth in scoring (16.4 ppg, 312 pts) in the A-10 and is second with 3.1 3FGs per game. Taylor is tied for ninth in the nation with her 3FGs per game and tied for 19th with her three-pointers made (58 total).
Angelique Ngalakulondi averaged 3.3 offensive rebounds per game (63 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 (56 total). Mayo is tied for 23rd in the nation with her swipes per game and tied for 19th in total steals.
Destiney Philoxy continues to aid her teammates, dishing out 98 dimes, averaging 4.9 assists per game, placing fourth, 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 (1,743), passing Melissa Gurile (1,679; 1992-96), while Philoxy is now 10th in career points (1,453) 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 1,245 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 fourth on the career points scored list (1,699). The graduate student has also collected 1,012 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 959 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 626, 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 134 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 184 and Breen is 10th with 174.
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. At Massachusetts, Verdi coached his 200th game vs. VCU (1/26). His current record with the Minutewomen stands at 117-83.
Double Figures Reached
Sam Breen recorded 17 double figures contests, while Sydney Taylor had 10-plus point games for the 16th time this season, including Taylor scoring 20-plus points in four consectuive games and one 30-point contest. Ber'Nyah Mayo has 14 games in double digits, while Destiney Philoxy reached double figures in 12 of the 18 contests this season. Makennah White has seven double figure games and Angelique Ngalakulondi has four on the year.
Next Up
Massachusetts takes on Richmond in the annual Play 4 Kay/Pink Game at the Mullins Center on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. on NESN+/ESPN+.
