University of Massachusets Athletics

Wednesday, February 1
Amherst, Mass.
7 PM

University of Massachusetts

vs

Richmond

THOM KENDALL FOR UMASS ATHLETICS
Photo by: THOM KENDALL FOR UMASS ATHLETICS

Women's Basketball Welcomes Richmond To Mullins Center For Play4Kay Game

January 31, 2023 | Women's Basketball

The Minutewomen and Spiders match up at 7 p.m. on NESN+/ESPN+.

University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information
Game 22 Massachusetts (17-4, 7-1 A-10) vs. Richmond (13-7, 3-4 A-10)
Date // Time Wednesday, Feb.1 // 7 p.m.
Location Amherst, Mass. // Mullins Center
Watch NESN+/ESPN+
Stream ESPN+
Live Statistics LiveStats
Game Notes Massachusetts | Richmond
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
UMass heads into Wednesday's contest with a 17-4 overall record, including 7-1 in the A-10, after earning its sixth straight with an 83-61 win at Duquesne on Sunday afternoon.

Four Minutewomen recorded double figures in the win, led by senior Sydney Taylor with 20 points. Along with Taylor, Makennah White (14), Sam Breen (12) and Angelique Ngalakulondi (10) all tallied double figures. Taylor and White came down with a game-high nine rebounds apiece, while Destiney Philoxy led the team in assists with six. Mayo also had a team best two swipes on the afternoon.


All-Time Series vs. Richmond
The Minutewomen and the Spiders will meet for the 28th time in program history, with Richmond holding the advantage in the all-time series at 20-7. The two programs first met on Dec. 28, 1998, for a neutral site contest, where Richmond defeated UMass, 84-70. The last meeting between the two teams occurred last season on the road, ending with a thrilling 73-72 overtime victory for Massachusetts. The Minutewomen have won the last four meetings against the Spiders.


Seeing Double (And Triple) Double

Sam Breen - 52 Double-Doubles* | 1 Triple-Double (* total includes at Penn State)

2022-23: 12 | 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 75.8 points per game (1,592 pts), while placing 10th in defensive scoring with a 62.3 average (1,309 pts).  The team is tied for first with Rhode Island with a 13.5 scoring margin. The team ranks 38th in the nation with its scoring offense.

UMass ranks third in combined team rebounds (40.3 rpg), tallying 13.3 offensive rebounds per game (5th; 279 total). The Minutewomen are third with a 5.0 rebounding margin.

Sam Breen is tied for third in the conference in scoring with 17.6 ppg (370 pts), and is first in rebounds with 10.0 per game (211 total). In the nation, she is tied for 19th in rebounds and tied for ninth with 12 double-doubles this season. She is also tied for third with one triple-double.

Sydney Taylor sits sixth in scoring (16.6 ppg, 332 pts) in the A-10 and is first with 3.2 3FGs per game. Taylor is third in the nation with her 3FGs per game and tied for 10th with her three-pointers made (64 total).

Angelique Ngalakulondi averaged 3.2 offensive rebounds per game (64 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 (58 total). Mayo is 24th in the nation with her swipes per game and tied for 19th in total steals.

Destiney Philoxy continues to aid her teammates, dishing out 104 dimes, averaging 5.0 assists per game, placing fourth, currently, in the league.  Philoxy tied for 32nd in the nation with her total assists, while sitting tied for 36th 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 (1,755), passing Melissa Gurile (1,679; 1992-96), while Philoxy is now 10th in career points (1,460) 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 1,265 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 (1,711). The graduate student has also collected 1,020 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 967 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 632, 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 135 contests, so far, passing Hailey Leidel (123; 2016-20) and on the career steals list, ranking fourth with 195, 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 tied for seventh with 186 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 118-83.


Double Figures Reached
Sam Breen recorded 18 double figures contests, while Sydney Taylor had 10-plus point games for the 17th time this season, including Taylor scoring 20-plus points in four consecutive 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 eight double figure games and Angelique Ngalakulondi has five on the year.


Next Up
Massachusetts heads to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to match up with La Salle on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

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