University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Loyola Chicago
Women's Basketball Sets For Road Test At Loyola Chicago On Saturday
January 06, 2023 | Women's Basketball
The Minutewomen and Ramblers tip off at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
| University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 16 | Massachusetts (11-4, 1-1Â A-10) at Loyola Chicago (6-9, 1-1 A-10) |
| Date // Time | Saturday, Jan. 7 // 3 p.m. |
| Location | Chicago, Ill. // Gentile Arena |
| Watch | ESPN+ |
| Stream | ESPN+ |
| Live Statistics | LiveStats |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts | Loyola Chicago |
| 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 fell to Rhode Island at home on Wednesday evening, moving to 11-4 on the season, including 1-1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.Â
Sam Breen led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds, recording her ninth double-double of the season and 49th of her career. Ber'Nyah Mayo and Destiney Philoxy also finished with 10-plus points on the evening, collecting 11 and 10, respectively. Mayo tallied a game-high eight assists and a game best five steals. Breen hit eight free throws, marking a career-high.
All-Time Series vs. Loyola Chicago
The Minutewomen and the Ramblers meet for the first time in program history.
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)
Breen, the Double-Double Machine
Sam Breen added to her career total, in 2022-23, bringing it to 49 double-doubles. The graduate student achieved a double-double at No. 5 Tennessee, vs. Maine, almost earning a triple-double for the first time in her career, at FIU, vs. Yale, at ASU, vs. Columbia, and vs. Dartmouth. She recorded a triple-double against St. Bonaventure, as well (11 pts, 14 reb, 11 assts.).
Breen collected 17 double-doubles in the historic 2021-22 season at UMass, moving her career total to 40. Her 17 double-doubles in 32 games have helped the Breen tie for 18th in the nation. The graduate student recorded four consecutive double-doubles from Nov. 27 through Dec. 5, and again from Jan. 15 through Jan. 22. Breen was the only A-10 player last season to have as many double-doubles and be in the top-50 in the nation, while also being the only one to have 10-plus double- doubles.
Breen owned a league-leading 15 double-doubles and 23 in her career, including 14 such performances in the last 19 games of the 2020-21 season, and narrowly missed the feat in the final game of the season vs. Ohio (3/22/21)–finishing with 27 points and nine rebounds. She was one of just three players in the A-10 to average both double-figure scoring and rebounding. She finished last year second in scoring (18.0 ppg) and fourth in the league rebounding (10.0 rpg).
Breen was one of just 12 players nationally to own as many double-double performances during the 2020-21 season. The last time an Atlantic 10 player had 15 such games was during the 2017-18 season, when three players did so.
Statistically Speaking
The Minutewomen currently sit in first the Atlantic 10 conference in scoring offensively, averaging 76.5 points per game (1,147 pts), while placing seventh in defensive scoring with a 63.9 average (959 pts). The team is also first with a 12.5 scoring margin. The team ranks 41st in the nation with its scoring offense.
UMass ranks third in combined team rebounds (41.3 rpg), tallying 13.7 offensive rebounds per game (1st; 206 total). The Minutewomen are second with a 5.5 rebounding margin.
Sam Breen is tied for third in the conference in scoring with 17.9 ppg (269 pts) and first in rebounds with 10.1 per game (152 total). In the nation, she is tied for eighth in rebounds and tied for sixth 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, 226 pts) in the A-10 and second with 2.9 3FGs per game. Taylor is tied for 20th in the nation with both her 3FGs per game and tied for 16th her three-pointers made (41 total).
Angelique Ngalakulondi averaged 3.9 offensive rebounds per game (55 total), so far, this season, to sit first in the A-10. She is 16th with her offensive rebounds per game in the NCAA.
Destiney Philoxy continues to aid her teammates, dishing out 73 dimes, averaging 4.9 assists per game, placing third, currently, in the league. Philoxy ranks 30th in the nation with her total assists, while sitting 41st 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 (1,654), passing Kate Mills (1,525; 2004-08), while Philoxy is now 10th in career points (1,417) 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 16th on the list with 1,159 points, passing Tez Kraft (1,144; 1994-99).
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 (1,610). The graduate student has also collected 961 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 908 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 601, 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 129 contests, so far, passing Hailey Leidel (123; 2016-20) and on the career steals list, ranking sixth with 188, 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 112-83.
Double Figures Reached
Sam Breen recorded 13 double figures contests, while Sydney Taylor had 10-plus point games for the 11th time this season, including Taylor scoring 20-plus points in four consectuive games. Destiney Philoxy has 11 games in double digits, while Ber'Nyah Mayo also reached double figures in 10 of the 15 contests this season. Makennah White has six double figure games and Angelique Ngalakulondi has four on the year.
Next Up
Massachusetts returns to the Mullins Center on Saturday, Jan. 14, to take on Saint Joseph's at 2 p.m. on NESN+/ESPN+.
