University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Fordham
Women's Basketball Hosts Fordham For Wednesday Night Tilt
February 07, 2023 | Women's Basketball
The Minutewomen and Rams square off at 7 p.m. on NESN+/ESPN+
| University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 24 | Massachusetts (19-4, 9-1 A-10) vs. Fordham (16-8, 8-3 A-10) |
| Date // Time | Wednesday, Feb.8 // 7 p.m. |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. // Mullins Center |
| Watch | NESN+/ESPN+ |
| Stream | ESPN+ |
| Live Statistics | LiveStats |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts | Fordham |
| 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 19-4 overall record, including 9-1 in the A-10, after earning its eighth straight with a 66-52 road win over La Salle last Saturday.
Three Minutewomen recorded double-doubles, with Sydney Taylor leading recording the first of her career with 26 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Angelique Ngalakulondi followed with 11 points and tallied 10 boards, while Sam Breen put up 10 points and grabbed a game best 15 rebounds.
All-Time Series vs. Fordham
The Minutewomen and the Rams will meet for the 49th time in program history, with UMass holding a 26-22 advanatge in the all-time series. The two teams first met on Feb. 29, 1980 at the EAIAW Tournament, when Fordham knocked off Massachusetts, 81-63. UMass and Fordham met earlier this season on Jan. 18, as the Minutewomen earned its first road win against the Rams since Jan. 10, 2009, with a 66-57 victory.
Seeing Double (And Triple) Double
Sam Breen - 53 Double-Doubles* | 1 Triple-Double (* total includes at Penn State)
2022-23: 13 | 1 (Triple-Double)
2021-22: 17
2020-21: 15
2019-20: 8
2022-23: 3
2021-22: 5
Destiney Philoxy - 4
2022-23: 1
2021-22: 2
2020-21: 1
Makennah White - 4
2022-23: 2
2021-22: 1
2020-21: 1
Ber'Nyah Mayo - 2
2021-22: 2
Laila Fair - 1
2021-22: 1* (* at Saint Joseph's)
Sydney Taylor - 1
2022-23: 1
Statistically Speaking
The Minutewomen currently sit in first the Atlantic 10 conference in scoring offensively, averaging 75.3 points per game (1,731 pts). The team is first with a 13.5 scoring margin. The team ranks 39th in the nation with its scoring offense.
UMass ranks third in combined team rebounds (40.8 rpg), tallying 13.6 offensive rebounds per game (T-3rd; 312 total). The Minutewomen are second with a 6.0 rebounding margin.
Sam Breen is tied for fourth in the conference in scoring with 17.4 ppg (401 pts), and is tied for first in rebounds with 10.2 per game (235 total). In the nation, she is 16th in rebounds and tied for 11th with 13 double-doubles this season. She is also tied for third with one triple-double.
Sydney Taylor sits sixth in scoring (16.8 ppg, 369 pts) in the A-10 and is first with 3.2 3FGs per game. Taylor is sixth in the nation with her 3FGs per game and tied for ninth with her three-pointers made (70 total).
Angelique Ngalakulondi averaged 3.2 offensive rebounds per game (70 total), so far, this season, to sit fifth in the A-10. Ber'Nyah Mayo sits in third in the league with 2.8 steals per game (65 total). Mayo is tied for 20th in the nation with her swipes per game and tied for 16th in total steals.
Destiney Philoxy continues to aid her teammates, dishing out 111 dimes, averaging 4.8 assists per game, placing fourth, currently, in the league. Philoxy tied for 35th in the nation with her total assists, while sitting tied for 39th 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 (1,786), passing Melissa Gurile (1,679; 1992-96), while Philoxy is now ninth in career points (1,478) in program history, passing Pam Rosanio on the list (1,466; 2004-08). 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 13th on the list with 1,302 points, passing Jasmine Watson (1,291; 2009-13).
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 (1,742). The graduate student has also collected 1,044 total career rebounds, so far, to place second in all-time career records, passing Rashida Timbilla (1020; 2012-16) on the list. She collected her 1,000th career board at Dayton (1/22). With the Minutewomen, Breen has totaled 991 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 639, 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 137 contests, so far, passing Hailey Leidel (123; 2016-20) and on the career steals list, ranking fourth with 197, 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 fifth with 193 and Breen is tied for ninth with 176.
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 120-83.
Double Figures Reached
Sam Breen recorded 20 double figures contests, while Sydney Taylor had 10-plus point games for the 19th time this season, including Taylor scoring 20-plus points in four consecutive games and one 30-point contest. Ber'Nyah Mayo has 15 games in double digits, while Destiney Philoxy reached double figures in 13 of the 22 contests this season. Makennah White has nine double figure games and Angelique Ngalakulondi has six on the year.
Next Up
Massachusetts hits the road for a matchup against George Mason on Sunday, Feb. 12 in Fairfax, Virginia. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m. on ESPN+.
