University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
26-6,14-2Atlantic 10
Saint Louis
17-17,10-6Atlantic 10
Massachusetts Falls In Overtime Of The Atlantic-10 Championship Game To Saint Louis 91-85
March 05, 2023 | Women's Basketball
WILMINGTON, Del. – Sydney Taylor hit a game-tying three at the buzzer to send the game to overtime but the No. 1 seeded University of Massachusetts women's basketball team was defeated by No. 3 seeded Saint Louis 91-85 in the A-10 Championship game on Sunday afternoon at the CHASE Fieldhouse.
The Minutewomen erased an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime. The game ended up being the highest scoring championship game in A-10 tournament history and it was the third time the championship game went to overtime.
Taylor finished with a team-high 18 points. Sam Breen had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Angelique Ngalakulondi had 15 points and Ber'Nyah Mayo added 14 points.
Mayo was named to the All-Tournament team following the game.
Massachusetts will now await postseason selections on Sunday, March 12 for the NCAA Tournament (8 p.m. ET) and the WNIT (later that evening).
How It Happened
Massachusetts shot five-for-five from the field to open the game and built a 12-7 lead before the Billikens tied it at 15-15. A Taylor steal and layup then tied things at 19-19 to end the first quarter.
Taylor opened the second quarter with back-to-back threes as the back-and-forth play continued. Trailing by two points with 4.4 seconds left in the half, Breen inbounded the ball to Taylor, who fired a no look pass to Makennah White under the basket where she hit the layup and beat the clock to tie the game at 37-37.
Saint Louis pulled ahead 54-49 with four minutes left in the third quarter. Philoxy then found Mayo for a fast break layup to make it a 54-51 Saint Louis lead. The Billikens then lead 59-56 at the end of the third quarter.
Trailing 64-56 in the fourth, Breen finished off a fastbreak to make it 64-58 and then hit another layup after a Mayo pass to make it 64-60. After the teams traded baskets, Mayo went to work on the offensive glass and pulled the Minutewomen back within four at 68-64. Ngalakulondi then had a second-chance put back to make it 68-66 with 3:15 left.
Breen knocked down a three with 2:15 left to give UMass the 69-68 lead but Saint Louis ended up pulling ahead 74-71 on a pair of free throws with time winding down.
Taylor was then fouled on her game-tying three attempt and made two of three from the line with 10 seconds left in regulation. Another two Saint Louis free throws pushed the lead back to three, paving the way for Taylor's deep three with time expiring.
But in overtime after UMass grabbed a 79-77 lead, Saint Louis rallied for the eventual 91-85 win, which marked the first championship for the Billikens.
