The Massachusetts women’s basketball team will return to the historic Curry Hicks Cage, the former court of UMass legend Julius Erving, for “Rage in the Cage II.” The Minutewomen will play host to Vermont, which is coming off back-to-back wins, at 7 p.m. tonight.
At last year’s Rage in the Cage, the Minutewomen pulled off an upset over Villanova, 55-50. The Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight and were the only squad to beat Connecticut, snapping its 70-game winning streak.
“I am concerned with the lack of publicity. I don’t know how many people really know we are playing in the Cage tonight,” UMass coach Marnie Dacko responded. “Sports Management is doing something. The lack of no other word, I’m surprised I don’t see more advertising.”
The young Minutewomen (1-4) have struggled early, but two newcomers have stepped up and are far from inexperienced.
Edris Bailey and Brooke Campbell came to Amherst via junior college and have provided the Maroon and White offense with a presence in the post. Bailey took only 20 minutes to score 21 points in the team’s home opener against Holy Cross. Campbell has recorded a double-double in three consecutive games. The junior post tandem will have its first real test in the paint this season against the high-powered Catamount offense. UVM has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons and will look to continue the streak under new head coach Sharon Dawley.
“I think [Campbell and Bailey] have to step up. When you look at our size, it’s got to be bigger people that have got to step up,” Dacko said. “We also have to apply some pressure on their guards and not give them a chance to pick us apart. They’ve been playing zone and we have to come out being able to hit the perimeter jumpers.”
A year ago, the Minutewomen edged UVM in the final minutes for a 53-48 victory. Down the stretch in that game, Dacko had two of her seniors, guard Ebony Pegues and center Jen Butler, score nine unanswered points in the final three minutes.
Campbell, Bailey and freshman center Tamara Tatham are the keys in replacing Butler’s and Nekole Smith’s defensive play in the post to keep the game close against a powerful Vermont frontline.
The Catamounts’ roster features three low-post scoring threats, led by senior Aaron Yantzi. The six-foot forward has four straight double-doubles while posting season averages of 19 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game. Yantzi is fresh off a 27 point, 12 rebound performance against Colgate, which earned her Co-America East Women’s Player of the Week honors.
If Yantzi starts to struggle, junior forward Lani Boardman is just as deadly on the block and has scored only one fewer point than Yantzi this season. Boardman is an inside-outside scorer (18.8 ppg) creating difficult matchups combining her size and her three-point ability, making 39 percent of her attempts from behind the arc.
“Yantzi and Boardman are on a seasoned team averaging close to 75 points a game and they just scored 85 on Colgate Monday,” Dacko said. “I’ve watched the game [tape] and we have to come aggressively. We have to try to control the boards and force them to make some mistakes. They’re an excellent team at this point in time.”
To complete the triple threat, sophomore Kate McNamara provides 15 ppg to take more pressure off the two primary scorers. The scoring trio combined averages 52.8 ppg, while the entire UMass team is averaging 52 points.
“Right now, Vermont is looking like the best team that we will play this year,” Dacko said. “They are giving up a lot points too though, so this will be a real test for us.”
