Freshman Ber’Nyah Mayo and junior Destiney Philoxy combined for 37 points and 10 assists as the Massachusetts women’s basketball team took down the University of Rhode Island Tuesday night. URI (0-3) had just 11 assists in the loss and were forced into seven turnovers by the pairing of Philoxy and Mayo.
“They’re our catalysts,” UMass head coach Tory Verdi said of the backcourt duo. “They make us go, and they did a really good job of it here today – collapsing the defense, driving and kicking, and making things happen for us.”
The two were able to command a presence as playmakers, as they consistently drew contact in the paint and finished at the rim or dished to open teammates. Mayo opened the game with a steal that led to an and-one opportunity at the other end, while a more scoring-oriented than normal Philoxy converted three and-ones of her own.
“I’m a facilitator – I pass first and score second,” Philoxy said of her playmaking philosophy. “But today, I decided to switch it around… my defender wasn’t a good defender, so I just attacked her, and if anybody helped, I kicked it out to my teammates.”
With forward Sam Breen only garnering 11 points, the rest of the front court unable to contain URI’s Emmanuelle Tahane (game-high 22 points), and a lack of guard depth without sharpshooter Madison Lowery, the Minutewomen (3-1) were extremely reliant on their dynamic duo in the backcourt. And that duo, especially an unproven Mayo up to this point, showed they have the ability to take over games for the rest of the season.
“Her ability to facilitate and run our offense and knock down shots for us was big,” Verdi said of Mayo’s play. “She looked confident out there, and when she got the shots, she took them and knocked them down for us.”
While both have the ability to create for themselves at the rim, the freshman facilitator seems to be a bit more polished as a three-level isolation scorer. Philoxy, on the other hand, is a more experienced passer and defender than her younger counterpart while also being more willing to lay her body on the line. These are all attributes that Mayo can learn from the versatile veteran over the next two years as the two continue to form a bond as teammates.
“She knows how to lead,” Philoxy said of Mayo. “I got to know her strengths and her weaknesses, so she tries to set me up in a good way and [vice versa]. I used to be a point guard last year, so I’m just putting her on to my skills and what I’ve learned from being a point guard, and she just soaked it all in and became who she is today.”
The Minutewomen and their potent backcourt have a quick turnaround as they head to the University of New Hampshire to take on the Wildcats Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Freeman Alfano can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @freemanalfano.
