The Massachusetts women’s basketball team concluded its regular season with a 74-62 road win against Saint Louis (9-17, 5-9 Atlantic 10) on Saturday night.
UMass (23-6, 11-4 Atlantic 10) was sharp in all facets of its game. It was lights-out from the perimeter and started off the game shooting 7-for-12 in the first half alone before cooling off in the second, where it shot just 1-for-6.
The accurate marksmanship from range allowed the Minutewomen to push out to an early double digit lead before the Billikens came storming back on an 8-0 run to make it a one possession game after one quarter. The close game slowly turned into a runaway because of UMass’ stifling defense. Saint Louis was unable to replicate another run in the second quarter as it’s offensive production came to a screeching halt with the team going 2-for-10 from the field.
Destiney Philoxy missed all six of her shot attempts on Saturday but excelled as a distributor. She managed one point on 0-for-6 shooting from the field, along with nine assists and two rebounds. The stat line was fitting for the occasion, as Philoxy amassed 500 career assists. The one that sealed the deal came when Philoxy exploded off the dribble, attacked the gap and drew two defenders before kicking out to a wide-open Ber’Nyah Mayo in the corner. It may not have been her flashiest, but the simple drive-and-kick assist is symbolic of Philoxy’s unselfish game being UMass’ catalyst.
Another recurring trend that was no different on Saturday was Sydney Taylor’s ability to score in a variety of different ways. Whether it came from 3-pointers, pull-up jump shots or by driving to the basket, Taylor made it look effortless. She totaled 28 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal across 40 minutes of action. Mayo was UMass’ second leading scorer with 15 points – 11 of which came in the first half.
One atypical storyline in the game was Sam Breen’s shooting woes. She had 7 points on 3-for-14 shooting from the field and only 5 rebounds in 38 minutes. Because of the nature of the game, Breen was rarely called upon down the stretch as the Minutewomen cruised to victory in a game they never trailed.
Up 15 points with two minutes remaining in the game, Angelique Ngalakulondi continued to make hustle plays. After a missed free throw, Ngalakulondi fell to the ground after battling for the rebound and ripped it away from the hands of a defender.
“I love [Ngalakulondi’s] competitive spirit,” head coach Tory Verdi said. “That’s who we are and who we need to be.”
As the clock winded down and UMass had the game well in hand, there were very few smiles shared. Regular season had officially ended. Postseason had begun. And the Minutewomen were already locked in.
With the win, UMass punched its ticket into the A-10 tournament as the No. 3 seed. The Minutewomen will receive a double-bye and will face one of either No. 14 George Mason, No. 11 Saint Louis or No. 6 Fordham at Chase Fieldhouse in Delaware on Friday, with the latter team receiving a first round bye.
The win also improves UMass’ win total to 23, the number that will be cemented as the highest total ever in the history of the women’s basketball program. However, as Philoxy said earlier in the season after the team achieved the record, UMass’ work is still unfinished.
“Our goal is to make history every year, but our main goal is to win a championship,” Philoxy said. “If we make history on the way, then so be it.”
Michael Araujo can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Araujo_Michael_.
