Nov. 16, 2006

Minutewomen To Participate In The Aeropostale Seton Hall Classic

• UMass (2-0) heads right back out on the road for the first of two consecutive tournaments beginning this weekend at the Aeropostale Seton Hall Basketball Classic in South Orange, N.J.

• Host Seton Hall (1-1) and Howard (0-3) meet in the tournament's first game at 6:00 PM Friday, while UMass and Navy (0-2) play the night cap at 8:00 PM. The two losers play in the consolation game at 1:00 PM Saturday followed by the championship game at 3:00 PM.

• UMass has never played Navy before while this would potentially be just the second game ever between UMass and Howard as well as Seton Hall. The Minutewomen are 1-0 vs. Howard and 0-1 against Seton Hall all-time.

• WMUA, 91.1 FM in Amherst, will broadcast both games this weekend beginning a half-hour before tip-off. Zach Claudio and Seth Gerard will have the call. Fans around the world can listen online for free at www.umassathletics.com.

Scouting The Field

• UMass' first opponent, Navy, is 0-2 on the young season. The Midshipmen have lost on the road to Ohio (72-49) and at home against Marshall (74-47).

• Lauren Nelson and Margaret Knap are both leading the team with 8.5 ppg. Kate Hobbs has 7.5 ppg and a team-high 4.5 rpg.

• Navy is shooting 29 percent from the field, 13 percent from three-point range and 69 percent at the free throw line. The Mids have been out-rebounded 45.5-29.5, and are committing 18.0 turnovers a game.

• Seton Hall began the season by splitting a pair of games at the WBCA/Metrosports Classic in Kansas City, Mo. The Pirates lost to Kansas (64-50) but came back to down Missouri State (62-55) the next day.

• Heta Korpivaara leads the way with 20.0 ppg as well as 6.0 rpg. Monique Blake has 9.0 ppg and a team-high 7.5 rpg.

• The Pirates are shooting 36 percent from the field, 10 percent from three-point range and 67 percent at the free throw line. Seton Hall has been out-rebounded slightly, 39.0-37.0, and is committing 16.0 turnovers a game.

• Howard comes in with an 0-3 record. They have lost to Virginia Tech (97-78), LSU (88-44) and West Virginia (84-61), all at the Basketball Travelers Classic in Baton Rouge, La.

• Shannon Carlisle leads the team in scoring at 19.7 ppg and rebounding 4.7 rpg. Christina Aden is also in double-figures at 14.3 ppg.

• Howard is shooting 30 percent from the field, 35 percent from three-point range and 67 percent at the free throw line. The Lady Bison have been out-rebounded, 52.0-32.7, and are committing 19.3 turnovers a game.

UMass vs. Navy

• This will be the first women's basketball game between UMass and Navy.

UMass vs. Seton Hall

• Seton Hall has won the only meeting on the court, 66-60, on Dec. 5, 1992. It was in the championship game of Seton Hall's tournament.

UMass vs. Howard

• The only meeting ever between UMass and Howard was in the first round of the Seton Hall Tournament. UMass won that game, 70-50, on Dec. 4, 1992.

Hot Start

• After beating New Hampshire in the home opener 60-38, UMass is 2-0 for the first time since 2002-03.

• The Minutewomen are looking to go 3-0 for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

• If UMass wins two games this weekend, it would start a year 4-0 for the first time since 1988-89. That team began the year 5-0.

• Dating back to last year, UMass has won 10 of its last 13 regular season games.

Tough Defense

• UMass is off to its best defensive start since the 1997-98 season after allowing just 43.0 ppg in its first two games.

• In 1997-98, the Minutewomen allowed just 80 points (40.0 ppg) in their first two games against Wagner (72-47) and Hartford (65-33).

• So far this year, UMass has held opponents to just 26 percent from the floor and 68 percent from three-point range.

• In addition, the Minutewomen are +7.5 (43.5-36.0) on the boards.

• The 1997-98 team went 19-11 and was the last UMass squad to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

The New Back Court

• Freshman Kim Benton scored a career-high 11 points off the bench, all in the first half, while dishing out four assists in UMass' home opener against New Hampshire Nov. 14.

• Benton was 3-for-5 from three-point range and drained three consecutive trifectas during a 21-3 UMass first-half run.

• For the season, the Springfield, Pa., native is third on the team averaging 9.0 ppg and has a 1.50 assist to turnover ratio. She is shooting 55 percent (6-11) from the field and 63 percent (5-8) from three-point range.

• The starting point guard has been sophomore Sakera Young. Young has handled the pressure thus far and provided a spark for the Minutewomen.

• The Glassboro, N.J., native will be playing just 100 miles from home this weekend. Young has a 1.00 assist to turnover ratio as well as three steals.

Dacko In Non-Conference Play

• In four-plus years under Dacko, UMass has fared quite well in its non-conference schedule. The Minutewomen are 24-22 (.522) in 46 games.

• UMass has won 12 of its last 16 non-conference home games.

Mullins Magic

• After the Nov. 14 win against New Hampshire, UMass has now won seven straight games at the Mullins Center.

• In addition, the Minutewomen have won 31 of its last 49 games at home which is a .633 winning percentage.

• During this seven-game homecourt winning streak, UMass is averaging 65.1 ppg while allowing just 54.9 ppg.

• The Minutewomen are shooting 45 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and an amazing 81 percent at the free throw line.

• UMass has averaged 17.3 assists and 6.6 steals as well in this span.

• From the line, UMass has made nearly twice as many free throws (129) as its opponents have taken (72).

• Three current UMass players are averaging double-figures during this run led by Kate Mills' 14.3 ppg. Pam Rosanio (13.5 ppg) and Tamara Tatham (11.8 ppg).

• This ties UMass' longest winning streak at home since Feb. 10, 2002 against St. Bonaventure to Jan. 18, 2003, vs. the Bonnies.

• UMass' longest home winning streak prior to this was 14 from Feb. 18, 1995 against Temple to Feb. 27, 1996 vs. Rhode Island. That is also the school record.

Mills And Rosanio Pick Right Up Where They Left Off

• Juniors Kate Mills and Pam Rosanio have picked right up where they left off after All-Conference seasons in 2005-06.

• Mills recorded has begun the season with consecutive double-doubles and is averaging 17.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg and 3.0 bpg. She tallied 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in UMass' season-opening win at Vermont en route to A-10 Co-Player of the Week honors.

• Rosanio just missed her first career double-double as she added 19 points and nine rebounds against the Catamounts and is averaging 13.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 3.0 apg this season.

• Mills is shooting team-highs of 55 percent from the field and a 85 percent at the free throw line.

• The duo were each A-10 Preseason Third-Team All-Conference selections.

Closing In On 1,000

• Senior Tamara Tatham needs just 190 more points to become the 15th player in UMass history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. Tatham has 810 career points in her first three seasons, an average of 9.5 points per game.

• Tatham currently ranks 23rd in UMass history with her 810 points.

• Junior Pam Rosanio is also quickly moving up the career ranks. She needs 308 more points to break 1,000 for her career. Rosanio has averaged 11.7 points per game in her career and tallied 315 and 350 points in her first two years, respectively.

• Rosanio ranks 28th in UMass history with her 692 career points.

Block Party

• Both Tatham and Mills are quickly moving up the career blocks chart.

• Mills is currently seventh all-time at UMass with 68 blocked shots (1.09/game) while Tatham ranks 10th with 54.

• Mills has swatted three shots in each game this season.

Snapping The Road Streak

• UMass' 60-48 win at Vermont Nov. 10 was the first season-opening road win in its last 10 games.

• The last UMass win on the road to begin a season was also against Vermont, a 60-52 victory on Nov. 26, 1988.