Dec. 30, 2005

ATLANTA, Ga. - Sophomore Pam Rosanio (Southampton, Pa.), junior Tamara Tatham (Brampton, Ontario) and sophomore Kate Mills (Elkton, Md.) each scored double-figures to lead the Massachusetts women's basketball team (3-7) to a 70-60 win over Brown (3-6) in the first round of the Atlanta Marriott Northwest Holiday Invitational. The win snaps UMass' four-game losing streak and sets up a meeting with host-school Georgia Tech (10-1) in the championship game Saturday at 1:30 PM.

UMass came out on fire and took an 8-0 lead 2:57 into the start of the game. A three-pointer by Sharpton forced Brown to call a timeout. After Brown scored six straight points to get within two points at 8-6, the Minutewomen reeled off 12 of the next 15 points to take a 20-9 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half. The Bears came right back, however, with three-pointers on consecutive possessions to cut the UMass lead back down to five.

UMass led by as many as 15 points in the first half and took a 39-27 lead at the break. The 39 points for the Minutewomen marked their highest-scoring half of the season while the 12-point halftime lead was their largest of any game. UMass shot 47 percent (14-30) in the first half while holding Brown to a 30 percent (9-30) clip from the field. UMass held a 21-15 edge on the glass and committed 10 turnovers. The Bears had nine turnovers and UMass held a 20-6 lead in points in the paint.

A three-pointer by Rosanio three minutes into the start of the second half gave UMass its largest lead of the game at 16 points, 46-30, but Brown answered with an 8-2 run to cut UMass' lead to 10 points at 48-38. Brown then cut the UMass lead down to eight points at 54-46 with 9:34 left and forced the Minutewomen to call timeout..

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UMass scored five quick points to go back up by 13, but Brown came right back again with two straight baskets to cut its deficit back down to nine at 61-52. The two teams traded baskets for the next couple of minutes and UMass held an 11-point lead of 67-56 with just under four minutes left in regulation. The Bears then got the lead down to nine and after a shot clock violation on the Minutewomen. Brown had the ball and a chance to get within six or seven points for the first time since the first half. The Bears got one free throw out of it and UMass had the ball up 67-59 with three minutes left. McDonald went 1-for-2 from the free throw line to keep it a three possession game for the Bears.

UMass came up empty on its next three possessions, but Brown was only able to trim one point off the lead with a free throw. Brown had the ball down 68-60 with 1:19 left in regulation. The Bears failed to score and UMass worked on running out the clock. The Minutewomen held the Bears scoreless for the final minute and held on for the win.

UMass finished the game shooting 48 percent (25-52) from the field while Brown shot 39 percent (22-57). UMass out-rebounded the Bears, 34-29, but had 20 turnovers. The Minutewomen also dominated in the paint, 36-18. Mills led the Minutewomen with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting as well as five boards. Rosanio and Tamara Tatham finished with 16 points apiece. Tatham grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Redshirt senior Ashley Sharpton (Conyers, Ga.) scored six points playing in front of several family and friends.

Colleen Kelly led Brown with 18 points.

Massachusetts will now face host-school Georgia Tech in the championship game of the Atlanta Marriott Northwest Holiday Invitational tomorrow at 1:30 PM. The game can be heard live on WMUA (91.1 FM in Amherst) and online at www.umassathletics.com.