University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Basketball Notes For The Arkansas-Little Rock And Memphis Games
December 05, 2001 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2001
AMHERST, Mass. -
MATCHUP WITH ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK...
The contest between the Minutewomen and the Trojans marks the first meeting between the two teams. The Minutewomen are coming off a 69-51, loss to the University of Vermont on Sunday, Dec. 2. Arkansas-Little Rock defeated Mississippi Valley State University, 67-39, on Dec. 3.
THE SERIES...
Tonight marks the first meeting between Arkansas-Little Rock and Massachusetts.
SCOUTING REPORT...
The Trojans return two starters from a team that finished 6-22 overall and 0-16 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans return only one senior, but have six letter winners back on the court this season. Three of the five freshman are expected to compete for a spot in the starting lineup. Sophomore Roberta Sarti started 25 of 28 games last season and averaged 8.6 points per game. Senior Shemeka Strong averaged 4.5 points per game last season for the trojans.
Thus far, the Trojans have gone 2-5 on season, defeating UTPA (71-52) and Mississippi Valley State University (67-39), while losing to Montana (57-77), Southwest Texas (42-71), High Point (77-58), Ole Miss (57-101) and Tulsa (50-77). Freshman guard Darci Cassidy leads all Trojan scorers with 11.6 points per game, while sophomore forward Alicia Cash has chipped in an average of 10 points per game.
MATCHUP WITH MEMPHIS...
The contest between the Minutewomen and the Lady Tigers marks the first meeting between the two teams. The Minutewomen are coming off a 69-51 loss to Vermont on Sunday, Dec. 2. The Lady Tigers are coming off a 85-48 loss to Arkansas-Fayetteville on Dec. 2.
THE SERIES...
Tonight marks the first meeting between Memphis and Massachusetts.
SCOUTING REPORT...
The Lady Tigers return two starters from a team that went 17-13 overall and 9-7 in Conference USA last season. Top returners include junior center Shannon Hamp who averaged 10.2 points last season and senior forward Melissa Abraham who chipped in 5.1 points per game in 2001.
Thus far, the Lady Tigers have gone 3-4 on the season, recording victories over Maryland Eastern Shore (84-58), UMKC (71-43), and Kentucky (63-55). The losses this season came versus Nevada (65-82), North Texas (70-75), Mississippi State (95-73) and Arkansas-Fayetteville (85-48). Shannon Hamp leads all scorers with 16.2 points per game, while sophomore Princess Swilley has averaged 10.2 points per game this season. Swilly was an All-Conference USA freshman team selection and leads the team in minutes.
A LOOK BACK AT VERMONT...
The University of Vermont defeated the University of Massachusetts, 69-51, at Patrick Gymnasium on Sunday, Dec. 2. Senior Libby Smith scored 18 points in the victory, including 15 points in the first half to improve the Catamounts to 5-1 on the season. The Minutewomen came within four points with six minutes remaining in the first half, but three consecutive three-pointers by Smith, left UMass trailing by nine going into halftime. Junior Ebony Pegues (Columbus, Ohio) finished the half with nine points in her first start for the Minutewomen this season. The Catamounts picked up right were they left off, extending their lead to as many as 15 in the first five minutes of the second half. Junior Nekole Smith (Ann Arbor, Mich.) kept the Minutewomen in contention with nine points in the second half for a total of 15 points in the game. Pegues finished with 13 points in 22 minutes of play, while junior Paige Harris (Rochester, Mich.) chipped in seven points for the Minutewomen.
THE PRESEASON POLLS...
The University of Massachusetts women's basketball program was predicted to finish third this season in the Atlantic 10 East Division, behind Temple and St. Joseph's. With the addition of Richmond this year, the A-10 has reverted back to a divisional format. Fordham, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, St. Joseph's and Temple comprise the A-10 East, while Dayton, Duquesne, George Washington, La Salle, Richmond and Xavier make up the A-10 West. Temple took first place for the East with 11 votes, returning five starters from a team that went 19-11 overall last season. George Washington claimed the top spot in the West division with 11 first place votes. The Colonials return four starters from a team that finished 22-10 last season.
BUTLER GARNERS PRESEASON ALL-ATLANTIC 10 HONORS...
For the second year in a row, Jennifer Butler was selected to the Preseason Atlantic 10 All-Conference team. Butler earned second team honors as well as All-Defensive team accolades in a preseason poll conducted by A-10 officials and coaches. Butler averaged 12.7 points per game last season and pulled down an average of 9.6 rebounds each game. She lead the Atlantic 10 in offensive rebounds with 120 last season.
O'BRIEN IS TWO AWAY...
Head coach Joanie O'Brien is in her 11th season at the helm of the UMass women's basketball program. She is currently the winningest coach in UMass women's basketball history with 148 career victories, just two shy of the 150 mark. The 1994-1995 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year has brought the Minutewomen to new heights durning her tenure. O'Brien has led UMass to its only two NCAA appearances (1996 & 1998) and recorded the program's first 20-win season. In 10 seasons, O'Brien has compiled a 148-145 (.510) record.
BACK IN ACTION...
Junior forward Nekole Smith is back in the line up for the Maroon & White after sitting out the entire 2000-2001 season with a knee injury. In 16 minutes of play against the NWBL USA-Elite, Smith shot 7-for-13 from the field for 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds. The 6-2 center from Ann Arbor, Mich., finished second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 9.0 points and 5.9 boards per game as a sophomore. Her offensive presence in exhibition play is a good indicator that she is back to her former self. In the season-opener against Holy Cross on Friday night, Smith played 14 minutes and scored two points and pulled down three rebounds. On Sunday's victory over Clemson, Smith recorded a team-high 11 points to help the Minutewomen notch their first victory of the season.
FRESHMAN SHARP SHOOTER...
In her exhibition debut for the Minutewomen, freshman point guard Katie Nelson was perfect on four attempts from three-point range and 5-for-7 from the field for 14 points against NWBL USA. The sharp shooter from Ellicott City, Md., averaged 13 points, four assists, and 3.5 steals per game as a senior at the McDonogh School last season. In the games against Rice and St. Peter's, Nelson has averaged 10 points per contest, including 7-for-9 (.778) shooting from the free throw line, and was on the floor for an average of 41 minutes for the Minutewomen. Nelson scored 10 points, including two free throws with 15 seconds remaining in the game to lead the Minutewomen to their first victory of the season in a win over Clemson on Nov. 25.
TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY?
Freshman guard Cindy Gonzalez will sit out the first half of the 2001-2002 season after tearing her anterior crucial ligament in an all-star game last March. The 5-8 off guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., will learn from the sidelines during the first half of the season. It will be decided in January whether Gonzalez will play the conference portion of the schedule or opt to medical redshirt for the remainder of the 2001-2002 campaign.
GO TO GIRL...
In terms of returning players, junior Amber Sneed ranked second in almost all statistical catergories last season, including second in points (8.9), rebounds (5.3), minutes (866), assists (44), turnovers (80) and steals (31). Thus far, Sneed ranks second in scoring (10 ppg) and rebounding (6 rpg).
UP NEXT...
New Hampshire * Dec. 13, 2001 * 7:00 p.m. * The Mullins Center
The matchup between Massachusetts and New Hampshire marks the 31st time the two teams have met, with the Minutewomen leading the all-time series 17-13. The Minutewomen are 12-3 versus the Lady Wildcats on the campus of UMass.