RHODE ISLAND vs. MASSACHUSETTS
Rhode Island travels to UMass for its final away game of the season on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Mullins Center. URI is 30-38 in the all-time series vs. the Minutewomen, having dropped six of the last seven contests between the teams. Rhody's last win over UMass was a 58-57 victory on Jan. 9, 2010. When URI faced UMass earlier this season (Jan. 11 at the Ryan Center), the Rams led by as many as nine points until letting the lead slip away in the final minutes of play. Ashley Rivera scored a team-high nine points and Sherrie Session recorded a game-best nine rebounds as Rhody fell by a score of 46-39.
SCOUTING THE MINUTEWOMEN
UMass - which is 7-20 overall and 2-10 in the Atlantic 10 - enters the contest looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since late December as it defeated George Washington, 56-53, on Sunday afternoon. Prior to that, the Minutewomen had dropped nine straight dating back to their Jan. 11 win at URI. Massachusetts is led offensively by Shakia Robinson and Jasmine Watson who are averaging 12.1 and 11.9 points per game, respectively. Watson (7.6rpg) and Robinson (5.9rpg) are also the team's top rebounders while Carolann Cloutier has dished out a team-best 121 assists. Collectively, UMass is shooting 39.2% (581-1481) from the field while averaging 35.9 rebounds per game.
CATHY INGLESE vs. MASSACHUSETTS
Over her 24+ years as a head coach, Cathy Inglese has compiled an 8-9 record against UMass, going 2-3 at Vermont, 5-2 at Boston College and 1-4 at Rhode Island.
LAST TIME OUT: RHODY DOWNED BY TEMPLE, 84-41
- With the loss, Rhode Island drops to 1-26 overall and 0-12 in the Atlantic 10. URI also falls to 16-34 in the all-time series vs. Temple, which improves to 18-8 (11-1).
- Rhode Island shot 39.5% on the afternoon, hitting 15-of-38 attempts from the field while Temple connected at a 48.5% clip (33-68).
- The Rams committed a season-high 30 turnovers which led directly to 37 of the Owls' 84 points. Temple also recorded a program-high 27 steals while committing a season-low five turnovers and out-rebounding Rhode Island, 35-27.
- Rhode Island, which had struggled in the early going over the last five games, led by a score of 7-6 after the first five minutes of action but Temple used a 32-8 run over the next 10 minutes to move in front, 38-15. The Owls took a 45-21 lead into the break.
- Cloutier led URI with 11 points. Session also scored in double figures as she finished with 10.
- Temple's Shey Peddy led all players with 22 points and a career-high 10 steals. Peddy's 10 steals also matched Temple's all-time single-game high. Kristen McCarthy also scored in double figures (16) while Victoria Macaulay posted a game-best three blocks and eight rebounds. Brittany Lewis also came off the bench to grab eight boards.
