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UMass women end NCAA drought, win A-10 title over Dayton

Posted March 06, 2022 6:00 am

The Associated Press

Massachusetts' Sam Breen shoots the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball championship game against Dayton in the A10 Conference Tournament, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola) The Associated Press

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Player of the Year Sam Breen scored 19 points and UMass defeated Dayton 62-56 in the championship game of the Atlantic-10 Conference tournament on Sunday to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in two decades.

Breen's 3-pointer 65 seconds into the game wiped out Dayton's only lead and started the third-seeded Minutewomen (26-6) to their first A-10 tournament title. When UMass made it to the 1996 and 1998 NCAA Tournaments it was with an at-large bid.

'œWe preach win the day, and what does that mean?" UMass coach Tory Verdi said, "That means come to practice, be prepared, do the best they can each and every single day. We won the day and now we won the A-10 championship.'ť

Ber'Nyah Mayo made four free throws in the last minute to seal the win and finished with 14 points for UMass (26-6). Makennah White and Sydney White both added 10 points.

'œOur who goal was to build and bring in good kids to the program in order to sustain success,'ť Verdi, in his sixth year, said. 'œAnd so from where we were to where we are now, it's unbelievable. ... We finally will get the level of respect that we deserve.'ť

Makira Cook had 18 points for top-seeded the Flyers (25-5), who have seven NCAA appearances, the last in 2018, although they won the A-10 tourney in 2020. Erin Whalen added 13 points. Dayton is considered a bubble team to make the NCAA tournament.

Five players scored in a 10-0 first-quarter run to put UMass in control and with the last seven points of the half it was 37-28 at the break. The lead reached 52-37 late in the third quarter and the Minutewomen took a 52-39 lead into the fourth.

Then it was hold on time.

UMass was just 3 of 10 shooting, missing all five 3-point attempts, and had eight of its 12 turnovers in the fourth quarter. Down 12 after a Mayo layup with four minutes to go - the last field goal for UMass - Dayton charged back. Cook and Whalen hit 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 58-54 with a minute remaining.

Mayo then came through with the key free throws.

UMass lost in the title game last year as a seven-seed, falling by a dozen to fifth-seeded VCU.

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More AP women's college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Massachusetts' Makennah White, center, shoots the ball with Dayton's Tenin Magassa, left, defending during the first half of an NCAA college basketball championship game in the A10 Conference Tournament, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola) The Associated Press

Massachusetts' Ber'Nyah Mayo, left, drives to the basket against Dayton's Erin Whalen during the first half of an NCAA college basketball championship game in the A10 Conference Tournament, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola) The Associated Press

Massachusetts' Sam Breen, right, battles with Dayton's Kyla Whitehead, center, for the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball championship game in the A10 Conference Tournament, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola) The Associated Press

Massachusetts head coach Troy Verdi, center right, huddles with his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball championship game against Dayton in the A10 Conference Tournament, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola) The Associated Press

Dayton head coach Shauna Greene directs her team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball championship game against Massachusetts in the A10 Conference Tournament, Sunday, March 6, 2022, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola) The Associated Press

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