Jan. 5, 2007

GAME INFO:
Massachusetts (10-4) at Yale (6-7)
Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007- 4:30 p.m.
John J. Lee Amphitheater-New Haven, Conn.

TV: None
Radio/Internet: WYBC (1340 AM), wybc.com: Anthony Brooks; WMUA (91.1 FM, Amherst), umassathletics.com: Marc Bertrand and Zach Claudio

TODAY'S GAME
The Bulldogs conclude non-conference play with a home matchup against Massachusetts. This game is the second half of a Yale basketball doubleheader. The men's team takes on Longwood in the first game. Yale enters the contest 6-7 and on a four-game winning streak after a 66-56 victory at Lehigh on Wednesday. UMass is 10-4 on the season after beating Holy Cross 77-46 on Wednesday night. Yale has its most non-conference wins since 2001-02 and is looking to finish .500 or better in non-conference play for the first time since going 7-6 that season. With a victory, the Bulldogs will be on a five-game winning streak for the first time since Feb. 28-Nov. 25, 1998. The last time Yale won five straight within a season was Feb. 8-22, 1997.

SERIES HISTORY
Yale and Massachusetts have met four times, with the Bulldogs holding a 3-1 edge in the series. The Bulldogs and Minutewomen haven't played since Dec. 29, 1992, a 56-54 Yale victory in the Wagner Tournament in Staten Island, N.Y. The last time the teams met at the John J. Lee Amphitheater was on Jan. 12, 1985, when the Bulldogs notched a 60-58 win. UMass's only win over Yale was a 75-56 decision on Dec. 10, 1983.

LAST TIME OUT
Melissa Colborne scored a career-high 20 points as the Bulldogs ran their winning streak to four with a 66-56 victory at Lehigh on Wednesday night. Yale made its first five shots of the game to build a 13-4 lead. Trailing 17-6, Lehigh went on a 13-2 run to force a 19-19 tie. A Chinenye Okafor basket ignited an 8-0 Yale run, but the Mountain Hawks responded with a 7-0 rally to pull within one at 29-28. An Erica Davis layup with 35 seconds left gave the Bulldogs a 31-28 halftime edge. Yale shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the field in the first half. After Lehigh took a 49-48 lead, a pair of Colborne free throws put Yale in front to stay. Her three-pointer ignited a 7-0 Yale run that effectively put the game away. The Bulldogs made all 10 free throws they attempted in the game (all in the second half), which helped Yale pull away down the stretch. Davis posted her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 boards, and Okafor added 12 points. Stephanie Marciano dished out 10 of Yale's season-high 20 assists.

BULLDOG BYTES
Yale boasts the best record in the Ivy League, and is the only school in the conference to win more than two straight games this season. Three Bulldogs average double figures in scoring, led by senior center Erica Davis. Davis, the 15th player in program history to score 1,000 points, is averaging 14.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. She leads the conference with 2.0 blocks per game. Senior forward Chinenye Okafor averages 11.7 points per game and leads the Ivy League in rebounding (9.1 rpg). Freshman guard Melissa Colborne is also averaging in double figures with 12.2 ppg. Junior point guard Stephanie Marciano is the only Bulldog to start all 13 games this season and has started the last 28 consecutive contests. She leads the team with 4.5 assists per game.

UMASS MINUTE
Massachusetts also concludes non-conference play this afternoon. The Minutewomen were selected to finish eighth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll. UMass snapped a two-game losing streak with its win over Holy Cross on Wednesday. Junior forward Kate Mills leads the Minutewomen with 15.6 points and 1.9 blocks per game. Senior forward Tamara Tatham is the team leader in rebounds (9.3 rpg), steals (2.3 spg), and assists (3.6 apg). She also ranks second on the squad with 11.9 points per game. Junior guard/forward Pam Rosanio also averages in double figures with 11.8 ppg.

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