After being outscored in the first half 28-23, it looked as if the Massachusetts women’s basketball team was going to drop a seemingly winnable game against winless Boston University Saturday night.
Then the third quarter happened.
A 30-7 scoring advantage in the third quarter led UMass (4-6) to an easy 73-56 win over the Terries at Mullins Center.
Minutewomen coach Sharon Dawley opted for a clear black-and-white approach in the locker room in her halftime speech to the team.
“We just talked about our strengths and how we needed to go back to those strengths,” Dawley said. “One thing was our triangle offense and how we wanted to go back to that and also being more physical on the boards. I think we did a good job adjusting and doing those things in the second half and it showed on the scoreboard.”
The loss for BU (0-10) marks the 10th straight for the Terriers, all of which have been by double digits.
Dawley stressed that their opponents’ struggles did not affect UMass’ preparation going into the game.
“I think those teams are honestly the most dangerous,” Dawley said. “They are going out there with nothing to lose, so you have to make sure you’re ready for that. (BU) has been playing good basketball; it just hasn’tresulted in wins. I think their sense of urgency was clear in the first half.”
The Minutewomen saw a very balanced offensive attack throughout the night with four players scoring in double figures. Sophomore guard Cierra Dillard led the way with 20 points, while also chipping in four rebounds, steals, and assists. Alyssa Lawrence and Bria Stallworth both chipped in 13 points on the day, while forward Rashida Timbilla added 12 points.
Saturday’s game marked the third time this season UMass has scored at least 70 points, all three of which resulted in Minutewomen victories.
Tori Melton led the Terriers with 15 points with Meghan Green adding 13 points of her own. They also received a strong game out of Corrine Williams who had nine points and five rebounds.
UMass held an advantage in rebounds outpacing BU 39-34. Lawrence, Timbilla, and Maggie Mulligan all led the way for the Minutewomen with seven rebounds.
“Getting them to go one-and-done on possessions was key in the second half. It not only helped us contain their offense, but it also spearheaded our fast break and that’s where our players are at their best,” Dawley said.
Next up on UMass’ schedule is a home game against Hartford Tuesday. The last time the two teams faced off was during the 2013-14 season where the Minutewomen came away with a close 63-59 win.
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Mullins Center.
Adam Aucoin can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @aaucoin34.
