The Massachusetts women’s basketball team defeated Assumption 57-38 Monday in its final test prior to the regular season’s commencement. The Minutewomen are now just one week away from their season opener, so here are some notable takeaways from the exhibition.

Forcing turnovers

UMass was quite active on the defensive side of the ball, often full court pressing and putting the Greyhounds under immense pressure. The Minutewomen were most suffocating during the first half of play.

Senior Stefanie Kulesza and freshman guard Yahmani McKayle led the defensive effort on the perimeter by denying Assumption any space to work the ball around the horn. Inside the paint, freshman Jess Ross and Lipscomb transfer Aleah Sorrentino affected shots and afforded no easy buckets to the Greyhounds.

“The pressing was good,” head coach Mike Leflar said. “It’s something we’ve really focused on in practice, especially after free throws and dead balls. A couple different presses we threw at Assumption, so I was pleased with that.”

Working the ball inside

The Minutewomen consistently looked to feed the ball into the paint at the outset of possessions. Villanova transfer Megan Olbrys was often the target of inside passes. The attention Olbrys garnered allowed her to either dish the ball back out or go up strong with a shot attempt of her own.

“We definitely want to get the ball inside to start,” Leflar said. “Assumption is obviously much smaller than us, but a very good help team. I really wanted to get the ball inside and transition a lot more and I thought we weren’t very organized in the first half.”

UMass was determined to use the high-low action throughout the game, which gave it opportunities to cycle the ball around and find high percentage looks. However, the strategy did not bear as many fruits as the Minutewomen had hoped.

“I just don’t think the ball moved quickly enough [Monday], not quite sure why,” Leflar said. “Again, it certainly moved [in practice] this week and I was pleased with that, but that will be a big focal point. We are bigger and I think there is a lot of potential to score some easy ones inside, but [we] got to start getting the ball inside in transition.”

Playing with tempo in transition

 Pushing the ball down the floor with speed after securing rebounds at the opposite end of the floor generated success for UMass. McKayle’s pace is a crucial aspect of the Minutewomen’s transition game, as she can handle the ball masterfully and doesn’t permit the opposition to set up their defense.

“[McKayle’s] done some really nice things for us at practice and really since the day she stepped on campus in the summer,” Leflar said. “She’s really vocal on the court and I am absolutely proud of what she’s been able to do and the difference she’s been able to make.”

When Assumption had time to organize themselves, the Minutewomen found some difficulty scoring the ball. They utilized offensive rebounds and earned trips to the free throw line, but open shots were hard to come by. The 3-point game was rather quiet for UMass, as it opted for the clashes inside the paint instead.

Attention to detail

Sloppy play plagued the Minutewomen, turning the ball over on multiple occasions. Defensively, several Greyhounds were left free to roam the perimeter. UMass is at its best when it works cohesively as a unit and remains sharp in its movement.

“There were some other things that I had asked for, ball screen coverages, different help responsibilities, where we really missed on,” Leflar said. “And again, I thought we took big strides at practice and then to come up empty on those, that’s where I was disappointed.”

The Minutewomen have the talent on their roster to do the little things at a high level, and oftentimes in basketball, the smallest details are the most pivotal to get right. One substandard switch or missed assignment can make all the difference in a game.

UMass will open its season away from home on Monday, Nov. 4, when it takes on Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Cameron Pellegrino can be reached at [email protected].