The Massachusetts women’s basketball team defeated Central Connecticut State 66-60 on the backs of fresh faces Yahmani McKayle and Megan Olbrys. The pair accounted for just under half of the Minutewomen’s (1-2) points.

McKayle led all scorers in the contest with a 21-point performance. The freshman claimed the starting point guard spot immediately after arriving on campus. On Sunday, she led the way and was the driving force behind UMass’ first victory of the young season.

“I really think coming here, my teammates really showed me that they could trust me, I could trust them,” McKayle said. “Again, that connection that we built over time, it just leveled out to the game like we do every day in practice.”

The 5-foot-6 guard displayed quite a diverse scoring portfolio against the Blue Devils (0-3). Even after a slow shooting start, the confident McKayle refused to stop firing. In the middle of the first quarter, the freshman cashed in a wide-open three from the corner to open her account for the afternoon.

With the clock winding down towards the conclusion of the first half, McKayle caught the ball at the top of the key and drew the CCSU defender in. A quick first step allowed her to drive towards the rim and make a tough layup, with the attached benefit of an and-one.

When the Minutewomen needed a bucket to slam the door shut, McKayle was once again up for the job. With four seconds on the shot clock, she utilized a perfectly executed snatch-back dribble and drilled a dagger mid-range jumper to settle the game for good.

Along with her scoring prowess, McKayle added seven assists to her stat line. Her shooting and speed forced the Blue Devils to pay her extra attention, allowing for pocket passes leading to simple layups inside the paint. She left the hardwood just once, playing a team-high 37 minutes.

On top of McKayle’s offensive contributions, she amassed a whopping four steals. In the fourth quarter, she jumped a passing lane and collected the ensuing loose ball, then finished off the play with a scoop layup.

“[McKayle had] just a really nice… overall floor game, seven assists and [hit] a couple big shots for us,” head coach Mike Leflar said.

Inside the post, it was Olbrys making the gritty plays that UMass needed in the win. She finished with 15 points on over 50 percent shooting and eight rebounds. 

Olbrys opened the scoring before fans had even found their seats, floating a left-handed hook through the net seven seconds into the game. She was fairly quiet in the first half but completely took the matchup into her own hands in the third quarter.

Chinenye Odenigbo played just four minutes after earning the initial start, leaving Olbrys to fill the main post role for nearly her entire 35-minute shift. In the early goings of the third quarter, Allie Palmieri recovered a loose ball and sent a perfect pass to the 6-foot-1 forward for an easy layup. Moments later, Momo LaClair fed a precise entry pass to Olbrys’ outstretched arm for another straightforward basket.

Olbrys finished the third quarter with eight points, more than half of the team’s total in the period. Her pure domination in the post kept the Minutewomen afloat when they needed points on the board most.

“The trust and faith that [Leflar] has in me every day and the conversations we have on and off the court really makes me feel good about myself stepping on in this environment and immediately feeling at home right when I came onto campus,” Olbrys said. “Being around these girls is like a blessing every day.”

Olbrys is a native of Norwood, Massachusetts, about two hours away from UMass. She spent the first two seasons of her college career at Villanova before transferring for her junior season.

“Being able to be close to home, definitely having a lot of support, especially from my family around me and friends, I think it definitely really helps me on the court,” Olbrys said.

The Minutewomen will continue their five-game homestand by facing Monmouth on Friday, Nov. 15. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the matchup will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Cameron Pellegrino can be reached at [email protected].