The Massachusetts women’s basketball team captured its 10th win of the season, topping VCU 54-49 on Saturday afternoon. After sixty minutes of swapping baskets, the Minutewomen (10-10, 5-4 Atlantic 10) pulled away in the fourth quarter, gaining a win over the Rams (10-11, 4-5 A-10) for the first time since an 83-57 victory on January 26, 2023.
“I’m proud of the win. Wins are hard to come by,” head coach Mike Leflar said. “I knew the game against VCU, because it always is, would be a bit of a grind.”
After almost two years of losing to VCU, UMass was ahead in the fourth quarter and ran with it.
With just over eight minutes left to play, two points separated the Minutewomen from the Rams. The trio of freshman Yahmani McKayle and veterans Stefanie Kulesza and Megan Olbrys scored a collective 11 points in the final stretch of the fourth quarter, lifting UMass to victory.
Olbrys started the motion for the Minutewomen, widening the gap 45-41 UMass after a made layup past the Ram’s defense. Kulesza followed, tossing up two following a VCU turnover. A 3-pointer from McKayle with 5:02 to go put the Minutewomen at a comfortable seven-point lead.
Following a series of traded baskets, the Rams pulled within three points after a UMass turnover allowed Mary-Anna Asare to capitalize with a driving layup. As the clock wound down, VCU was forced to foul, allowing two additional points on the board off made free throw attempts from McKayle, cushioning the UMass win.
“We did enough in the end and ground it out,” Leflar said about the final stretch. “It was an awesome win all around.”
It was a game of runs for two squads who could be A-10 contenders.
The Minutewomen went on a 6-0 run spearheaded by 3-pointers from Allie Palmieri and Olbrys opening the third quarter but were matched by the Rams, as they took the lead following an 8-0 run. The third ended like it started, with a 5-0 scoring run from VCU over 1:22 was matched with four points over 4:59 from UMass.
UMass utilized Olbrys and Chinenye Odenigbo down below, putting up 24 points in the paint. Odenigbo, the tallest player on the floor, had six points and six rebounds.
“It’s time to keep making improvements,” Leflar said. “Getting more points in the paint and getting more easy ones is a way we can improve.”
On the defensive side of things, VCU and UMass could not have a closer game if the two schools tried. The Minutewomen snagged 25 defensive rebounds to the Ram’s 23, but VCU found the upper hand in transition, capitalizing on UMass in times of chaos, scoring seven points in the process.
Mixing it defensively up seemed to be the key for the Minutewomen, as the switch from man to man to full-court press held the Rams at a distance, limiting scoring.
Kulesza ended the day with a double-double, putting up 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Two other Minutewomen also had double-digit days. Palmieri scored 11, shooting 50 percent from the 3-point line and Olbrys scored 13 and snagged nine rebounds.
Valentina Ojeda had 17 points for VCU and Asare had 12 and five rebounds.
The Minutewoman are back at the Mullins Center on Wednesday, Jan. 29 against George Washington. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
“I really like this group,” Leflar said. “I like the way respond and their coachability … I don’t want them to put limits on what they can do because our best basketball can still be ahead of us.”
Lucy Postera can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @lucypostera.