The Massachusetts women’s basketball team flattened Saint Bonaventure 81-54 on Wednesday. UMass (13-10, 8-4 Atlantic 10) outscored the Bonnies (5-18, 1-11 A-10) 45-28 in the second half and finished the third quarter on a 15-0 run.
After a promising opening frame, the Minutewomen fell victim to a St. Bonaventure shooting extravaganza. The Bonnies were shooting 65 percent at the conclusion of the third quarter, but cooled off and failed to make a field goal in the final five minutes of the matchup. UMass initially struggled out of the halftime break, only to take matters into its own hands during the last 15 minutes.
“I challenged them at the timeout and they responded,” head coach Mike Leflar said. “They came out and the ball started going through the basket again and I just think our energy picked up. The first five minutes of the third quarter, St. Bonaventure was the more excited team and the last 15 minutes of the game, there was no doubt who was the more excited and hungrier team.”
The surging 15-0 run began when St. Bonaventure tied the game up at 53, and it never grabbed the lead for a second. Yahmani McKayle kickstarted the rally with one of her five 3-pointers of the night, while Allie Palmieri and Stefanie Kulesza both drilled shots from beyond the arc. Kasey Bretones added a driving layup that contributed to her career-high seven points. Her increased minutes came in lieu of the injured Momo LaClair.
“[Wednesday] is certainly a huge confidence builder for [Bretones], for sure,” Leflar said. “We knew [LaClair] would be out and to see [Bretones] step up and do that was awesome. Again, proud of her and without a doubt she should take a lot of confidence from her effort and performance [Wednesday night].”
Bretones was not the only player to notch a career-high in points, as Lilly Ferguson joined her in that category. Ferguson, who is usually a hustle player that works hard on the glass, shot 4-of-5 for 11 points. She also had six rebounds and two assists in her career scoring night.
“Honestly, I think it’s just a testament to the work I put in,” Ferguson said. “I think my teammates would say that I’m a hard worker and I do what I do. I think points came to me [Wednesday] because I was doing things on defense, getting charges and rebounding … I wouldn’t be able to do it without my teammates.”
The Minutewomen have now won the points in the paint battle in nine consecutive games after outscoring the Bonnies 28-8. The win also marked their sixth straight game turning the ball over less than their opponent. Giveaways were an issue earlier in the season, but the team has focused in on keeping possession.
Megan Olbrys didn’t reach 13 points for the first time in eight games, but it came as a result of a constant double-team from the defense. Olbrys dished out eight assists thanks to her unselfish play. St. Bonaventure keyed in on her each and every time the ball entered the post.
“Early on, [Olbrys] had a couple turnovers against the double and just needed to settle down,” Leflar said. “She settled in and I know she was able to find her teammates … I think it was just calming our post down, understanding the double and understanding where they’re looking. I know that [McKayle] and [Ferguson] were both beneficiaries of [Olbrys’] unselfishness.”
The Mullins Center hosted the Play4Kay Pink Game as a fundraiser for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund during the win. UMass has now swept the Bonnies in the season series and now sit squarely in fourth place in the A-10. The four-game winning streak is the longest of the 2024-25 season.
The Minutewomen are set to host Davidson next up on Saturday, Feb. 8. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
“Obviously our hard work has kind of shown itself in these past couple games,” Ferguson said. “We’re going to do the same things we always do going into the game with Davidson [Saturday].
Cameron Pellegrino can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @cam_pellegrino.
