The Massachusetts women’s basketball squad is gearing up for its final Atlantic 10 tournament run in a long history as a founding member of the conference. The Minutewomen (16-13, 11-7 A-10) are set in stone as the seventh seed, giving them a first-round bye. They will face the winner of a game between Saint Louis and St. Bonaventure. UMass’ game will be at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, at the Henrico Sports & Events Center in Henrico, Va.
Led by A-10 Rookie of the Year Yahmani McKayle, all-conference third team selection Megan Olbrys and four-year veteran presence Stefanie Kulesza, UMass is ready and poised to be a problem for whatever opponents it faces.
Looking forward to each of the two possible opponents for Thursday, the Minutewomen defeated both teams convincingly in the regular season. For starters, the favored 10 seeded Saint Louis team was no match for the Minutewomen in the regular season, in a 17-point loss at home. In that contest, the two-headed monster of Olbrys and Kulesza flat-out dominated and could not be quelled by the Billikens. Kulesza had 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Olbrys had 18 points and 11 rebounds. McKayle added 12 points as well.
Against the Bonnies, UMass won both contests this year, with the first matchup in Jan. ending 67-58, and the second one ending in an 81-54 rout in February. In the first matchup, Olbrys once again had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, with fellow post player Chinenye Odenigbo adding 12 points and seven rebounds of her own on the way to victory. In the more dominant second win, a more team-oriented win saw four players in double digits.
With favorable results against the two teams the Minutewomen will face, it’d be hard not to look ahead to a possible quarter-final matchup against George Mason. In their lone matchup this year, UMass fell by 10 points in a game where the final score didn’t dictate how close it really was. With a powerful post presence, the Minutewomen were within a possession for most of the second half, but couldn’t convert when needed. Given a second chance, UMass has a good shot.
Making a run in the tournament is very plausible if UMass plays its own game. Running through guards Kulesza and McKayle and giving opportunities down in the post have been emphasized all year by head coach Mike Leflar and have led to success. Despite being preseason No. 13 in the A-10, the Minutewomen have demonstrated resilience and competitiveness throughout the season. Their ability to dominate inside play positions them as formidable contenders in the tournament. If they maintain their strategic focus and capitalize on their strengths, the Minutewomen have a promising chance to make a deep run in their final A-10 tournament.
Game one against the Bonnies or the Billikens will be televised on Peacock at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 6.
Owen Shelffo can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @owen_shelffo
