Gritty Effort Earns Road Victory Over Dartmouth, 67-56

HANOVER, N.H. -- The Minutewomen's (4-5, 0-0 A10) gritty efforts yearned big rewards on Sunday night, overcoming Dartmouth (3-4, 0-0 IVY) in a 67-56 decision on the road.

Yahmani McKayle led all scorers with 19 points off the bench on 6-10 shooting from the field and 2-4 from behind the arc. The freshman guard added four rebounds and four assists on the night.

Megan Olbrys recorded a double-double for UMass, netting 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. The Norwood, Mass. native's efficient stretch continued on Sunday, going 4-8 shooting from the field and a perfect 5-5 from the charity stripe.

Allie Palmieri notched another double-figure scoring game, putting up 14 points in addition to three rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

Breaking Down the Action

Megan Olbrys scored the first basket of the night for UMass, finishing a setup from Aleah Sorrentino in the first minute of action.
Checking in with 6:06 left in the first quarter, Yahmani McKayle converted a three-point play in her first action of the game off an and-1 finish.
McKayle would hit the next two field goals for the Minutewomen, scoring a team-high eight points in just 4:18 of playing time.
A 7-0 run by Dartmouth would close the first quarter with UMass trailing 16-18.
Allie Palmieri opened the second period with her first three of the night to take back the lead.
The Big Green matched scores by Palmieri, Olbrys, and Sorrentino as the opposing team took a 28-23 lead with 6:32 left in the half.
Lilly Ferguson broke a Minutewomen scoring drought to cut the lead to three with 2:44 left in the quarter.
Palmieri would end the half with a five-point stretch, tying McKayle for the team-lead in scoring at the break.
Dartmouth opened the second half with a 6-2 run, extending their lead to 40-32 with 8:07 in the third quarter.
Baskets by McKayle, Chinenye Odenigbo, and Palmieri surged an 8-0 run, tying the game at 40-40.
Dartmouth's Nina Minicozzi would answer with a three, followed by a jumper by Clare Meyer to make it 45-42 heading into the final quarter of play.
The Minutewomen opened the final 10 minutes with a 7-0 run, taking the lead for the first time since early in the second quarter.
The Big Green came back within one after a pair of free throws when McKayle hit her second three of the night to take a four-point lead.
Stefanie Kulesza extended the lead to seven after hitting a three of her own with 3:54 remaining in regulation.
UMass executed to near perfection in the closing moments, finishing the game on a 14-4 run to seal a 67-56 victory on the road.

By the Numbers

16: UMass shot a perfect 16-16 from the free throw line.
38: The Minutewomen grabbed 38 rebounds, winning the board battle 38-22.
27: Massachusetts got 27 points out of the bench unit, led by McKayle's 19.
80: UMass shot 80% from the field and 2-2 from deep in the fourth quarter, out-scoring Dartmouth 25-11.
12: Olbrys grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds, securing her second double-double of the year.
60: McKayle shot 60% from the field on 10 attempts.

Up Next

The Minutewomen travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass. to play Boston College in their next game on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Tipoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassWBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard

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Team Stats

Yahmani McKayle

Allie Palmieri

Megan Olbrys

Stefanie Kulesza

Players Mentioned

Lilly Ferguson

Stefanie Kulesza

Yahmani McKayle

Chinenye Odenigbo

Megan Olbrys

Allie Palmieri

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics