Minutewomen Overcome VCU on the Road, 54-49

RICHMOND, Va. – The Minutewomen (10-10, 5-4 A-10) ended a two-game skid with a hard fought win on Saturday, claiming a 54-49 decision over VCU (10-11, 4-5 A-10) on the road.

Stefanie Kulesza recorded a double-double, tallying 12 points and 11 rebounds on the day. The senior forward added three assists and one steal.

Megan Olbrys also put together a strong day on the glass scoring 13 points, grabbing 9 rebounds in addition to adding three assists and two blocks.

Allie Palmieri was the third Minutewomen to score double digit scoring figures, going 4-8 from behind the arc for 12 points.

Breaking Down the Action

Allie Palmieri got things going for the Minutewomen, hitting a three to strike first for UMass.
Back-to-back threes by VCU gave the Rams a 6-5 lead with 6:33 left in the quarter.
A layup by Yahmani McKayle and free throws by Lilly Ferguson took back an 11-10 lead for UMass with 1:45 left in the first.
Massachusetts conceded a last-minute score from VCU's Jennifer Ezeh as the first quarter ended with UMass trailing 11-12.
The Rams pulled out to a 21-17 lead with 4:40 left in the first half, bringing the Minutewomen into a 30-second timeout.
Chinenye Oenigbo and Palmieri combined for a five-point swing out of the timeout, taking a 22-21 lead.
Palmieri would send UMass into the half with a 27-26 lead after draining a corner three with eight seconds left in the quarter.
Palmieri and Olbrys hit back-to-back threes early in the second half, jumping out to a 35-28 lead.
VCU put together an 8-0 run to surge ahead but were immediately answered by a 6-0 Massachusetts run, ending the quarter with UMass ahead 41-36.
The Rams would cut the lead to two points early in the fourth, however back-to-back layups by Olbrys an Kulesza extended the lead back to six with 6:15 left in regulation.
Kulesza would find Yahmani McKayle at the top of the key for a timely three-pointer to make it a 50-43 ballgame.
Free throws by Kulesza and McKayle would ice the game for the Minutewomen, closing out the game 54-49.

By the Numbers

92.3: UMass shot 92.3% from the free throw line, hitting 12 of 13 attempts.
28: Massachusetts led for 28 minutes of game action.
16: There were 16 lead changes, including five ties throughout the course of the game.
16: The Minutewomen forced 16 turnovers on the day, recording nine steals.
13: Megan Olbrys led the offense with 13 points, adding nine rebounds on the day.
11: Stefanie Kulesza led the team on the glass with 11 rebounds, tallying a double-double with 12 points.

UP NEXT

The Minutewomen return home to host George Washington on Jan. 29. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassWBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Lilly Ferguson

Stefanie Kulesza

Yahmani McKayle

Megan Olbrys

Allie Palmieri

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics