Women’s Basketball Defeats Boston College, 61-52, For Fifth Straight Win

AMHERST, Mass. -- University of Massachusetts women's basketball (5-0, 0-0 MAC) defeated in-state matchup against Boston College (3-4, 0-0 ACC), 61-53, Saturday afternoon at the Mullins Center.

The Minutewomen started the scoring 10 seconds in and never trailed throughout the matchup, marking the first win over Boston College for UMass since the 2007-08 season (Nov 14. 2007; 69-67).

Senior forward Megan Olbrys was the largest contributor of the day, nabbing a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Graduate student Allie Palmieri and sophomore guard Yahmani McKayle also had a standout day with each of them registering double digit points, as Palmieiri totaled 14 and McKayle had 11.

The Minutewomen defense pestered the Eagles from the opening tip, totaling 12 steals and three blocks while also holding BC to just 32.2 percent from the field–its lowest mark of the season.

Breaking Down The Action

Olbrys opened the scoring for the Minutewomen, dropping in a layup and converting two free throws to give UMass a 4-0 lead three minutes in.
McKayle responded to an Eagles triple by hitting nothing but net from the left arc.
A steal by Ferguson and a feed from McKayle to Olbrys inside increased the UMass lead to eight with just over 5 minutes left in the first quarter.
Olbrys connected from close range to enter double-digits points, later increasing that total to 15 after swishing a top-of-the-key triple at the 2:43 mark.
McKayle's third triple of the half and a Ferguson baseline jumper started the scoring for UMass in the second.
Perkins buried Massachusetts fifth triple of the half from the right wing with 6:39 remaining in the first half.
Boston College's Anderson hit a 12-foot baseline jumper as time expired in the half with the Minutewomen going into the locker room up 32-29.
Olbrys hit a left-handed layup to open the scoring for UMass in the second half, giving Olbrys her 20^thpoint of the game.
Olbrys continued to up the ante for the Minutewomen, hitting a jumper in the paint at 8:30.
Palmieri finished a hard layup through contact and hit the ensuing free throw with 4:51 remaining in the third.
An Olbrys block turned into instant offense for the Minutewomen as Palmieri connected on a fast-break layup with under two minutes left in the quarter.
A Palmieri steal and quick triple on offense gave Massachusetts an 11-point lead, 48-37, capping off an 8-1 Minutewomen run to end the third.
A Franks euro-step finish, Palmieri trey and Ferguson layup sparked another big run for the Minutewomen, totaling 7 points in just 48 seconds to start the final frame, putting Massachusetts up 55-39.
McKayle lost her defender and finished at the rim following a Franks steal, keeping the UMass lead at double digits with 1:42 left to play.

Palmieri hustled for an offensive rebound with under a minute remaining, keeping the game out of reach for the Eagles, with the Minutewomen securing a 61-53 victory.

By The Numbers

3: Three Minutewomen recorded double digits in the afternoon – Olbrys (24), Palmieri (14), and McKayle (11).
10: The longest run that the Minutewowmen went on in the matchup, 10-0.
12: Olbrys hits a double-double with 12 rebounds on the day.
12: The Minutewomen totaled 12 steals, led by Yahmani McKayle (four) and Ayanna Franks (three).
15: Megan Olbrys put up 15 points alone in the first quarter.
24: Olbrys scored a career-high 24 points.

26: The Minutewomen recorded 26 points in the paint.

Up Next

The Minutewomen begin a five-game road stretch with a matchup at Holy Cross on Tuesday, November 25, at 6 p.m., on ESPN+, in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassWBB on X (Twitter).

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