Strong Second Half Propels Massachusetts Women's Basketball Past Holy Cross, 63-40

WORCESTER, Mass. - University of Massachusetts women's basketball shot 46.9% in the second half, while limiting Holy Cross to just four field goals following the break en route to a 63-40 win over the Crusaders at the Hart Center on Tuesday. With the victory, the Minutewomen improve to 6-0 on the season, while Holy Cross drops to 2-4.

Three individuals finished in double figure scoring for UMass, led by Yahmani McKayle's 17 points. Megan Olbrys registered 16 points to go along with 10 boards for a double-double and Allie Palmieri contributed 12 points. Ayanna Franks keyed the Minutewomen defense with nine steals, one shy of the program's single-game record.

The Minutewomen recorded 18 steals on the night, marking their first 15+ steal game since Nov. 10, 2024 when they had 16 against Fordham.

Breaking Down The Action

McKayle started the momentum by floating in a jumper at 6:43, starting aa 13-0 run, with Franks, Palmieri, Ferguson, Olbrys and McKayle all scoring
McKayle put in a jumper putting UMass back in the lead, 16-15
Ayanna Franks nabbed a steal and finished with a layup with 4:45 remaining in the half
Olbrys tallied two free throws and then a jumper 31 seconds later for a 22-19 lead
Olbrys brought more heat offensively, adding another three free throws in the last minute of the half, with UMass leading 25-22 at the break
The Minutewomen then went on a 15-0 run against the Crusaders in the third quarter
McKayle fed a pass to Olbrys, who grabbed a three pointer 45 seconds into the third quarter
Odenigbo grabbed her first points of the night, with a layup at 7:25
Ferguson tossed a pass to McKayle who nailed the points from beyond the arch
Odenigbo's defensive rebound put UMass on a chase to the offensive zone, where McKayle fed Palmieri to a layup
McKayle converted on the And One with a jumper and a free throw, putting Massachusetts total to 40--24 at 3:46 of the third
Ferguson converted on two different free throw chances, adding four more points in the contest
McKayle ended the third quarter with a jumpshot and a layup 58 seconds later
Olbrys put her total points to 14 in the beginning of the fourth for a 50-35 lead
Odenigbo grabbed the defensive rebound, sending it to McKayle for an assist on Palmieri's layup with 8:25 left in the final quarter
Odenigbo added another two points with a layup with an assist from Olbrys with 4:49 left on the clock
McKayle ended the scoring for UMass with a three pointer, assisted by Jess Ross, and the game ended 63-40

By The Numbers

3: Three Minutewomen recorded double digits in the afternoon – Olbrys (16), Palmieri (12), and McKayle (17).
15: The longest run that the Minutewomen went on in the matchup, 15-0.
17: McKayle put up the highest number of points on the night with 17.
18: The Minutewomen totaled 18 steals, led by Ayanna Franks (nine).
36: The Minutewomen scored 36 points in the paint

Up Next

The Minutewomen continue five-game road stretch with a matchup at Northeastern on Wednesday, December 3, at 4 p.m. (ESPN+)..
Links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassWBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard