Minutewomen Start Conference Play Defeating Broncos, 73-40

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Western Mich.	11	9	4	16	40
Massachusetts	18	23	16	16	73

Western Mich.

Massachusetts

Amherst, Mass.-- University of Massachusetts women's basketball (9-2, 1-0 MAC) defeated Western Michigan (3-8, 0-1 MAC), 73-40, during a Wednesday afternoon matchup at Mullins Center.

After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Minutewomen used a 22-0 run in the second quarter to pull ahead of the Broncos, and stayed on top throughout the match.

Junior center Chineye Odenigbo stood out for the Minutewomen, matching her career-high 14 points, and nabbing five rebounds and a steal in the contest. Senior Forward Megan Olbrys also made an impact on the court against the Broncos, with 12 points, three rebounds and five assists. First-years Eva Hannon and Brooke Pulpi both netted their first career field goals, with Hannon connecting on a baseline jumper and Pulpi knocking down a top-of-the-key triple.

Breaking Down The Action

The Minutewomen started the action, with a jumper from Olbrys in the first minute and half.
Odenigbo checked in with her first points of the game with a layup 24 seconds of gametime later.
The Minutewomen found their stride midway through the first quarter, going on an 11-3 run, ending the first quarter up 18-11.
Massachusetts continued to control the scoring in the second half going 11-0 in the first four minutes of the second quarter, making it a 22-0 stretch between the two periods.
Olbrys added a three-pointer at 5:03 with an assist from McKayle
A steal from Allie Palmieri led to a quick layup for McKayle, bringing the Minutewomen to a 23-point lead.
Palmieri added a triple in response to Western Michigan's shot from beyond the arc with three minutes left in the half.
Aiyanna Perkins finished the scoring for the half, with a layup in the last 25, leaving the Minutewomen up 41-20 at the half.
The Minutewomen carried their momentum through the second half, going on a 14-4 run in the third quarter, led by Palmieri and Lilly Ferguson.
Massachusetts slowed down the action in the final quarter, with Ferguson getting the Minutewomens first points of the quarter with a layup three and a half minutes in.
A shooting foul from the Broncos allowed Ayanna Franks to add a free throw, which was quickly followed up by three points from McKayle
Franks grabbed the offensive rebound and added two more with the second chance layup
Leah Bullard made a layup with 4:21 left in the final quarter of action
Hannon and Pulpi finish off the fourth quarter with a jumper in the paint and one from beyond the arch

By The Numbers

3: Three Minutewomen had double-digit points in the contest - Odenigbo (14), Olbrys (12), Palmieri (11).

10: Ferguson had 10 rebounds in the matchup

14: Odenigbo's career-high in points, matching it for the first time this season.

22: The Minutewomens longest run of the day, 22-0.

35: Massachusetts largest lead, recorded in the fourth quarter at 3:27.

Up Next

The Minutewomen will travel for their first road conference game against Kent State on Saturday, January 3, at 3:30 p.m., on ESPN+, in Kent, Ohio. Links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassWBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard

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Players Mentioned

Leah Bullard

Lilly Ferguson

Ayanna Franks

Eva Hannon

Megan Olbrys

Allie Palmieri

Aiyanna Perkins

Brooke Pulpi

Odenigbo Chinenye

Olbrys Megan

Palmieri Allie

McKayle Yahmani

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics