Minutewomen Dominate Ramblers, 87-62, for 15th Win of the Season

AMHERST, Mass. -- Massachusetts (15-12, 10-6 A-10) claimed its 15th victory and 10th conference win of the season in dominating fashion, besting Loyola Chicago (11-16, 3-13 A-10) in an 87-62 decision on Wednesday night. 10 Minutewomen found the scoring column, totaling UMass' highest-scoring game of the season.

Megan Olbrys put together a career-night, scoring a personal best 23 points while tying her career mark in rebounds with 13. Olbrys added three assists and one block, shooting 9-17 from the field.

Stefanie Kulesza kept her momentum going off her first A-10 Player of the Week nod, tallying 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. Kulesza was both effective and efficient, shooting 8-12 on the night.

Yahmani McKayle continued her seven-game double-digit scoring streak, putting up 15 points and tying her career-high of eight assists while shooting 6-10 from the field. The freshman guard has now scored 11+ points in 14 of her last 15 games.

Breaking Down The Action

Stefanie Kulesza scored first for Massachusetts, using a 3-point jumper to make the score 4-3 Loyola in the game's opening minutes.
Following this, two baskets from Megan Olbrys tied the game up 7-7.
A layup by Kulesza off a Ramblers turnover gave the Minutewomen a one point lead at 5:37.
UMass closed out the first quarter on a 13-2 run, which put the game at 27-17 Massachusetts entering the second quarter of action.
Allie Palmieri cut the Ramblers' momentum short, using a 3-pointer to kill their 6-0 run early in the second quarter.
A layup from Chinenye Odenigbo and free throws from Yahmani McKayle helped extend the Minutewomen lead back to double digits.
After a 5:19 minute scoring drought from the field, Olbrys brought life back for the Minutewomen, banking a layup with 1:00 remaining in the half.
At the buzzer, McKayle drained a midrange jumper to close out the first half of play, making the score 43-31 Massachusetts.
The Minutewomen opened the second half with back-to-back baskets by Olbrys and McKayle, continuing their momentum from the previous two quarters.
A tough layup from Lilly Ferguson granted Massachusetts a 19-point lead and a Loyola timeout at 6:12.
After a 3-point shot by Naelle Bernard, the Minutewomen made sure to keep their bite, as McKayle and Kulesza put down three baskets back-to-back, extending their lead to 60-38.
UMass capped off the third quarter with four defensive stops in a row to help maintain their large lead. They entered the final quarter of play up 66-47.
Olbrys started off the fourth quarter with a layup and pair of free throws, surpassing her career high for points in a game and extending the Minutewomen lead to 23.
Following a three by Kulesza, the Ramblers went on a 7-0 scoring drive, cutting their deficit to 18.
Despite Loyola's efforts, they could not overcome the Minutewomen's blazing offense in the final quarter as Massachusetts closed out the game with an 11-2 scoring run to cement the 87-62 victory.

By The Numbers

87: The Minutewomen had a season high 87 points in the game.
23: Megan Olbrys scored a career high 23 points and tied her career high for rebounds in a game with 13.
8: Yahmani McKayle tied her career high for assists in a game with 8.
51: UMass shot 51% from the field.
19: The Minutewomen forced 19 turnovers out of Loyola.
41: Massachusetts grabbed 41 rebounds on the night, claiming a 41-30 advantage on the glass.

Up Next

The Minutewomen hosts Rhode Island on Feb. 19 for the team's Senior Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassWBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard