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| University of Massachusetts Women’s Basketball Notes & Information | |
| Matchup | Massachusetts vs. La Salle |
| Date | Time | Jan. 15 | 11:00 a.m. |
| Location | Mullins Center | Amherst, Mass. |
| @UMassWBB | |
| @umasswbb | |
| UMass Women’s Basketball | |
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts women’s basketball team (8-8, 3-2 A-10) will face La Salle (7-11, 1-4 A-10) on Wednesday morning at the Mullins Center for Field Trip Day. The starting time is set for 11:00 a.m. The game will be streamed live on NESN and available on ESPN+, with links and real-time updates at umassathletics.com or @UMassWBB on X (Twitter).
The Matchup
- Massachusetts and La Salle are preparing for their 27th encounter, tracing back to the 2005-06 season.
- The Minutewomen hold a record of 15-11 against La Salle, with their last meeting resulting in a 54-49 win for the Minutewomen in the initial round of the 2024 Atlantic 10 Tournament.
Last Time Out
- The Minutewomen climbed back to victory on Sunday, securing a 67-58 win over St. Bonaventure on the road.
- Megan Olbrys spearheaded the effort for UMass, achieving a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) on 50% shooting from the floor.
- Yahmani McKayle continued to excel as a two-way contributor from the bench, amassing 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists.
- Chinenye Odenigbo also reached double figures in scoring on Sunday, contributing 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks with a 5-8 shooting performance from the floor.
Want Some Fries With That 30-Piece?
- Senior guard Allie Palmieri set a personal best with 31 points against Fordham during her Atlantic 10 debut.
- This marks the third-highest single-game scoring achievement by a Minutewoman in the past 11 years.
- Palmieri posted an accurate 9-17 from the floor, sinking 6 out of 10 attempts from three-point range.
- The Trumbull, Conn. native also added three steals defensively, marking another career-high for her on that day.
Double-Double Duo
- Senior forward Stefanie Kulesa and transfer forward Megan Olbrys became the first duo from UMass since Feb. 4, 2023 to achieve double-doubles in the same contest as the Minutewomen defeated Saint Louis 72-55 last Thursday.
- Kulesza reached a personal record in scoring with 21 points while also securing 12 rebounds.
- Olbrys accounted for 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Mani is Money
- Freshman point guard Yahmani McKayle notched a career-high 21 points, with 7 assists and 4 steals during UMass’s season-opening win against CCSU on Nov. 10.
- The Queens, N.Y. native followed with 17 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds to lead UMass to a 76-53 victory over Monmouth.
- McKayle is averaging 12.9 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game this season, having earned A-10 rookie of the week honors on December 9th.
New Faces in New Places
- The Minutewomen have introduced seven newcomers, with three of those being transfers.
- Massachusetts includes freshmen Taylor Derkack (Colonia, N.J.), Yahmani McKayle (Queens, N.Y.), Kasey Bretones (Linwood, N.J.), and Jess Ross (Eastham, Mass.) in their roster for the 2024-25 season.
- Lipscomb transfer Aleah Sorrentino joins Amherst after averaging 12.3 points and grabbing 6.4 rebounds over 26.8 minutes. Previously, the redshirt senior spent a year at Ole Miss before her two-year tenure at Lipscomb.
- Megan Olbrys comes to UMass after two seasons at Villanova, where she averaged 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds across 7.2 minutes.
- Drexel transfer Momo LaClair is coming off a 2024 CAA Championship run as an important part of the team. LaClair played an average of 17.8 minutes per game, contributing 3.2 points and 1.5 assists.
Kulesza On The Rise
- Senior Stefanie Kulesza recently completed one of the most extraordinary improvement seasons within the Atlantic 10 last year, averaging career highs in points (11.2), rebounds (7.1), field goal percentage (46.9), and minutes per game (31.4).
- Kulesza recorded six double-doubles during the 2023-24 season, including a personal best against No. 23 Washington State (20 points, 11 rebounds).
- The Wilmington, Del. native led the Minutewomen in total field goals made, rebounds, steals, blocks, and minutes throughout the 2023-24 campaign. She also finished second on the team in overall points and three-pointers made.
Year Two Under Coach Leflar
- Massachusetts women’s basketball is embarking on its second year under Head Coach Mike Leflar in 2024-25, following his roles as Associate Head Coach (2021-23) and Assistant Coach (2018-21) with the Minutewomen.
- Leflar has played an essential role in cultivating the most prosperous era in Massachusetts women’s basketball, leading the program to its first regular-season Atlantic 10 title last year after winning its inaugural Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship in 2021-22, along with an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022 and WNIT participations in 2021 and 2023.
- Most recently, Leflar closely guided the Minutewomen forwards, including 2023 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year, Sam Breen. Under his mentorship, Breen flourished into one of the most lauded athletes in program history while winning back-to-back Atlantic 10 Player of the Year titles in 2022 and 2023.
Up Next
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