Just 39 miles from the court where it hopes to play for a conference title in Cleveland, Ohio, the Massachusetts women’s basketball team escaped Akron with a 74-64 win on Wednesday night.
The Minutewomen (22-6,14-3 Mid-American) secured their first win of March through a fourth-quarter comeback—a script UMass’ familiar with this season. While some late-game heroics followed a back-and-forth battle, this victory required the Minutewomen to climb out of a self-inflicted hole after they shot a blistering 51.9% from the field.
After heading into halftime with a 14-point lead, the visiting UMass team saw its advantage evaporate during a defensive lapse in the third quarter where they allowed the Zips (7-23, 4-13 MAC) to score 29 points. With nine minutes remaining in the game, the score sat tied at 50-50.
“As we get closer and closer to the conference tournament, hopefully our group just understands that we’re going to need 40 minutes in three straight games,” head coach Mike Leflar said. “That’s what it’s going to take.”
The momentum shifted back to the Minutewomen behind a trio of standout performances.
Yahmani McKayle fueled the offense with a game-high 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including 13 second-half points. Captains Allie Palmieri and Megan Olbrys combined for 24 points, with Olbrys adding six rebounds and two blocks to her 14-point effort.
“I’ve been really complimentary of [Palmieri], of Lilly [Ferguson] and [Olbrys] on their leadership,” Leflar said. “Obviously… you guys see it on game nights, but what they do every single day is so important for us.”
In addition to McKayle, Olbrys and Palmieri’s performances, Ayanna Franks also recorded double-digit points. The sophomore put up 11 points, brought down three rebounds and made one steal during the contest.
The road to victory was complicated by Akron sophomore Liz Murphy. Despite not starting, Murphy exploited UMass’ defensive lapses to keep the Zips within striking distance.
Murphy, who has seen increased minutes following injuries to two Akron starters, finished with 21 points and knocked down five 3-pointers.
“We let [Murphy] run free. We were trapping the post. We doubled the post… I think two times,” Leflar said on his defense,
Minutewomen leave Akron victorious
allowing Murphy to find her rhythm. “We let them pass out of it easily, and then we were slow to rotate to her. She had 19 at one time. I said, ‘Okay, she’s got 19. How many more are we going to give her?’ We only gave her two more after that.”
Murphy wasn’t alone in the Zips’ effort, as sophomore Izzy Callaway also heated up, hitting three shots from beyond the arc to help them pull within two points late in the third quarter.
The Minutewomen once again struggled to protect a lead coming out of the locker room, forced to spend the opening minutes of the final frame fending off the home team’s momentum.
Despite the scare, UMass found its footing when it mattered most, pulling away in the final minutes to secure the double-digit win and maintain its standing near the top of the MAC.
The Minutewomen will play their final game of the regular season at the Mullins Center against Buffalo on Saturday, March 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
The contest will serve as Senior Day, honoring Allie Palmieri, Lilly Ferguson, and Megan Olbrys as they play their final home game in Amherst.
Matt Ford-Wellman can be reached at [email protected] or followed on X @MattFW_4.
