Women's Basketball Hosts Loyola Chicago for Mid-Week Clash

University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Notes & Information
Matchup	Massachusetts vs. Loyola Chicago
Date \| Time	Feb. 19 \| 6:00 p.m.
Location	Mullincs Center \| Amherst, Mass.
Twitter	@UMassWBB
Instagram	@umasswbb
Facebook	UMass Women's Basketball

AMHERST, Mass. -- The Minutewomen (14-12, 9-6 A-10) look to get back in the win column on Wednesday night, taking on Loyola Chicago (11-15, 3-12 A-10) at 6:00 p.m. in the Mullins Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. with action streaming live on ESPN+ in addition to links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassWBB on X (Twitter).

The Matchup

Massachusetts and Loyola Chicago are set to play in their 4th matchup, dating back to the 2022-23 season
The Minutewomen are 1-2 against the Ramblers, with the Minutewomen dropping the most recent contest 64-52 on the road.

Last Time Out

Massachusetts fought to the bitter end in hostile territory, however were unable to overcome George Mason on Sunday in a 76-66 decision.
The Minutewomen struggled to avoid foul trouble throughout the contest, surrendering a 19-10 foul discrepancy in addition to a 26-8 free throw advantage in favor of the Patriots.
Yahmani McKayle put together another career-day, tying her best in points (21) while setting a new mark in assists with eight. McKayle added four rebounds, four steals and shot 2-3 from three-point range on the day.
Allie Palmieri tallied her second-striaight 16-point performance, adding six rebounds while going 4-7 from deep.
Stefanie Kulesza was the final Minutewomen in double-figures, recording 10 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

Kulesza Cleans the Glass

Senior Stefanie Kulesza grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds in UMass' 72-52 win over Duquesne on Feb. 12, tying the fourth-best single game mark in program history.
The Wilmington, Del. Native secured 18 rebounds in the first half alone, helping the Minutewomen jump out to a 42-16 lead at the break.
Kulesza added 14 points, good for her fourth double-double of the season.
Kulesza earned her first A-10 Player of the Week nod on Feb. 17, averaging 12.0 ppg and 13.5 rpg last week.

Meg Doesn't Miss

Junior forward Megan Olbrys shot 89.5% from the field (17-19 FG) last week, earning Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for the first time in her career.
The Norwood, Mass. native averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2 blocks on the week against the likes of La Salle and Saint Joseph's.

Want Some Fries With That 30-Piece?

Senior guard Allie Palmieri tallied a career-high 31 points against Fordham in her Atlantic 10 debut.
This was the third-highest single-game scoring total by a Minutewoman in the last 11 years.
Palmieri shot an efficient 9-17 from the field, netting 6-10 of her attempts from range.
The Trumbull, Conn. native added three steals on the defensive end, another career-best on the day.

Double-Double Duo

Senior forward Stefanie Kulesa and transfer forward Megan Olbrys became the first UMass pair since Feb. 4, 2023 to each record double-doubles in the same game as the Minutewomen took a 72-55 victory against Saint Louis last Thursday.
Kulesza set a career-high in scoring with 21 points and added 12 rebounds.
Olbrys tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Mani is Money

Freshman point guard Yahmani McKayle had a career-high 21 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals in UMass's first win of the season on Nov. 10 vs. CCSU
The Queens, N.Y. native followed up with 17 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds in to help UMass secure a 76-53 win over Monmouth
McKayle is averaging 13.3 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on the season, earning A-10 Rookie of the Week on December 9th, February 10th, and February 17th.

New Faces in New Places

The Minutewomen welcome seven newcomers, three of which enter as transfers.
Massachusetts brings freshmen Taylor Derkack (Colonia, N.J.), Yahmani McKayle (Queens, N.Y.), Kasey Bretones(Linwood, N.J.), and Jess Ross (Eastham, Mass.) into the mix for the 2024-25 season.
Lipscomb transfer Aleah Sorrentino arrives to Amherst off a 12.3 points per game season, adding 6.4 rebounds in 26.8 minutes. The redshirt senior spent a year at Ole Miss prior to her two-year stint at Lipscomb.
Megan Olbrys spent her last two seasons at Villanova, averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.2 minutes of action.
Drexel transfer Momo LaClair is coming off a 2024 CAA Championship run as a key member of the rotation. LaClair played 17.8 minutes a game, adding 3.2 points and 1.5 assists per game.

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

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kasey Bretones

Taylor Derkack

Stefanie Kulesza

Momo LaClair

Yahmani McKayle

Megan Olbrys

Allie Palmieri

Jess Ross

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics