Amherst – The University of Massachusetts Minutewomen have begun the season in superb fashion, winning all of their first four games. They defeated UMass Lowell on Tuesday at the Mullins Center, running the Riverhawks out of the building with a final score of 85-45. It was the second time the Minutewomen have scored 80 or more points in the early going this season; the first came in their home opener against Siena, where the team scored 84 points. The Minutewomen are averaging 73.7 points per game this season, up nearly 10 points from a season ago, due in part to a fresh offensive approach this year.
Yahmani McKayle continues to impress in her second season in the maroon and white, averaging 17.5 points per game and dishing out 5.8 assists per game, both of which lead the team. She has also shot 6-13 from deep in her last two games. Now as a sophomore, Mike Leflar has asked the reigning A-10 Rookie of the Year to step up as a vocal leader as well.“ I asked [Yahmani] to talk more, and she was like, sounds good, I can do that. And it’s as simple as that, she’s talking a lot more than she was,” he said. Her improved poise is apparent this season – McKayle had eight assists to just one turnover against Siena.
Megan Olbrys and Allie Palmieri have continued to be crucial for the team, as well. Palmieri is shooting 46.3 percent from the field this season, a significantly improved clip over her 30.1 percent a season ago. She’s also second on the team, shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc so far. Olbrys has continued her dominance in the paint, although she is down nearly six minutes of playing time on average this season. She has still made the most of her opportunities as she is third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding. Both were named team captains by Coach Leflar before the season began, a testament to what he thinks about his returning upperclassmen.
Newcomers Ayanna Franks and Aiyanna Perkins have been exactly what Leflar was looking for in reinforcements for his squad. Speaking to Frank’s skill, Leflar said she has “brought so much more athleticism to our program, a position in which we needed, and all of our newcomers have. That’s going to be a great thing for us.” Franks’ athleticism has been on full display to begin the season. The URI transfer is averaging 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. She also leads the team in rebounding at a whopping stature of 5’9. Franks scored a team-high 20 points, shooting three of four from deep against UMass Lowell.
Perkins, a freshman, has had a different role on the Minutewomen offense. She’s already averaging the second-most playing time off the bench for her squad and is making the most of her minutes. She’s shot four of seven from three-point and has made two threes in a game twice already. More so than her scoring, she has been tasked with running the offense when McKayle is off the floor, and in 66 minutes this season, she has just five turnovers.
Having won 17 games last season and making it to the second round of the WNIT tournament, the Minutewomen have their eyes set on something different this season – an NCAA tournament appearance. UMass hasn’t made the tournament since it lost in the opening round to Notre Dame in 2022. Before the season began, sophomore Jess Ross told Jay Burnham, “We’ve all talked about the goal of making it there. We all want to win so bad. That’s the goal.”
Through four games, UMass has a share of the number one spot in the MAC, tied with Ball State. Miami (OH) is right behind the pair at 4-1 on the season. Conference play begins on New Year’s Eve when the Minutewomen take on Western Michigan. They play just four more non-conference games before they head to the FIU Christmas Invitational in Miami, three of which are against Massachusetts schools: Boston College, Holy Cross, and Northeastern.
BC comes to town on Saturday, where UMass will look to get revenge after a 62-57 loss last year in Chestnut Hill. With a new look to the Eagles, UMass may be in for a different animal, this time around. The game tips off at noon in the Mullins Center.
