The University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutewomen (15-12, 10-6 Atlantic 10) defeated the Loyola University of Chicago Ramblers (11-16, 3-13 Atlantic 10) on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 87-62.
UMass and Loyola Chicago began the game playing closely, with seven lead changes and one tie occurring in the first quarter. After the seventh lead change, the Minutewomen seized control of the game and never looked back.
UMass should be grateful for senior guard Stefanie Kulesza and junior forward Megan Olbrys for their early scoring contributions. Olbrys tallied eleven of her career-high twenty-three points in the first quarter. “Starting off the game hot gives you that momentum to carry throughout,” Kulesza said about the Minutewomen’s quick start. “It doesn’t leave you time to second-guess yourself and allows you to build a lead.”
At the end of the first quarter, Massachusetts held a ten-point lead over Loyola Chicago. However, the Ramblers wouldn’t let that deficit define the game, as they managed to cut it to four points twice in the second quarter. The Minutewomen thwarted Loyola’s hopes of reclaiming the lead with back-to-back three-pointers from senior guard Allie Palmieri.
The turning point for Massachusetts was first-year guard Yahmani McKayle’s buzzer-beater floater that ended the first half. Over her last three games (including Wednesday night), McKayle is averaging 16.3 points, 6.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals, which helped her earn Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for her performances against Duquesne (February 12) and George Mason (February 16). This honor marked her third of the season and her second in a row. Senior guard Kulesza was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, giving Massachusetts their first sweep of the awards this season. “[I am] absolutely proud of Stef[anie Kulesza] and Yahmani [McKayle] for the honors this week,” said UMass Head Coach Mike Leflar. “I think it’s our first time since 2015 that our program has had both an [Atlantic 10] Player of the Week and an [Atlantic 10] Rookie of the Week.”
The Ramblers were searching for ways to get back into the game, but their hopes were dashed as the Minutewomen proved unstoppable. At times, it appeared that Loyola was out of sync and not playing to their team’s identity. “We haven’t [stayed true to our identity],” said Loyola Chicago Head Coach Allison Guth. “We have tried to defend, rebound, and run as part of our identity, but we have been inconsistent in all those areas. Giving up 27 points in the first quarter, you have to trust your defense to win games.”
With the Minutewomen having been dominant from start to finish, it allowed Coach Leflar to utilize his bench and get the whole team involved in the scoring action. Olbrys marked a new career-high 23 points with thirteen rebounds earning her sixth double-double of her career. Kulesza added 19 points and eight rebounds, and McKayle provided 15 points with eight assists to push Massachusetts in the right direction. Junior guard/forward Lilly Ferguson with 7 points, Palmieri with 6 points, sophomore guard Dallas Pierce and sophomore center Chinenye Odenigbo provided 5 points, redshirt senior Aleah Sorrentino with 3 points, and first-year guard Kasey Bretones with 2 points. All of the players who scored for UMass provided support for Olbrys, McKayle, and Kulesza who were the leaders against the Ramblers.
Despite Loyola Chicago’s struggles, they still found ways to score. Junior guard/forward Emma Theodorsson helped to keep the Ramblers in the game with 16 points, and graduate student forward Sitori Tanin provided her assistance with 14 points and eight rebounds to attempt to push the Ramblers to victory. Theodorsson and Tanin were supported by graduate student Naelle Bernard who scored 9 points, sophomore guard Audrey Deptula with 7 points, and sophomore guard Rosalie Mercille with 5 points. Loyola had other players who scored but failed to produce more than 3 points.
UMass stays home in the Mullins Center to wrap up their home slate against the University of Rhode Island Rams (15-13, 10-5 Atlantic 10) on Sunday, February 23, 2025, at 1 P.M. The Minutewomen will be having their senior day ceremonies to honor Kulesza, and the other seniors on the team before tip-off.
Loyola Chicago has their bye week of the season this upcoming week and will return to action on the road down at the Siegel Center on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, against the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Rams (12-15, 6-9 Atlantic 10) at 6 P.M.
Featured Image: Chris Tucci, UMass Athletics
Kaily “KG” Godek is a current student at Western New England University (WNE). She has been a supporter of UMass Athletics for over 15 years. Kaily focuses on both UMass Basketball teams and occasionally on the other Women’s Basketball teams in the conference. While writing for A10 Talk, she works in the athletic department at WNE. When she graduates from WNE she wants to go into either Sports Broadcasting and Journalism or Coaching. You can follow Kaily on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kgumass23.
