2023-12-10 19:17:03
AMHERST, Mass.– University of Massachusetts women’s basketball downed University of Massachusetts Lowell, 64-52, on Sunday followingnoon at the Mullins Center. Junior Kristin Williams matched her career-high in points, while freshman Dallas Pierce recorded a new career-best in the category.
Williams led the way with 19 points, scoring eight in the fourth quarter alone, and added one rebound, three assists and a steal. Pierce put up 10 points for a career-high, going 2-for-2 from behind the arc. Stefanie Kulesza and Lilly Taulelei totaled eight points, while Kulesza registered a team-high 14 rebounds. Her 14 boards matched a career-best and marked her fifth contest with 10-plus rebounds.
Massachusetts shot 45.3 percent (29-for-64) from the field and went 75 percent from the free throw line (3-for-4).
The Minutewomen went on an early 6-2 run to knot the game up at six apiece at the 4:12 mark. Alexsia Rose and Kristin Williams continued UMass’ 10-2 run, taking the lead for the first time at 10-6. Four points from the River Hawks put them ahead at 11-10, but a second chance layup by Stefanie Kulesza helped the Minutewomen back on top. A buzzer-beater layup by Chinenye Odenigbo closed out the first quarter with a 14-11 Massachusetts lead.
UMass maintained its lead at 20-17 in the second quarter. The Minutewomen held UMass Lowell to 1-of-11 field goals for four minutes and 53 seconds, while going on a 9-0 run, capped by a jumper by Rose at 1:35 mark. The River Hawks scored eight more points, but Massachusetts led 30-24 at the end of the first half, shooting 40.0 percent from the field.
A 6-2 run began the third frame to give UMass a 10-point lead at 36-26. Williams answered UMass Lowell’s three-pointer with a triple of her own to extend Massachusetts’ lead to 39-31 at the 5:33 mark. The Minutewomen shot a 53.3 field goal percentage in the third, ending the quarter with a 47-40 lead.
Dallas Pierce knocked down her second three of the day to start a 9-2 run for Massachusetts, giving the team another 10-point lead at 56-46. The Minutewomen also held the River Hawks once once more without a basket for three minutes and 29 seconds. UMass tallied eight more points to close out the fourth quarter with a 64-52 win.
The Minutewomen wrap up non-conference play on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at noon once morest UAlbany in the Mullins Center. The game marks the second in a row at home for UMass following last playing on its home hardwood back on Nov. 16 once morest Harvard.
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