The Massachusetts Minutewomen used a 31-0 run to break open a close game on Monday night, and defeated the Maine Black Bears 67-54 in a non-conference women’s basketball game played at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Maine (1-1) never led, but stayed within three points on a last second three-pointer by Olivia Rockwood at the end of the first quarter. UMass then took full control, and the Black Bears went ice cold. The Minutewomen outscored the guests 24-0 in the second, as Maine went 0-12 from the floor and UMass took a 27 point halftime lead. Two layups and a three-pointer early in the third would finish off that huge run and extend to their biggest lead of 34, as they improved their record to 2-1. The Black Bears did outscore the hosts 42-28 in the second half to make the score more respectable in the end.
Rockwood led Maine in the loss with 15 points. Adrianna Smith was the only other double digit scorer with 10 points and seven rebounds. UMass put five players in double figures, as Sydney Taylor led them with 18 points and seven rebounds in the victory. The Minutewomen out of the Atlantic 10 were predicted to win their conference in the preseason, and had given #5 Tennessee a battle on the road their last time out on Thursday before falling by nine points. Maine now gets set for their home opener on Saturday at 6 p.m. against Yale at Memorial Gymnasium (The Pit) in Orono.
