The University of Massachusetts women’s basketball team experienced a challenging defeat, marking their 14th consecutive loss after being defeated by Loyola Chicago with a score of 64-52. Despite both teams encountering difficulties with their shooting, Loyola Chicago emerged victorious, capitalizing on 19 turnovers from UMass.
UMass encountered difficulties in various areas that have persistently troubled them throughout the season, including foul trouble, turnovers, and their inability to prevent opponents from gaining offensive rebounds. Chinenye Odenigbo fouled out early in the fourth quarter and Stefanie Kulesza finished the game with four fouls, leaving the team with a depleted rotation due to the injuries of Bre Bellamy and Alexsia Rose.
Loyola Chicago managed to score 18 points off the 19 turnovers committed by UMass and secured double the amount of offensive rebounds with a score of 14-7. Despite this, UMass struggled to convert these opportunities into points, managing to score only two points in seven possessions following an offensive rebound, while Loyola Chicago capitalized with 11 second chance points. The Ramblers also committed 14 turnovers, but UMass was only able to convert these into eight points.
Head coach Mike Leflar expressed his disappointment, stating, “It was hard for me to believe, looking up at the … final score, that we lost by less than we did at home [against Loyola Chicago]. Felt like a lot more [Wednesday] … we gave them the lead early, and they just sped us up … it wasn’t very good basketball … we got stops early, but you know [Loyola Chicago] had nine offensive rebounds at the half.”
Stefanie Kulesza once again emerged as UMass’ leading scorer, contributing 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and going 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Lily Taulelei also had a strong performance, contributing 10 points as the team’s third leading scorer, in addition to four assists, a rebound, and a block.
Looking ahead, UMass is set to play George Washington in their penultimate game of the season on Feb. 24, with the hope of turning their fortunes around.
“We try to get [Kulesza] shots, we try and post her up a little bit, and I think there are games where we need to get her more shots, … she’s certainly willing and able to knock down open [3-pointers], and we get her in the post and we run some stuff for her, but getting her more shots and trying to get her in better positions is something we need to work on to finish out the season,” Leflar said.
Reflecting on the tough loss, Leflar emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and the willingness to do whatever it takes, stating, “I think we’re in a spot where we’re losing games and I just still think there needs to be a big time willingness to do whatever it takes, each possession.”
The UMass women’s basketball team faces a challenging road ahead, and despite the setbacks, they remain determined to finish the season on a high note.