AMHERST — Megan Olbrys banked in a last-second layup to propel the UMass women’s basketball team past Miami (OH), 65-64, at the Mullins Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Redhawks went ahead 64-63, following a three-point play from Amber Tretter with 4.8 seconds left on the clock, but the Minutewomen called a timeout immediately following Tretter’s made free throw to advance the ball up the court.
UMass then inbounded the ball from the sideline to Yahmani McKayle at the short corner, who then floated a pass immediately to Olbrys in the low post and in one motion, the Minutewomen senior spun through a pair of Miami defenders and guided the ball off the backboard with her left hand and in for the go-ahead basket.
The Redhawks regained possession with 2.6 seconds left, but a halfcourt heave from Tamar Singer clanked off the glass as UMass gave the visitors their first Mid-American Conference (MAC) loss of the season in the heart-pounding showdown.
“I turned to one of the officials probably midway through the third quarter and was like, ‘man this game feels a lot like March does,'” Minutewomen head coach Mike Leflar said. “It certainly did just with the intensity, the back and forth, just so proud of our team. Obviously I just told these guys, the execution, keeping your cool with 4.8 to go, not getting down and just staying in the moment and executing something that we drew up on the white board and executed after the timeout.”
Olbrys was one of four UMass players to reach double figures in points scored (12), but the Norwood native’s lone basket in the final frame counted as the game-winner as the Minutewomen (18-5) clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament with the dramatic victory.
“I just knew what I was supposed to do in the time left,” Olbrys said.
Saturday’s matchup saw both teams struggle to knock down shots during the first half as both squads’ defense were engaged from the opening tipoff. UMass led, 23-18, at the break while shooting 33% from the field.
Miami (20-5) was slightly better, hitting 38% of its shots across the opening 20 minutes, however the Redhawks made their move in the third quarter, outscoring the Minutewomen 25-17, including a 9-0 run late, to go up 43-40.
UMass kept its composure during the back-and-forth final period, despite a Miami team that all of a sudden found its touch from beyond the arc. The Redhawks went 1-for-9 from 3-point land in the first half, then sank four 3-pointers by the final buzzer.
“It’s February and we have enough playing experience out there that they have to keep understanding that it’s one possession at a time,” Leflar said. “There’s no five-point plays, there’s no 10-point plays, just keep grinding. Sometimes, we have a tendency, like a lot of teams, if you’re not scoring it affects your defense. That did not happen today.”
Sophomores Chinenye Odenigbo and McKayle each stepped up in the second half (22 combined points) to help the Minutewomen seal the outcome in their favor.
“Since we already played them once before, I know coming back [I had to] have a better overall game,” McKayle said. “I think having that mindset coming in made it more back-and-forth.”
McKayle managed just 10 points in UMass’ 72-60 loss to Miami on Jan. 7.
UMass graduate Allie Palmieri was the other double-digit point-getter, concluding the contest with 15 points.
The Minutewomen will likely see the Redhawks again if they have aspirations of winning the MAC Tournament next month and Saturday’s result is surely an important building block for UMass’ belief in itself as a team.
“I do want us to take so much confidence from this game,” Leflar said. “And to know that everything that we want as a team is ahead of us and we just have to be willing to work for it.”
The Minutewomen will host Toledo next on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.