By Staff Writer Sara Vasquez
In a productive start to their season, the UMass Dartmouth women‘s basketball team earned three wins through their first five-game stretch to start narrowly above .500.
The Corsairs’ season kicked off with an exhibition match against their division I compatriots in the UMass Amherst Minutemen. While existing outside both their division and conference standings, the 89-39 shellacking suffered at the hands of their flagship-college adversaries began the Corsair campaign on somewhat of a flat note.
Fortunately, the Corsairs were able to reverse this unfortunate start, pushing the team toward a contending early season. Entering this past week at 1-1 following the narrow overtime defeat of MIT, UMassD looked to keep winning.
As a result, now standing at an admirable 3-2 record (a feat which includes their match against UMass Amherst), UMassD were the benefactors in a week’s worth of in-conference play. This week saw the Corsairs playing three separate games against Regis, Western New England, and Union, respectively.
The first, scheduled for Wednesday, November 13th against Regis, concluded with a final score of 61-49 in favor of the Corsairs, who stole a win by a comfortable margin.
UMassD senior Ashley Brown, who has so far led a productive season, was the difference-maker against Regis. She scored a total of 14 points, and with 11 rebounds, nine assists and five steals, managed her first double-double of the year. Even though Regis outscored the Corsairs in the last 2 quarters, UMassD still walked away with a 12-point lead by the end of regulation.
Their second game of the season, scheduled for Saturday, November 16th against Western New England, was a much tougher affair, ending in an 88-83 loss for UMassD. The loss, which marked the start of annual Lafrance Hospitality Tournament, immediately knocked the Corsairs out of contention for the grand finals.
The Corsairs’ second season loss saw the team dominating the court and maintaining a lead through the first three quarters of play. However, Western New England surged back in the fourth quarter, pushing for a tie at 75 points and forcing the game into overtime. The extra period allowed Western New England to take charge and take the victory.
The Corsairs’ last game of the week was played on Sunday, November 17th against Union, concluding with a final score of 59-44. This game served as the consolation finals of the Lafrance Hospitality Tournament, with the victory placing the Corsairs at a third-place finish.
Even though they lost their first game of the tournament, UMassD managed to end the tournament on a positive note.
With the tournament behind them, the Corsairs now focus on a busy upcoming schedule. With in-conference matches against Bridgewater State and Southern Maine, UMassD looks to prove that they can win on the road.