It was an impressive start to the UMass women’s basketball team’s final Atlantic 10 Conference season. The Minutewomen opened A-10 play in fine fashion on Sunday afternoon, building an early lead and keeping Fordham at arm’s length en route to a 78-61 victory at the Mullins Center in Amherst. UMass improved to 6-6 overall, 1-0 in the conference after its fourth win in five games.
Allie Palmieri was the catalyst for the Minutewomen on Sunday, as she racked up a game-high 31 points. Palmieri shot 6-of-10 from 3-point range and 9-of-17 from the field overall en route to the big outing. Chinenye Odenigbo went for 14 points and eight rebounds to aid the UMass cause, while Megan Olbrys (12 points, seven assists, six rebounds) and Stefanie Kulesza (10 points, four rebounds, five assists) made it four players in double figures for the hosts.
UMass led 26-19 after one quarter and 41-34 at halftime. It was 58-52 entering the fourth quarter, but a 20-9 edge in the final stanza enabled the Minutewomen to run away and hide for the 17-point victory. Taylor Donaldson paced Fordham (6-6, 0-1) with 25 points.
Next up for UMass is a road trip to Saint Louis on Thursday night at 8 p.m. The Minutewomen are back at the Mullins Center next Sunday to play Richmond at 1 p.
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