The University of Massachusetts Boston has gotten credit for quite some time as one of the up-and-coming universities in the city. However, the school has never been known for its athletic programs.
It feels as if every year, there is a new sport on campus that begins to excel. Of course, the volleyball team is fantastic every year, but in 2016, we saw our men’s hockey team make it all the way to the Frozen Four. Then, that same spring, the men’s soccer team became the 2016-17 academic year’s team. No team had really risen above expectations in the 2017-18 academic year—that is, until the women’s basketball decided to show us their worth.
The team has been on a torrid pace this season. After starting the season 1-1, they went on to win 13 straight games, and after losing to UMass Dartmouth, the team won three in a row. The Lady Beacons now sit at 17-2 overall and own a record of 8-1 within the conference. It is worth noting that the team is undefeated when playing at home, with eight wins and no losses. The two losses came in against Dartmouth and in a neutral sight against Colby Sawyer.
The team relies on a balanced offensive attack, doing multiple things well. However, the catalysts for the scoring on the team have been Joie Grassi and Shania Osborne. Grassi, a native of Plymouth, MA, has been lighting it up from downtown. This season, Grassi has shot a Little East Conference (LEC), leading 47 percent from behind the three-point line while averaging 16 points on the season. She has also rebounded the ball well, pulling down about seven boards per game.
Grassi shares the offensive load with Osborne, a center from Fairfield, CT. While Osborne doesn’t bring the three-point shot that Grassi does, she has contributed well in scoring. As the Beacons second-leading scorer, Osborne has provided a presence in the paint, averaging 10 points a game and pulling down six rebounds per game. Osborne has been the Beacons spark off the bench, making her scoring and rebounding numbers even more impressive.
As stated earlier, the Beacons have excelled at three-point shooting. Grassi, of course, leads the LEC. However, right behind her is UMass Boston teammate Katie Mathieu. Mathieu is currently shooting 43 percent from downtown. While her scoring overall is only about eight points per game, the success that Mathieu has had from the three is an undeniable benefit to the team.
As the Beacons prep for a big matchup against UMass Dartmouth, it is important to remember that this team will only get better over time. Grassi and Osborne are both freshmen and will only improve the more they adapt to the college game. Osborne will most likely move into a consistent starting role next season, giving her more scoring opportunities. As the UMass Boston athletic programs continue to grow, be sure to keep an eye on the women’s basketball team as they will be a mainstay in the LEC tournament picture.