UMass Boston’s Women’s Basketball team has not had the season they hoped for, only mustering out a measly four wins in a year full of close calls and hard losses. With only two games left on their schedule, the Beacons looked to leave a positive spin on the end of their tough year against some of their Little East Conference rivals, Plymouth State and Vermont State of Charleston.
On Saturday, Feb. 10, UMass Boston traveled to Plymouth, N.H., to take on the Panthers, a team they suffered a tough four point loss to Jan. 11 [1]. The Beacons took many leads early in the first quarter, but Plymouth State quickly erased them. UMass Boston was able to battle back and build a five point lead behind an array of points from freshman guard Sophie Bradbury, but a 7–0 run from the Panthers gave them another small lead at 19–17.
In the second quarter, UMass Boston exploded on an 8–0 run with baskets from graduate forward Keriann Farina, junior Skyeler Sandison and freshman guard Maddie Parks. Plymouth State would continue to chip and chip away, but the Beacons kept their wits about them for a 31–28 advantage heading into the locker room.
Grad student Paige Olliverre and freshman forward Mia Molinari combined for seven points in the third, and the Beacons took control of the game with a 45–37 lead at the end of the quarter. However, the Panthers were not ready to give up. Plymouth State came out strong offensively in the fourth with an 8–0 run to tie the game at 45 points apiece. UMass Boston was able to break from the tie and were on their way to a close, well-deserved win, but the Panthers’ offense was just too much for them. Plymouth State finished the job and closed out the game with a 57–54 comeback win [2].
The Beacons then traveled to Castleton, Vt., for one final game against the Spartans of Vermont State University Castleton, looking to end their losing streak and get a morale-boosting win after adding yet another heartbreaking loss to their season. The game started with both teams trading baskets on the offensive end, but the Beacons were able to gain some positive momentum halfway through the quarter with free throws from sophomore guard Tatiannah Fevry and Olliverre’s first three of the game. As the quarter went on, UMass Boston was able to stretch the lead to nine points in the final minutes. However, the Spartans were able to chip away, shrinking the lead to seven heading into the second.
UMass Boston looked to stop the Spartans and continue their hot momentum into the second, but Castleton put the clamps down defensively, holding the Beacons to just five points in the quarter. UMass Boston also got into some deep foul trouble, giving the Spartans 10 chances at the line, with them further capitalizing on seven. The Beacons soon lost their once padded lead and were down 29–27 going into the break.
Luckily, the start of the third was all UMass Boston, as Farina opened the second half with a mid-range jumper, and Olliverre matched it with another three-pointer to take the lead by one. Farina added more to the scoring column with a three-pointer of her own to bring the lead to four.
In the final quarter, the Beacons had to focus on maintaining a short lead in the last remaining minutes. The resilient Spartans managed to keep crawling and clawed their way back into the lead, but UMass Boston was always quick to answer. With one minute remaining and the Beacons up by six, Castleton shot up a quick three to make it a one-possession game. The Spartans then had a chance to tie it in the final seconds, but couldn’t get the shot off, giving UMass Boston their well-deserved win and their first since Jan. 17 [3].
The Beacons finished off the season 5–18, and 3–13 in the LEC. They have a long off-season ahead of them to improve for next year. Fortunately, they were able to exercise some of their demons with a hard-fought win in their season finale, and as a result, can ride high into the offseason. If anything, their win can be a stepping stone for next year, as they can turn the page into the next chapter of their program in hopes of getting back to their winning ways.
[1] https://beaconsathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule