AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts women’s basketball faltered to Harvard University, 78-57, at the Mullins Center on Thursday evening. Junior Stefanie Kulesza recorded her second double-double of the season, putting up 13 points and grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds.
Kristin Williams led the team in points with 16, followed by Kulesza with 13. Dallas Pierce registered a career-high six points, recording a career-best two three-pointers. Kulesza led the way in rebounds with 10, while Williams, Jermany Mapp, Tori Hyduke and Lilly Taulelei came down with two apiece.
Massachusetts shot 86.7percent (13-for-15) from the free throw line, as Hyduke was perfect from the line, making all four shots and Kulesza went 3-for-4 from the charity stripe.
Harvard started the contest with a 16-2 run, before Pierce recorded a career-best two three-pointers, back-to-back, in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Kulesza made a layup on the fast break off a turnover, while Williams hit a triple of her own to begin a 12-2 run. Tori Hyduke made two free throws in the run, as Kulesza and Williams combined for five more points to hold Harvard to a 12-point lead at 32-20 at the 5:04 mark. Massachusetts tallied six more points as Harvard scored five to hold a 39-26 lead heading into halftime.
The two teams traded four points apiece to open the third quarter with the Crimson leading 43-30. The Minutewomen started a 7-0 run, elapsing a minute, to close the gap to eight at 45-37. Harvard tallied five to start the final frame with Massachusetts put up 12 more points, but the Crimson ran away with it grabbing 17 more of their own, bringing the game to its final score of 78-57.
Massachusetts heads to West Long Branch, New Jersey, to take on Monmouth in the first ever meeting between the two programs on Sunday, November 19. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. on FloHoops.
(Courtesy of UMass Athletics)
