NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Powered by a strong defensive effort, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth women's basketball team took a 67-60 victory over Dickinson University to kick off the 2023 Smith Holiday Tournament. Three players reached double-figures for the Corsairs, including 14 from Sophomore
Tyah Pettaway along with 13 and 12 points from seniors
Carly Whiteside and
Teja Andrews, respectively.
The Corsairs third straight win improves their season record to 8-1, while the Red Devils dip to 5-3. The 8-1 start marks the best start through nine games for UMass Dartmouth since the 2018-2019 season.
The first quarter of this contest was airtight, with UMD getting on the board first on a layup from Andrews. The scoring load for UMass Dartmouth was handled by Whiteside, who scored four straight inside buckets the first quarter. The Corsairs led 14-11 with less than a minute left when Dickinson junior Clair Marion sunk a three that tied the game at 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.
The senior duo of Andrews and
Kaylin Zalewski led the scoring for UMass Dartmouth in the second quarter. Despite a high UMD shooting percentage for the quarter, the Red Devils stayed right on pace. The Corsairs narrowly won the quarter, 16-13, as they went into the halftime break with a 30-27 lead. Andrews scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half.
The Corsairs got hot early in the third quarter, when a three from Whiteside and a long two from sophomore
Melanie DeMeo gave UMAss Dartmouth its largest lead of the game of eight. Dickinson sophomores Victoria Zerbe and Mia Chapman fought to keep the Red Devils in distance. The pair scored 14 of the teams' 17 third-quarter points. UMass Dartmouth was able to maintain a six-point lead going into the final quarter following two late third-quarter buckets from Pettaway and junior
Amaris Mills.
It was DeMeo who made an impact early in the fourth quarter with a fast break layup and two free throws in the first two and a half minutes of the quarter. Her second free throw put the Corsairs up by double-digits. Some clutch late-game shooting from Chapman and Lindsey Hollenshead helped narrow the Corsair lead down to four, but Pettaway, DeMeo and Zalewski put the game on ice by going 5 for 6 from the free throw line.
UMass Dartmouth was paced by Pettaway's 14 points on 6 of 11 from the floor. Whiteside hauled in seven rebounds and scored 13 while shooting 6 of 7 from the field and 1 for 1 from deep. Andrews added 12 points and recorded four steals. The Corsairs won the battle for points in the paint (42-30) and bench scoring (22-4). UMass Dartmouth forced their opponents to go just 1 for 13 (7.7%) from three-point range.
Dickinson University was paced by a game-high 17 points from Chapman. Marion scored 12 and hit the Red Devil's only three pointer. Two other players scored in double-figures for the Red Devils in Blackman and Hollenshead. In addition to 10 points, Blackman added nine rebounds for a near double-double.
The 2023 Smith Holiday Tournament continues tomorrow, with the Corsairs set to face off with the University of Saint Joseph. Tip off is scheduled for 1PM in Northampton.
