DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The nationally ranked No.24/RV UMass Dartmouth women's basketball team celebrated their Senior Day game with a dominant win over Western Connecticut State University, 116-57, on Saturday afternoon during the final regular season contest. The Corsairs concluded the regular season with a 21-4 overall record and 14-2 Little East Conference (LEC) mark to secure the 2024-25 LEC Regular Season Champion title and the top-seed for LEC postseason play.
UMass Dartmouth also set a new all-time single-game points record with 116 points against the Wolves today. The Corsairs surpassed the 2018-19 team's previous record of 110 points also against Western Connecticut State on Feb. 4 of 2019.
The Corsairs jumped out to an early 9-0 lead after clipping three consecutive triples thanks to fifth year captain
Kaylin Zalewski, fifth year captain
Jaelyn Lavigne, and senior
Amaris Mills. Graduate student
Carly Whiteside posted another three-pointer at the 4:08 mark to make it a 12-2 lead for the home team. Graduate student captain
Teja Andrews added three more points before classmate
Jane McCauley nailed back-to-back triples to put UMass Dartmouth ahead 23-8. Whiteside gave the Corsairs a 21 point lead heading into the second after scoring the last six points which was highlighted by knocking down the seventh three-pointer of the opening quarter.
Lavigne and Andrews each posted early buckets to in the second quarter before the Wolves string four straight points together to make it a 34-14 game. UMass Dartmouth took a 30-point advantage thanks to Whiteside and Andrews each posting six points apiece in a 12-4 run with 2:27 left on the clock. After junior
Melanie DeMeo finished a driving layup, Deona Garcia clipped in a triple for the Wolves. Whiteside wrapped up the first half with 21 points after going 2-for-2 at the line to give UMass Dartmouth a commanding 52-25 lead at halftime.
Zalewski started the third quarter strong for the Corsairs by completing an and-one play just 11 seconds into the quarter. At the 7:48 mark, Mills drained a bucket from long range to kick off a 9-1 run finished by a fastbreak layup from Whiteside to put UMass Dartmouth up by 41-points. With 2:52 on the clock, fifth year
Jemima Joseph completed an and-one play for the Corsairs after Garcia committed the foul. In the last minute of the third, McCauley knocked down a triple followed by a good layup from Joseph to give the home side an 89-42 cushion entering the final quarter of the contest.
Andrews got the offense going in the fourth laying in a pair of quick buckets to pull the Corsairs away 93-44. After the Wolves went 3-for-4 from the charity stripe, UMass Dartmouth generated a 7-0 run featuring a three-pointer from McCauley to put the Corsairs in triple figures. Sophomore
Shelby Companion laid in her first bucket of the game at the 2:48 mark to extend UMass Dartmouth's advantage to 57 points. Shortly after, junior
Cristina Negron clipped in a three-pointer off the feed from classmate
Kasey Oliver to make it 112-52. First year
Elizabeth Gresian laid in the final bucket in the final minute of action to cement UMass Dartmouth's dominant home victory against Western Connecticut State by a final score of 116-57.
Five Corsairs posted double digits in the win with Whiteside leading the team with her season-high 30 points going 12-for-14 from the field, 3-for-3 from behind the arc, and a perfect 3-for-3 from the line. She also posted three rebounds and three blocks in the victory. Andrews scored 19 points (8-12 FG, 3-5 FT) to go along with eight boards, four assists, four steals, and a pair of blocks. McCauley clipped in a team-high 4-of-8 three-point shots to end the game with 18 points (7-13 FG) as well as three steals, two assists, and a rebound. Zalewski (4-9 FG, 1-5 3-FG, 3-3 FT) and Mills (4-11 FG, 2-6 3-FG) each recorded double figures for their Senior Day game combining for 22 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and four blocks. Mills also finished the game with a career-high five steals.
The Corsairs secured the top-seed in the 2024-25 Little East Conference Tournament and will host an LEC Semifinal game on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m. UMass Dartmouth will face the winner of the No. 5 Keene State College versus No. 4 Eastern Connecticut State University game.
