Women's Basketball Can't Overcome Slow Start in Falling to UMass

Saturday, February 21

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1 p.m.

Central Michigan University

16-10,10-5MAC

Massachusetts

19-6,11-3MAC

Massachusetts

Central Mich.

Women's Basketball Can't Overcome Slow Start in Falling to UMass Image

CMU senior Taylor Anderson drives toward the basket on Saturday in the Chippewas' loss to UMass at McGuirk Arena.

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Women's Basketball Can't Overcome Slow Start in Falling to UMass

2/21/2026 3:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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By: Andy Sneddon

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Massachusetts got off to a fast start and Central Michigan never fully recovered on Saturday as the Minutewomen topped the Chippewas, 69-50, at McGuirk Arena in a battle of two of the top Mid-American Conference women's basketball teams.

CMU slipped to 16-10, 10-5 MAC and remains in fourth place. Third-place UMass is 19-6, 11-3.

The Chippewas, who have clinched a MAC Tournament berth, are scheduled to play at Toledo on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

UMass scored the first eight points of the game on Saturday and was up, 18-8, after one quarter.

CMU got within eight, 22-14, on a Taylor Anderson free throw with 7:25 to play in the first half, but UMass went on a 20-6 run to increase its advantage to 22, 42-20, with under 10 seconds to play in the half.

"They were doing whatever they wanted to do," CMU coach Kristin Haynie said of the Minutewomen. "You know, the first half, it's like, where's our defense? So that was just frustrating.

"That's not Chippewa basketball. We've been a pretty good defensive team, one of the top in the MAC this year, and for them to score that many points in the first half on our home floor was disappointing."

The Chippewas hung in and managed to draw within 12 points, 53-41, early in the fourth quarter, but could get no closer. CMU held UMass to three field goals on 20 attempts in the third quarter.

"It was good to see them come out in the second half and give Chippewa basketball that defensive effort," Haney said. "That's what we've been trying to get all game. That's what we talked about at halftime."

Madi Morson scored 16 points to lead CMU, which committed 19 turnovers (UMass had six), 13 of them in the first half. The Minutewomen cashed in for 23 points off the Chippewa giveaways.

"Take care of the ball," Haynie said. "I don't know how many times I have to say that. We've got to figure that out. Just mental errors.

"Our team, we didn't roll over, which was good. But we let their change of their defenses affect our offense, and we just became stagnant, a lot of ball watching, not a lot of movement."

Allie Palmieri hit five of her 10 3-point attempts and finished with 19 points to lead UMass, which made 11 of its 20 triple tries (55 percent).

After the game at Toledo, the Chippewas will go to Kent State and then return home for their regular-season finale against Bowling Green on Wednesday, March 4.

"It was a good crowd today, just like last weekend was," Haynie said. "One more home game; Taylor Anderson has played here for four years. Just send her off the right way. Hopefully we get a great crowd. We've been having them the past few games. It's been awesome. They've been great."