AMHERST — The UMass women’s basketball team returned home from Richmond, Va. late Saturday night following a 20-point loss to VCU in its first Atlantic 10 Conference bout of the season.

On Sunday, head coach Mike Leflar put the Minutewomen right back to work with film study and practice. The response he saw from his team throughout the short week leading up to Tuesday night’s game with Dayton was exactly what he had hoped to see – and it gave him a satisfying feeling about the matchup.

UMass rode those good habits established on Sunday and Monday into Tuesday, and earned a 76-66 win over the Flyers – Leflar’s first ever conference victory in the Minutewomen’s home conference opener.

“Just a huge opportunity, as I told our team before the game, coming back home and starting off the A-10 season, at home, with a win,” Leflar said. “And we took advantage of the opportunity. I never like to use the word ‘deserves,’ but I just felt like [Monday] night, as I was thinking about today’s game, I just really wanted it for our team. The response that they showed over the last few days, I wanted them to come out with the result that we got. Right down the roster, everyone contributed.”

Kristin Williams led UMass with 15 points, Lilly Taulelei added 14 points, and Stefanie Kulesza stuffed the stat sheet for 13 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals while posting a team-high plus/minus of 15.

Taulelei’s 14 points tied a career high for the freshman from New Zealand. Her big day was made even more special considering her parents were in attendance to witness it at the Mullins Center.

“It’s pretty special having my parents here, it’s a very far trip for them,” Taulelei said. “It’s nice to have them here. While I was in the game, I didn’t realize I had tied [my career high]. I was more focused on trying to stay composed, and I think it was a really good team win. I think we all contributed so well.”

After falling behind 26-19 midway through the second quarter, UMass fired off a 13-6 run to tie the game at 32 apiece at halftime – capped off by a buzzer-beating layup from Lilly Ferguson (7 points). 

Kulesza converted a layup for UMass right out of the break, kick-starting a string of five consecutive Minutewomen made field goals on the offensive end. UMass never trailed again.

“The way we closed the first half, being down but fighting back, and gaining some momentum at the end of the half, and really essentially the score was 0-0 going into the half,” Leflar said. “We knew if we just cleaned up some things we could take advantage. And I love how we came out in the third quarter and just took the fight to Dayton.”

The Flyers tied it back up at 52 in the final minute of the frame – the third-highest scoring total UMass has had in a quarter this season (23) – before Williams launched a deep 3 from several feet behind the arc. Williams buried it – her third of the night – to put the Minutewomen ahead for good, 55-52.

UMass then rattled off nine straight points to start the fourth, and didn’t surrender a single Dayton point until a Nayo Lear free throw with 4:41 remaining. The defense, which turned Dayton over 22 times, was lights out in the fourth.

“Buying in to the game plan is always big, and just buying in to what we’re doing, because we gotta stick together out there, all five,” Leflar said. “Especially in the second half, because all the action is away from our bench defensively, so I was really proud to see [the intensity] and hear that. I think also there was a lot of effort on the glass. Dayton having six offensive rebounds is something I’m really proud of. Rebounding effort is something we talk about each game.”

The Flyers eventually cut the deficit to 68-63 with a little over a minute to go thanks to a five-minute field goal drought from UMass, but the earlier stretch in the game was the nail in the coffin for the Flyers.

The Minutewomen producing 21 points – paced by seven apiece from Tori Hyduke and Ferguson – certainly didn’t help Dayton either.

“They made their free throws for the most part, which kept us at bay even when we made our little run,” Dayton head coach Tamika Williams-Jeter said. “I think their bench play was huge when we got them in foul trouble. You have to take care of leads, especially when you’re on the road, and you cannot turn the ball over.”

The 76 points were the most UMass has scored all season, and it’s no secret why. The Minutewomen also recorded a season-high 22 assists, with four players having at least three. Bre Bellamy posted a game-high six, including three in the third quarter alone.

“I know a lot of assists shows a lot of good team basketball, so I’m just proud of our team as a whole,” Kulesza said. “We played a lot of team basketball, and those assists definitely helped us to get the buckets and then get the win.”

UMass (3-11, 1-1 Atlantic 10) stays home for a weekend game with Saint Louis. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.