HADLEY, Mass. (Interstat) — The Massachusetts Minutemen used a dominant first quarter and a balanced scoring attack to secure an 84-73 victory over the Siena Saints in a non-conference women’s basketball game Saturday at the Mullins Center.

Playing before a crowd of 970, Massachusetts improved to 2-0 on the young season, while Siena dropped to 0-2.

The Minutemen set the tone early, exploding for 23 points in the opening quarter while holding the Saints to just 11. Allie Palmieri and Yahmani McKayle were instrumental in the fast start, with Palmieri scoring seven of her 20 points in the period and McKayle facilitating the offense. Massachusetts never relinquished the lead, carrying a 44-31 advantage into halftime.

Siena showed resilience, mounting a strong fourth-quarter push by scoring 26 points, but could never close the gap to a single-digit deficit as the Minutemen consistently answered every Saints’ run.

Francesca Schiro delivered a standout performance for Siena in the losing effort. The 5-foot-7 guard from Hillsborough, N.J., poured in a game-high 28 points while adding four rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes of action. Genevive Wedemeyer, from Cowbridge, Germany, provided support with 13 points.

Massachusetts countered with a trio of double-digit scorers. Palmieri, a 5-foot-10 guard from Trumbull, Conn., led the way with 20 points and four rebounds. McKayle, a 5-foot-6 guard from Queens, N.Y., orchestrated the offense with 19 points and eight assists. Megan Olbrys, a 6-foot-1 forward from Norwood, Mass., added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Minutemen’s victory was fueled by superior efficiency and ball security. Massachusetts shot 50.7 percent from the floor, compared to Siena’s 41.4 percent. A significant factor was the turnover battle, where the Minutemen forced Siena into 23 giveaways while committing only 15 themselves. Massachusetts converted those opportunities, registering 13 steals, led by McKayle’s four.

Defensively, Massachusetts also controlled the paint, blocking seven Siena shots. Chinenye Odenigbo, a 6-foot-5 center from Walpole, Mass., recorded three of those blocks.

Siena’s previous result was a 53-43 home loss to Colgate on Tuesday. Massachusetts opened its season with a 58-52 road win at Old Dominion on Monday.

The Minutemen are scheduled to host Harvard on Tuesday. Siena will look for its first win of the season when it travels to face Army on Thursday.