Boston University women’s basketball coach Kelly Greenberg must be doing something right in the locker room at halftime: The Terriers have not lost a second half since the opening of America East play on Jan. 1.
Wednesday night’s game showed the Terriers (20-6, 13-0 America East) breaking a 23-23-halftime gridlock to overcome the University of New Hampshire Wildcats by a final of 63-52. The 11-point margin was largely unexpected after BU’s defeat of UNH (13-12, 6-7 America East) by 40 points (79-39) earlier this season.
“We knew it was going to be a much closer game,” Greenberg said. “We knew that it was pretty much going to be a dog fight – and it was.
“They were very physical; they started a really big lineup with [center] Kelley Flynn, [forward Morgan] Frame and [forward Denise] Beliveau. They were really trying to beat us up.”
Senior guard Alex Young scored the first six points for the Terriers with her 209th and 210th career 3-pointers. After missing all seven of her long-range attempts in the previous game against Stony Brook, she now holds the BU record for most career threes. Young and senior forward Caroline Stewart were the only two starters on the BU squad who that did not finish in double digits, scoring nine and eight points, respectively.
“I’m really, really happy for [Alex],” Greenberg said. “She’s been a three-year starter, a steady player, and obviously a great three-point shooter. It’s a fun moment for everyone in our program.”
The Terriers were responsible for their low-scoring first half performance, as they did not capitalize on open shots. The only area in which they had success was free-throw shooting, where they converted 9-of-10 attempts.
The team shot 22.2 percent from the field, including 16.7 percent from beyond the parabola. The Wildcats had similar trouble, connecting on 34.6 percent of their shots in the first half and 29.8 percent through both halves.
At the beginning of the second half, the Wildcats managed to stick tight to the Terriers, but it was only a matter of time before canine supremacy would expose the frailty of the felines. A 9-0 BU run initiated by a pair of free throws from junior guard Mo Moran proved to be too much to handle for UNH, and the Terriers coasted to victory.
“I think our energy level was a little different,” Greenberg said. “We came out, we got some traps, and then we got some easy baskets. I think [junior guard Chantell Alford’s] three was big.”
The 3-pointer hit at 16:27 by Alford gave BU a 32-28 lead and put UNH out of immediate reach.
Alford finished the game with 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals. Moran provided the assist to Alford’s clutch three. She had similar success in the game, scoring 13 points, grabbing four boards and dishing out five assists.
The most impressive performance of the night came from forward Rashidat Agboola. Although she only scored two points in the opening half, the 6-foot-1 sophomore finished with a team-high 17 points and came down with a game-high 14 rebounds. This is Agboola’s second consecutive double-double, and her team-leading sixth so far this season. She now approaches an average of 10 points per game on the season, presently sitting at 9.9.
“[Rashidat’s] just an inside threat for us,” Greenberg said. “Teams have got to start worrying about her more. Her teammates are doing a great job of finding her, and she’s finishing-while getting fouled. She’s a workhorse.”
The win over UNH keeps BU in first place in America East, and extends its winning-streak to 13 games. Its next opponent, the University of Albany remains in second place in the conference, and a win for the Terriers would clinch a regular season conference title.
