Women’s basketball comes up short against URI

Looking to break out of a two-game skid, the Boston University women’s basketball team took on the University of Rhode Island Tuesday night in Kingston, Rhode Island.

The Terriers (3-6) could not contain the streaking Rams (7-3), who have won six straight games, as BU fell 56-48.

“They’re a really good team,” said BU coach Katy Steding. “They have really been playing well as of late. We caught them at a time where I wish we didn’t catch them. But I thought we were up to the challenge. And we were right there for basically the whole game. This one got away. But we’re a young team, and we’ll learn from that.”

The game started out sluggish, as both teams seemed to settle for jumpers. Already four minutes into the game, the score was only 2-2.

Despite the slow start from both teams, BU quickly jumped out to a six-point lead, as a made jump shot by freshman forward Kara Sheftic put the Terriers up 13-7 with 10:19 left in the first half.

The Terriers continued to put the pressure on, as their offense continued to get them open shots. With just 5:06 left in the first half, BU was up 21-15.

However, three straight turnovers by the Terriers brought the Rams right back into the game. A 3-pointer by freshman Charise Wilson gave URI a 22-21 lead with 2:44 left in the half. The two sides continued to battle, but the Rams went into the break with a 26-24 lead.

“We played really well that first half until those last five minutes,” Steding said. “We just can’t hurt ourselves. But we’re a young team, and young teams will do that. We just need to learn that turnovers are killer. And we need to end halves stronger. Good teams know how to end halves strong. The Rams did that, and we didn’t.”

Both teams came out misfiring again in the second half. The Rams eventually got their offense going, as they found themselves an eight-point lead with 11:44 left in the contest.

BU would not go away, though, as a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Sarah Hope cut URI’s lead to 41-35. The Rams ultimately came back, embarking on an 11-1 run, led by guard Tayra Melendez.

“That was pretty bad,” Steding said, regarding URI’s run. “It was a combination of both our offense and defense. We just couldn’t get any stops or make any shots. But we’re going to go through that sometimes. We just have to take it slow, especially when we’re struggling. We can’t let these runs pile on, because that [run] really sealed the game. But we’ll learn.”

With just 6:37 left in the game, the Terriers stared at a 16-point deficit. The game seemed as though it was over, but BU had other ideas. The Terriers responded with a 12-2 run, as junior forward Mollie McKendrick and Hope each chipped in six points.

With 3:13 left, the Rams clamped down on defense and did not allow the Terriers to score another basket.

The Rams extended their winning streak to six games, while BU is now on a three-game losing skid. Steding said this is just part of the learning curve, as BU is still a young team learning how to win.

“Today was tough,” said Steding. “But I really liked the fight, and I thought we played really well at times. Look, we’re going to have tough game. I know that. I get that, and we have to get better. But I like the direction we’re going in. I really do.”