The Boston University women’s basketball team earned its fourth win in the last five games on Saturday afternoon, beating Loyola University Maryland 67-55. The Terriers (10-14, 8-5 Patriot League) are now tied for fourth in the conference with American University, whom they defeated Wednesday night.
The Terriers got off to a quick start in the first quarter, scoring six straight points to open the game. BU also forced twelve turnovers during the first half, but committed ten of its own, allowing Loyola (9-15, 5-8 Patriot League) to hang around early on in the first quarter.
Despite junior center Sophie Beaudry’s being benched after picking up her second foul late in the first quarter, the Terriers dominated the Greyhounds on the glass, outscoring them 23-11 in the first half, which allowed BU to open up a large lead. BU also continued its defensive pressure, largely resulting in turnovers from double teams in the far corners of the court.
“What Loyola was doing at that point sort of played right into our hands defensively,” said BU head coach Katy Steding.
Six Terriers made multiple shots in the first half. Senior guard Sarah Hope led the team with 11 first-half points, while freshman guard Vanessa Edgehill and senior forward Meghan Green made notable contributions off the bench, with six and sevens points respectively. The Terriers outscored Loyola 20-2 in the second frame and led 36-13 at the end of the half.
“We’re getting better and better at trying to involve everyone in the game,” Steding said. “I thought everybody that came off the bench gave us a real spark, which was terrific, and oftentimes we’ve talked to the bench about how we’ve held steady when they’re playing, [but what we need from them] is a lift. I think everybody took that to heart and came in with some extra aggressiveness, and that was really important”.
The Greyhounds recovered during the third quarter, outscoring BU 22-17 and cutting the Terrier lead to 18. After a scoreless first half, guard Bri Betz-White scored nine points for Loyola in the second half, including one three-pointer.
“One of the things we’ve discussed over the years is that we can’t let allow good players have their career nights against us,” Steding said. “We have to come out more focused. And I thought [senior guard] Courtney [Latham], when we were in man [defense] did a really good job on Bri, and I thought the rest of the team was really focused to not let her get going, and that was obviously very helpful, and essential to our game plan.”
The fourth frame was similar to the third, as Loyola cut down the BU lead by an additional six points, but did not complete the comeback. Betz-White slowed down a bit, but other players from Loyola, such as senior Lauren Daugherty and freshman Stephanie Karcz stepped up, scoring key buckets for the Greyhounds down the stretch.
While BU is gaining momentum down the stretch toward March, Steding is still focused on improvement and constant vigilance.
“At first it really felt like the league was really wide open, and it was, and I think it’s still pretty open,” Steading said. “If you don’t take care of your business … you’re at risk of being beaten by anybody in the league. That’s how good our league is … you really have to be on your game in every game. I think being able to win at home and on the road, get a couple of back-to-back wins has been really instrumental to us, in terms of making a push at the end of the season. I think our team has gained some confidence.”
