Behind a stellar performance from Rachael Vanderwal, the Boston University women’s basketball team pushed its home win streak to six games, sailing past the University of Maine with a 80-61 victory.
In the team’s only appearance at Agganis Arena this season, the Terriers (12-6, 5-2 America East) shot 47.6 percent from the field and limited the Black Bears (6-12, 2-5) to just one 3-point shot.
“It was a great team effort,” said BU coach Kelly Greenberg. “We brought great energy and we played very unselfishly. Us holding them to 23 points in the first half was huge.”
Vanderwal, playing in her 100th game as a Terrier, led the team in three statistical categories, collecting 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Erica Kovach and Katie Meinhardt turned in 14 points apiece and freshman Christine Kinneary had 11 points, two assists and two steals. It was the third time this season that the Terriers had four players in double figures.
Meinhardt, who is still nursing an elbow injury suffered in the Jan. 18 game at Stony Brook University, scored 14 points off the bench, including 11 in the last 11 minutes of the second half. Freshman Kristi Dini scored six points on two 3-point shots in the game’s dwindling minutes.
Bracey Barker led the undermanned Black Bears with 26 points and eight rebounds. Senior Abby Schrader and junior Ashley Underwood, Maine’s second-leading scorer, notched 11 points each.
The Terriers wasted no time getting started Saturday. Three field goals by Vanderwal and a 3-pointer by Cheri Raffo gave the Terriers an 11-2 lead less than four minutes into the game.
“I felt good right from the get, right when Erica got me the ball,” Vanderwal said. “My hands felt really good. I just went into the game trying to be aggressive.”
The Terriers continued to push the ball aggressively early. Aided by several Maine traveling violations, BU pushed the lead to 19-10 midway through the first half. Whittier would score the Black Bears’ only 3-pointer of the game to cut the lead to six, but four BU free throws and a jumper by Jesyka Burks-Wiley would increase the Terriers’ advantage.
Later in the half, consecutive shots by Kovach, followed by one from Vanderwal would give the Terriers a 35-13 lead. Kovach, the team’s leading 3-point shooter, scored four of her six field goals from within the arc.
“They definitely were expecting me to take 3s,” Kovach said. “Usually, I get my 3s off the transition and they were definitely ready for it, so I tried to lose them.”
Free throws allowed the Black Bears to stay in the game after the break, but the Terriers continued to make unlikely shots. With BU up, 54-38, and just three seconds left on the shot clock, Vanderwal passed to Raffo, who drained a jump shot as the clock expired.
The Terriers are now tied for second in the conference and will round out the first half of America East play Wednesday against the University of New Hampshire.