The Boston University women’s basketball team has relied on its backcourt to provide the scoring for most of the season. Before this weekend, it had remained a mystery whether the frontcourt players could overcome the injuries they have battled all season and add to the scoring punch of the Terriers. It is a mystery no more.
Junior center Amparo Lopez set game and career highs by scoring 16 points on 7-11 shooting from the field and grabbing nine rebounds to propel the visiting Terriers (9-11, 6-3 AE) to a 61-49 win over Binghamton University (7-12, 3-6 AE) on Saturday. With the victory, the BU women complete their two-game road trip to upstate New York with two wins and a return to second place in the America East Conference.
Sophomore forward Larissa Parr complemented Lopez’s post play with 11 points and seven rebounds on 4-8 shooting from the field. Junior guard Katie Terhune added 15 points for the Terriers, shooting just 4-14 from the field, but making seven of eight from the foul line.
It was, however, the play of the 6-foot, 5-inch Spaniard that impressed BU coach Margaret McKeon most.
‘I was cheering for Amparo,’ McKeon said in a post-game interview with WTBU radio. ‘We’ve been working with her all year. We really started to define her role to get on the right block, score at will, get offensive rebounds, and she’s doing it.’
Lopez’s career performance will not be a fluke, according to McKeon. Her play has earned her a chance to contribute on a regular basis.
‘Now, she is going to be a focal point of our offense, and we’ve been making that adjustment ever since the Maine game. It paid off for us tonight, and hopefully it will continue,’ McKeon said.
Parr’s play also drew praise from the Terrier coach. Parr started the conference season playing well, but has been bothered by sore knees over the second half of the season, leading to less playing time and less production for the Terriers.
‘Larissa came out ready to go. I think [Friday] I got my message across to her about making layups and finishing,’ McKeon said. ‘She has unbelievable moves. She’s a great player, one of the best post players in the conference. The reason why she’s not playing consistent is her knee.’
The Terriers weren’t the only team that received help from their frontcourt. Bearcat center Kristin Hibler also had a team-high 16 points and nine rebounds, while forward Rachel Laws added 10 points and eight rebounds for Binghamton.
The Bearcats shot just 34.5 percent from the field in the first half, but managed to trail by only three points at the break. The Terriers used a 17-6 run to start the second half and jump out to a 47-32 lead with 12:06 to play.
‘I thought we came out with a good approach in the second half and really had a lot of energy,’ McKeon said. ‘We did some great things tonight. We shot the ball well and got to the line.’
Despite the Terriers’ strong play, there were some weak spots. The BU women shot a below-average 63.3 percent from the foul line and had 17 turnovers on offense compared to just eight assists. The Terriers also came up empty on all four of their three-point attempts, though Binghamton missed all nine of theirs.
The most important development for the Terriers, however, was that they gave a consistent effort for 40 minutes and got contributions from many different players.
‘We played a complete team game for the first time all year long,’ McKeon said. ‘It says a lot about this group; they’ve got a lot of heart and soul. It’s just the fact that they’re not 100 percent. I feel very good. This is the best I’ve felt all year as a coach.’
