It was business as usual at The Roof on Tuesday for the Terriers’ women’s basketball team. BU established an early lead in its game against the Maine Black Bears with a combination of aggressive full-court defense and high-percentage shooting. Every Maine attempt at a comeback was denied, and BU coasted to a decisive 21-point victory.
Don’t look now, but there’s a team with a long winning streak at Case Gym, and it isn’t coached by Dennis Wolff.
How long is the winning streak? The Terriers haven’t lost a game at The Roof since Feb. 10, 2007, a game against second-place Stony Brook in which BU was out-rebounded by 17, but still held a lead with less than five minutes to play. Dating back to last year, the Terriers have won 11 consecutive games when playing above Walter Brown Arena, including three wins by 20 or more points and a victory over conference-leading Hartford.
To be fair, coach Kelly Greenberg’s squad has dodged some major bullets in order to keep its clean sheet at Case. BU lost a home game against nationally-ranked Ohio State in mid-November, but it was played at the spacious Agganis Arena. The Terriers also narrowly escaped defeat against Hartford in their conference opener thanks to Kristi Dini’s half-court shot at the buzzer.
Still, a team with 10 losses would be expected to drop at least one difficult game on its home floor. Instead, the Terriers have defended their home ferociously at every opportunity. For teams that have shown up expecting anything less than a dogfight, the results have often been lopsided. BU’s schedule is littered with opponents that were unable to rise to the challenge.
Take Rhode Island, for instance. The Rams arrived at The Roof on Nov. 13 for the Terriers’ home opener, fresh off a 19-point victory over a Sacred Heart team that holds a 13-2 record in the Northeast Conference. URI started off cold, and BU capitalized – the game was effectively over before halftime.
Better yet, look at Stony Brook. The Seawolves, although struggling this season, defeated Maine three nights before heading to Boston for a Saturday afternoon clash on Jan. 19. The score, an 89-40 thrashing, only begins to describe the lopsided nature of the game. BU collected 61 rebounds, had six players score in double-digits and led by as many as 56 points with 10 minutes remaining. At one point, the Seawolves went almost eight minutes without a field goal.
Winning at home is great, but when the Terriers suit up for their quarterfinal matchup in the America East Tournament next month, they won’t be able to bring the cozy confines of Case with them. Still, there are a number of positives Christine Kinneary ‘ Co. can take from their home performance.
Should the Terriers manage to win their final home game against Albany, they will enter the conference tournament with at least one victory against every other team in America East. The Terriers can then approach each game they play at Chase Arena with a blueprint for how to defeat their opponent.
To win 11 games at the same venue requires consistency and a dedication to performing at a high level in every game. A certain amount of luck is involved in any substantial win streak, but luck only results in success when teams put themselves in the position to succeed. The effort and energy level required to achieve success is being exhibited by the Terriers at every home game. BU players defend with tenacity, dive for loose balls and generally treat every possession as if the game hangs in the balance. That attitude should pay dividends come March.
While winning at home, the Terriers have learned how to close out tough games. BU is among the nation’s leaders in team free-throw percentage, limiting the effectiveness of opponents’ late-game strategies. The Terriers average three more assists and three fewer turnovers than their opponents. Ball security and consistent free-throw shooting will put a team in a position to win almost any game.
Most importantly, the Terriers’ home performance puts them in excellent position to grab the third seed in the conference tournament. With five teams above the .500 mark in America East and the bottom four teams struggling to earn wins, the No. 3 seed becomes far more attractive than the fourth. In addition to a quarterfinal matchup against a team with a losing record, the third seed also avoids the possibility of a semifinal contest against the top seed – almost certainly a Hartford team playing on its home floor.
However, in order for these hypothetical playoff scenarios to mean anything, the Terriers have to finish what they’ve started on their home floor. Their next home contest is approaching rapidly, a Wednesday night clash with New Hampshire at The Roof. If trends count for anything, the Terriers’ home performances indicate the probable outcome of that game.
An 11-game streak? Try 12.
Matt Whitrock, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected].