The Boston University women’s basketball team is no stranger to undefeated records. A year ago, a loaded Terrier squad rolled through conference play en route to a flawless America East record. On Saturday afternoon, the shoe was on the other foot as BU faced off against No. 24 University of Hartford and its perfect record.
The Hawks (23-3, 14-0) used a stingy defense to defeat the Terriers 61-38. Hartford’s defense has allowed a conference low 44.4 points per game in America East play, and Boston University (14-12, 10-4) became its latest victim.
The 38-point total was BU’s lowest all season.
The Terriers put themselves in an early hole, only managing a single field goal in the first seven minutes, as Hartford jumped to an early 12-2 advantage. Hartford dominated the boards, pulling down eight of the first ten rebounds in the game. Hawks’ senior forward Erica Beverly was a nightmare for Terrier shooters in the first half, pulling in five rebounds and blocking four shots.
Hartford went into the break leading 23-13.
Freshman guard Mo Moran’s 3-pointer seconds into the second half pulled the Terriers within seven, but that would be the closest they would come all game. Hartford closed down the lanes and nailed its free throws down the stretch to preserve the advantage.
Senior center Diana Delva led all players with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Beverly added 11 points to her eight rebounds and four blocks. Joining them in double digits were sophomore Ilicia Mathis and junior Jackie Smith, who scored 14 and 12 points, respectively.
For the Terriers, scoring was few and far between. Standout freshman forward Chantell Alford was held below 10 points for the first time since November, posting only six with three rebounds. Moran (10 points, two assists) and sophomore guard Alex Young (13 points, four rebounds) led the way offensively for BU.
A lack of production inside the paint doomed the young Terrier squad. Forwards Kerry Cashman, Caroline Stewart and Aly Hinton managed only eight points combined, with six of them coming off of a pair of Hinton 3-pointers. Superior rebounding also contributed to 10 second chance points for the Hawks, compared to zero for BU.
Overall, Hartford outplayed BU in almost every category: rebounds, 50-29, blocks,7-2, steals, 8-3 and field goal percentage, 34.7 percent to 28.1 percent.
With the victory, Hartford clinched the No. 1 seed in the year-end tournament, which the Hawks are hosting. The loss ruins the Terriers hopes of claiming one of the top two seeds, and they will now look to prepare for a first round matchup against the America East’s sixth seed.
Their opponent will come from a tight pack battling for the lower spots: the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Stony Brook University, Binghamton University or the University of Maine.
Two games remain on Boston University’s regular season schedule. The Terriers travel to Baltimore to face off against UMBC Wednesday afternoon before closing out the season with a home game against the University of New Hampshire. A solid end to the season is essential if BU wants momentum entering the postseason.