WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – For the first time anyone can remember, Boston University women’s basketball coach Margaret McKeon put Marisa Moseley into a game simply to take her out of it.

It gave Moseley something to grasp onto. Something symbolic – walking off the basketball court, her heart’s abode for as long as it would care to remember, into the open arms and hearts of her team, her fans and her friends. In the end, they all seemed to meld into one.

As she made the final steps off of the University of Hartford’s Chase Family Arena on Saturday, eyes glossed over by tears glossing over memories of the brilliance she’s seen in her four years at BU, she didn’t even look back.

With her Boston University women’s basketball team down 68-41 to the University of Maine with 25 seconds remaining in the America East Championship game, the time ticking away on her career, Moseley just moved forward – right into the understanding arms of fellow senior Katie Terhune. The fans cheered. All of them. A sea of Maine powdered blue rose with the pool of BU scarlet, thanking both teams for everything they can look back upon.

In Moseley and Terhune’s time here, the program has gone from a 10-19 record in the 2000-01 season, to two consecutive America East Championship games and a 19-11 (12-6 America East) record this year, after taking the conference crown last year over the top-seeded Black Bears.

Individually, Moseley has provided a powerful presence for the program, playing 112 games in four years. In that time, she’s cracked the school’s top 10 in career steals, rebounds and blocked shots, in addition to being the Terriers’ “emotional leader,” according to McKeon.

When Moseley went down with a knee injury in the team’s second matchup against Maine during the regular season on Feb. 18, the team struggled, losing two of three games, before rebounding against the weaker University at Albany and University of New Hampshire with wins to close out the regular season.

Her role as a vocal leader is understandable. She’s had to play as the opening act to Terhune’s head-banging headliner for all four years.

Terhune, who was named to the All-Tournament team for the second straight year, finished her career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,970 points, all-time leader in three-pointers with 172 and free throws with 489. She also ranks in the top 10 in four other offensive categories, while playing 115 games over her career.

Though they’ve both made their statistical marks on the program, there’s nothing that numbers can do to reflect the effect they’ve had on the program, McKeon said. They’re even more inadequate at reflecting the effect the women have had on her.

“I just told them it was a basketball game. Losing Katie Terhune, Marisa Moseley and [senior] Lashaunda Mitchell is a lot deeper feeling than losing to Maine today,” McKeon said, dropping her guard as an unflappable and stormy coach to reveal the pained soul of someone who has shared much more than coaching knowledge with her players.

“They’re gonna be my friends for life,” she said.

Those strong bonds overshadow the black gloom that the Maine black and blue cast over the Terriers on Sunday, McKeon said. The shadow was large, as BU was able to get into roughly as much flow as a bowl of water in Fargo, and was twice as cold, shooting 14.8 percent from the field in the first half in a 68-43 loss.

Focusing on the light that is only temporarily covered by the shadow helped, too, she said.

A season plagued by injuries – including a season-ending one to last year’s conference Rookie of the Year Katie Meinhardt – saw the Terriers work with a cast that changed more often than a low-cost soap opera. But it certainly enjoyed more success.

“We talked about the season,” McKeon said. “It was a very good season, it could’ve been better, but they shouldn’t hang their heads. They fought extremely hard to get to the championship. We had a lot of major injuries, and we never made any excuses … I’m fortunate to be around them every day.”

For Terhune, the pain of cutting her career short is lessened by the realization that she has helped to move the program toward greatness. And the hope that it will realize it on a regular basis.

“It hurts to be done,” Terhune said. “But for four years I’ve been blessed to play for Coach McKeon and my teammates. I just hope we made a good enough example to keep building to have a stronger program … I’m just hoping we can build on it and advance to the tournament next year.”

Thanks to the efforts of Terhune and Moseley, not to mention McKeon’s recruiting in her five seasons at BU, the team looks primed to do just that.

With Terhune’s selection to the all-conference team, plus juniors Adrienne Norris’ and Becky Bonner’s nods to the third team, the team that Maine coach Sharon Versyp called “extremely tough” saw three players earn conference honors for the second straight year.

Norris also joined Terhune on the all-tournament team, as she rose from a role player earlier in the season to lead the Terriers in rebounding (7.1 per game), steals per game (2.3), blocks per game (0.7) and free throw percentage (82.5 percent).

Bonner also joined the fun, bringing Palo Alto’s warmth as she set the BU record for three-pointers in a season (72) in her first eligible year after transferring from Stanford University.

But perhaps the biggest strides came in the underclassmen. With Meinhardt’s injury, the point guard position found itself with a void that only Sartre could love – well, and those hoping to step into it.

Freshmen Nadia Bibbs and Meredith Onson, along with sophomore Rachael Vanderwal, did just that, seeing significant playing time and making significant contributions as a point-guard-by-committee.

Bibbs ran the show in the last two games, scoring 10 points in each game. Onson shot 45 percent from the field, starting 17 games, while Vanderwal posted a 2.1 assists-to-turnover ratio.

So, with the team posting its best record in McKeon’s five years as coach and experienced talent looking to bounce back next year, the light slowly creeps from behind the shadow. Then again, the shadow’s only a loss.

For Terhune and Moseley, their influence on the program will continue. There is then no loss. Only bumps in the road.

And looking forward.