Kristi Dini proved that her subpar showing (1-for-7 shooting, 0-for-5 from 3) against Central Michigan University Sunday was a fluke. Last night against Brown University, the senior guard went 6-for-12 from the field and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, finishing with 16 points.
Prior to her down game against the Chippewas, Dini had netted double-digit scoring outputs in five straight games and was knocking down 3s at a 38-percent clip. Sunday’s game dragged her 3-point percentage below 35 percent.
Dini made sure there were no hangover effects in the first minute of last night’s game, hitting two 3s in 10 seconds after back-to-back turnovers by Brown.
‘I just think that sometimes you have an off game,’ Dini said. ‘My shot was off against Central Michigan, but the day before on the same court, it was on. And [last night] it was on. I don’t think I really did anything different.’
A Christine Kinneary steal and Amarachi Umez-Eronini assist set up Dini’s first trey. Sadiea Williams of the Bears then fumbled the inbound pass out of bounds and Kinneary found an open Dini in the right corner to give the Terriers a quick 8-0 lead.
The 3s not only set the pace for Dini the rest of the night, but for the game as a whole. Brown pulled within five 5:15 into the game, but Dini made a layup 10 seconds later to spark a 26-5 run that put the game away.
‘I think it was a really big deal to start the way we did,’ Dini said. ‘I think in all of our losses, how we start the game is how we play. We didn’t start the game very well [over the weekend] and that just carried out. I think we came out [last night] rebounding and playing D. Our press was tough and we were knocking down shots.’
In addition to the outstanding shooting performance, Dini tied a career-high with eight rebounds ‘-‘- seven of which came in the first half. Four of those boards came on the offensive glass, leading to eight Terrier points.
‘I think one of the reasons why we lost to Central Michigan was because we didn’t rebound,’ Dini said. ‘So, we really stressed in practice [Tuesday] and pre-game to crash the boards.’
She also played some of her best defense of the year, constantly pressuring Brown’s shooters and forcing them to give up the rock. Her constant energy led to several of the Bears’ 16 first-half turnovers.
Coming into the season, Dini was assigned the difficult task of filling the starting two-guard role vacated by the graduated Cheri Raffo, BU’s ninth all-time leading scorer.
So far, Dini hasn’t disappointed. She ranks second on the team with 11.6 points per game and has taken more than twice as many 3s as anyone else on the team, averaging more than 11 attempts per game from long range.
‘She’s a starter in my mind, and she always has been,’ BU coach Kelly Greenberg said. ‘Dini’s just Dini. She brings a lot to the table. Dini brings her hands and her feet to our defensive end. Her game has elevated so much on the offensive end. I just can’t say that enough. When she comes out with energy on defense, her offense just comes.’
If Dini can keep knocking down treys at a 38 percent rate, as well as continue to improve her rebounding and defense, replacing Raffo will be the least of her accomplishments this year.
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