When the Boston University women’s basketball team plays host to Stony Brook University tonight at 7 p.m., it’ll be looking to continue a trend that has propelled the team to a one-game lead atop the America East standings.
2008-09 has been a year of statements for the Terriers (15-6, 8-0 AE), especially during conference play.
The team was voted third in the preseason America East coaches’ poll, trailing the top-ranked University of Vermont and the University of Hartford.
So far this season, BU has beaten the Hawks once and the Catamounts twice, including a thrilling 64-61 overtime victory at Vermont on Saturday.
In 2007-08, BU’s Achilles’ heel was its lack of energy and rhythm on the road, going 3-5 away from Case Gymnasium during America East play. Among the teams that beat the Terriers were the University of Maine, the University at Albany and Binghamton University ‘-‘- teams that tallied a combined 23-25 record in conference play last year.
In 2008-09, BU has been perfect away from Commonwealth Avenue in conference games, winning each road game by an average of 16 points.
The Terriers retained just one player who averaged double-digit points from last year’s team. Offensive production should’ve been down.
Heading into Wednesday, four Terriers were averaging 10-plus points a game.
These statements, among other factors, are the reasons that tonight, when BU plays host to the Seawolves (5-15, 3-5), the Terriers will be playing to extend their program-record winning streak to 11 games.
BU senior Amarachi Umez-Eronini has been one of many bright spots for the Terriers this year, and was recognized Monday as the America East Player of the Week for last week’s play.
The Washington, D.C. native aided two BU victories with an average of 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, and tied a career high with six steals in Saturday’s win over Vermont.
On the season, the 5-foot-10 guard has pulled down 5.5 rebounds per game while nabbing 2.57 steals per game ‘-‘- nothing out of the ordinary for the reigning America East all-defensive team player.
What may come as a surprise has been Umez-Eronini’s play on the offensive side of the ball. The guard is averaging 11.3 points per game ‘-‘- 2.9 more ppg than she averaged last season ‘-‘- mostly thanks to her .486 shooting percentage and her 125 trips to the free-throw line.
‘She’s gotten to the free-throw line a lot, and she’s hit some big free throws for us,’ BU coach Kelly Greenberg said when asked about Umez-Eronini’s play last week. ‘Amarachi’s all about mental toughness and energy for us, and to be quite honest, she’s just a stable force for us.’
Umez-Eronini’s defensive prowess will be called upon Wednesday night, as the Terriers play host to one of America East’s best playmakers in SBU sophomore Misha Horsey. During conference play, the 5-foot-5 point guard is third in the conference with 4.8 assists per game and 11th in scoring with 12.3 ppg.
The Seawolf offense runs through the Wyncote, Pa. native’s hands, and if SBU is going to play spoiler to BU’s perfect America East season, it’ll have to do so by saddling up and riding on Horsey’s back in the offensive end.
‘We’re really looking to pick up Horsey full court,’ Greenberg said. ‘Whether it be with [seniors Kristi Dini, Christine Kinneary or Umez-Eronini], we’re going to try to wear her down because she plays so many minutes for them and is really the catalyst to their team.’
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