Entering another season, the Boston University women’s basketball team is prepared for a season full of strong opposition in its quest for another America East Conference title.
Thus far the Terriers are 1-1, with a season-opening, come-from-behind 65-62 win over Providence College on Friday night, followed by a road defeat at the hands of University of Massachusetts, 55-49.
“I thought our defense was good, we just couldn’t knock down some shots,” said head coach Kelly Greenberg of the loss to UMass. “We ran out of gas, unfortunately. It was a game we really should’ve won.”
The Terriers will not play at home again until Thanksgiving break in match-ups against Northeastern University and the University of Rhode Island. Before then, BU will face the University of Richmond this coming Friday, but those three games – as well the rest of the contests on tap before the new year – are preparation for America East play, which won’t start until Jan. 4 against the University of Vermont.
In the meantime, BU has a number of players looking to break out this season.
Senior guard Alex Young is certainly one of those players who is expected to help lead the Terriers this season.
On Sunday, the Hickory, N.C., native reached milestone of 1,000 points for her collegiate career, adding another bullet to her captain’s resume. So far she leads the team with 36 points this season, and finished last year second on the team with 400 points on the season.
“Alex just loves the game. Her biggest strengths are how much she cares about BU basketball and how competitive she is,” Greenberg said. “She’s one of the most competitive players [on the team.] I really have no negatives to say about her. She’s very consistent.”
As good as Young is, BU can also expect further success from junior guard Chantell Alford. Not only did she lead last year’s team with 464 points, but she was also America East Player of the Year as a sophomore, an honor which was itself a follow up to her conference Rookie of the Year award the season prior.
With the loss of Kerry Cashman to graduation, sophomore forward Rashidat Agboola will be leaned on a bit more this year, moving to the starting lineup to start the season and seeing much more playing time. She has showed much promise in the early going, even leading the team with 21 points and 16 rebounds in Sunday’s loss.
Also playing a significant role will be junior guard Mo Moran, who averaged nearly ten points per game last season and led the team with 123 assists and 61 steals.
Greenberg has commended Moran as being a “steady force” for the Terriers in her three years thus far.
Named in early September, the team has three captains this year. Young, along with senior forward and fellow second-year captain Caroline Stewart, with be joined by senior guard Kasie Carbacio as the official leaders. The three will be expected to lead the Terriers on and off the court in their final season as Terriers.
On the other end of the experience spectrum are the rookies, as three freshmen join this year’s team, and one of them is a program first. Forward Mollie McKendrick, hailing from Mildura, Australia, the team’s first recruit from the land down under. Meanwhile, guards Troi Melton and Nicole Tamanosky are both from the United States and show equal promise in contributing to BU’s success. The three have yet to see game time, though, leaving the team waiting to witness what they can bring to the court.
Together, all of these players create a team with lofty expectations, as the Terriers were picked to finish second in America East in the preseason coaches’ poll. Last year, when the team was the preseason favorite, the Terriers’ season ended in the conference finals in a devastating loss against University of Hartford.
Without any member of the current roster having experienced an America East championship, the Terriers are certainly in it to win it this season, despite those early predictions of another second place finish. And with four out of five starters returning, and more promising players on hand, it’s certainly not out of reach.
“We feel healthy,” Greenberg said. “We have three great senior captains, and the team works really well. It’s all a matter of having it play out on the court.”
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