The Boston University women’s basketball team will be seeking its second consecutive victory Wednesday when it plays the University of New Hampshire in Case Gym. The Terriers are coming off a 62-57 victory over Stephen F. Austin University Saturday in the University of New Mexico Thanksgiving tournament.
For the Terriers (3-3), this will be their third home game of the season. BU is undefeated at Case this season, having beating Harvard University 63-62 on Nov. 17 to pick up its first win of the season and then defeating the University of Vermont 66-61 on Nov. 22.
In both games, sophomore forward Meghan Green led the way for the Terriers. Green is the Terriers’ leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 14.2 points per game and 8.5 boards per game while shooting 50 percent from the field.
Against Harvard (3-3), Green scored a game and career-high 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field. The Bedford, New Hampshire native’s key moment with 4:27 left in the game, when she made two key free throws to give the Terriers a four-point lead, their largest of the game.
In the second home game for the Terriers, Green once again came up big. She finished with 14 points, going 6-for-12 from the field with nine rebounds.
Another crucial factor that the Terriers could see in this game will be the play of sophomore guard Sarah Hope, who is coming off an impressive performance in the New Mexico tournament. Hope is averaging 12.2 points per tilt and is BU’s second leading scorer behind Green.
In a loss to tournament host New Mexico (1-5) on Friday, Hope finished with a career high 19 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field including 5-for-8 from 3-point range. Hope was also instrumental in the Terriers’ 62-57 win against Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, finishing with 15 points and seven rebounds. As a result of her performance, Hope was named to the All-Tournament team.
“I feel good about the tournament. The girls feel good,” said BU coach Katy Steding. “We let one go, but we’re a young team, and rebounding with a win is great. Sarah [Hope] and [senior forward] Mollie [McKendrick] were great all around. We’re putting a lot of pieces together, and it’s looking good.”
In contrast to the Terriers, the Wildcats (3-2) are looking to get back on the winning track. After opening the season 3-0, UNH has dropped its last two games. Going into their third road game of the year, the Wildcats have a 1-1 record with their only win coming against Howard University by a score of 78-68.
The Wildcats’ second road game was a 74-39 loss to the University of Pennsylvania. UNH trailed Penn 42-14 at the end of the first half and ended the game shooting just 14-for-56 from the field.
The Wildcats will be looking to end their losing streak against BU, but Steding said she has faith that the Terriers are equipped to handle the challenge.
“We have to stay true to us,” Steding said. “We have to do things in the game that we want to do. We have to make the game ours.”
Alexander mainly covers field hockey for the Daily Free Press. On his days off, he catches up on playing basketball and soccer and cheers on the New York Giants, Knicks, and Yankees. He previously interned at the office of U.S. Senator Edward Markey.
