Young roster results in offensive uncertainty for women’s basketball

Inexperience plagued the Boston University women’s basketball team in its 67-55 loss to the University of New Hampshire Wednesday night.

Senior forward Mollie McKendrick and sophomore forward Meghan Green had a combined 35 points, but it was not enough to put BU (3-4) past a veteran UNH (4-2) team.

McKendrick earned her second consecutive double-double, and though both her and Green’s presences were felt on offense, BU struggled to defend UNH’s interior play, specifically that of 6-foot-4 senior forward Kaylee Kilpatrick.

Kilpatrick had six points, three rebounds and an assist in the game’s opening minutes, and the Terriers had no answer and were outscored in the paint by a 12-point margin.

“They were significantly bigger,” said BU coach Katy Steding. “We were very passive to start. In all areas, we were just very passive. It’s not our style and how we want to play.”

Experience equally played to UNH’s advantage as the Wildcats’ starting five consisted of four upperclassmen, including three seniors, while BU’s McKendrick remains the lone senior anchoring the Terrier squad.

“We wanted to put Mollie on their best player to keep [Green] out of foul trouble,” Steding said. Green ended the night with three personal fouls.

The only other Terrier with significant experience is junior guard Clodagh Scannell. Scannell appeared in every game last season, but this year, she averages only 4.7 points per game and sees an average of 19.8 minutes per game. Wednesday night, Scannell recorded two points and five rebounds.

Even when BU decided to more heavily collapse its defense to limit Kilpatrick’s touches, UNH found scoring opportunities elsewhere. Junior Elizabeth Belanger scored a game-high 23 points. Senior Ariel Gaston added 16 points, and Kilpatrick finished with nine points.

“We didn’t expect them to hit shots right out of the gate like that,” Steding said. “They’re a good team, but we weren’t expecting that.”

A 13-3 run at the end of the first half put the Terriers within five points, though UNH quickly extended that lead after five consecutive BU turnovers to open the second half. The Wildcats even led by as many as 16 points toward the end of the game.

“They came out and hit a few shots, and I think we lost some confidence from that,” Steding said. “You get down like that, and it’s clawing back. They’re not a team that’s going to let you claw back.”

With Steding in her first year at the helm of the Terriers, a team built up of seven underclassmen, BU is still in the midst of a transitional phase with a dearth of leadership.