Women’s basketball to face Yale over weekend

The Boston University women’s basketball team will take on Yale University Saturday at 2 p.m. at the John L. Lee Amphitheater.

The Terriers (3-4) will look to rebound against the Bulldogs (2-4), as they are coming off a disappointing 12-point loss to the University of New Hampshire Wednesday.

“We have a big game coming up,” said BU coach Katy Steding. “I want to see how we rebound coming off this loss [to New Hampshire]. It was a tough game, and I thought we played well for the most part, but we have to move on. We can’t feel bad about a game we lost. We just have to move on. We’re on to Yale.”

Play was balanced to start out the game, but the Wildcats quickly took advantage. Just seven minutes into the contest, New Hampshire found themselves an 11-point lead. The bleeding did not stop there, however, as the Wildcats eventually reached their biggest lead of the game at 15 points.

BU showed life at the end of the first half, as a 13-3 run cut New Hampshire’s lead to just five points going into the break.

The Terriers continued to play with the same resilience and cut the deficit to as close as three points. Despite the resilience, the Terriers eventually lost by double digits, marking the second time this season they have lost by 10 or more points.

“New Hampshire was tough, definitely,” Steding said. “They got up on us quick and kept the pressure up. I thought we did a lot of good things too though. We pushed the ball well and really got [sophomore forward] Meghan [Green] involved, which I really liked. She’s been playing great this season. She’s a real force.”

Green has really come to play this season, as she leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.7 points and 8.1 boards, respectively. Not only is she putting up the numbers, but she is also making her presence felt. Teams are starting to account for her, as she has become a real force in the paint.

Alongside Green is senior forward Mollie McKendrick, who posted her second double-double of the year last time out. Her jump shot is becoming a real threat for the forward, and the inside-out duo is proving to be a lethal combo.

“I really love how well they can play off each other,” Steding said. “Mollie can shoot from the outside, and Green is a force on the inside. But I don’t know if we need to get them the ball more. Let’s just see how our offense develops, it’s still early.”

On the other side of the ball is Yale University, coming off a four-point win against Monmouth University. The Bulldogs have underwhelmed this year, as they are a modest 2-4. However, they are looking to start a win streak against the Terriers, as they demonstrated a lot of confidence during their close win against Monmouth. The Terriers may have their hands full with guard Sarah Halejian, as she is averaging a whopping 15.7 points per game, to lead the Bulldogs.

The Terriers may be catching the Bulldogs at the wrong time, as BU is reeling while Yale seems to be playing better every game. Steding seems to think otherwise, as she welcomes the task at hand.

“We are more than ready for the challenge,” Steding said. “I know we are young, and I know sometimes we struggle. But that’s what young teams have to do. They have to learn together and grow together. And that’s what we’re going to do. The process just continues tomorrow.”