Women’s basketball welcomes American to Case Gym

The Boston University women’s basketball team is set to face American University on Tuesday in Case Gymnasium.

In the teams’ first meeting this season on Jan. 21, American (17-8,12-2 Patriot League) overpowered BU (5-20, 2-12 Patriot League) and earned a convincing 75-45 win.

Topping the Patriot League standings, American has already clinched a home game in the quarterfinal round of the 2015 Patriot League Tournament. The Eagles put up 64.5 points on average per game, thanks in part to guard Jen Dumiak and forward Michelle Holmes. Dumiak averages 17.1 points per game, while Holmes gets 11.4. Both also shoot over 50 percent from the floor in conference play.

The Terriers were able to contain Holmes in the teams’ first matchup, holding her to just two points in her 23 minutes of play.

BU coach Katy Steding said the Terriers are focused on playing solid team defense across the board, rather than just focusing on Holmes and Dumiak.

“[Holmes] had an off-night shooting. She couldn’t get some shots that she usually puts down,” Steding said. “For us, it’s a team sport. We have to play team defense. We don’t have stand-out stoppers. It’s more about holding our principles and working together as best we can so American gets one attempt and that’s it. We’re not going to spend a ton of time focusing on one player because [Holmes’] offense can be so random.”

A combined 23 points from sophomore forward Meghan Green and redshirt junior guard Troi Melton gave the Terriers an edge inside versus American in January, but Steding said the Terriers must do a better job creating easy shots for themselves in transition.

“With our size versus theirs, it’s a battle of will and who is going to get position … A lot of our actions are going to be similar,” Steding said of how the teams match up defensively. “We’ll do one or two things to get them out of their comfort zone. We’re in the right place until one person closes out in the wrong way which forces the rotation. But we can’t have someone come off the bench and really attack us the way [freshman Emily] Kinneston did.”

Kinneston previously scored 15 points against the Terriers, yet averages only 2.5 points per game this season.

Steding said she has recognized her team’s inexperience as something that has often crippled them in past games this season, but said the progression of freshman guard Corrine Williams has been a bright spot.

“The best thing about Corrine is that she is extremely coachable,” Steding said. “She has come in with a great attitude all year. She works really hard and has risen to a position with the coaches and with the team where everyone trusts Corrine.”

In the first five games of the season against Northeastern University, Harvard University, Boston College, the University of Vermont and the University of New Mexico, Williams played just 13.2 minutes per game on average. In the team’s last five games against Patriot League opponents, Williams has seen an average of 31.2 minutes of play per game.

“She’s reliable,” Steding said. “That’s something people put a lot of faith and trust in. Add to that her native ability. She can be explosive and is a good finisher. She’s developing into quite a nice player, and I’m really proud of the work she’s put in.”