The Boston University women’s basketball team will play its final regular season game against the College of the Holy Cross Saturday in Worcester.
BU (5-23, 2-15 Patriot League) is coming off a 65-50 loss to the United States Military Academy Wednesday night in which the Terriers played a competitive first half, but came up short in the end after a passive second half performance.
“It’s not that they [Army] were running great plays,” said BU coach Katy Steding. “We need to be tougher to finish plays. We were right there with them. Sometimes, we start well and don’t finish well, and other times, we don’t start well but finish well, so either way, you’re still in a hole. It’s whether you dig the hole first or dig the hole over time.”
Holy Cross (14-16, 10-7 Patriot League) comes into the game third place in Patriot League standings after defeating Loyola University Maryland 65-37 on Wednesday night. The Crusaders sit behind first place American University and second place Army (21-6. 13-4 Patriot League).
“Starting strong is a key for us,” Steding said. “You run out of gas when you have to play from behind. We’ve proven that we have what it takes to compete and to come back if we get down. But it’s concentrating on finishing shots and not being afraid of contact, hitting outside shots, sharing the ball and rebounding.”
In both teams’ opening Patriot League contest on Dec. 31, BU fell to Holy Cross 71-48. BU’s 20 turnovers hurt it in the long run as Holy Cross earned 26 points off turnovers in the game. Holy Cross also had four players in double figures including junior Kate Gillespie with 16 points and forward Raquel Scott, who earned a double-double off 11 points and 11 rebounds. Gillespie averages just 6.7 points per game, while Scott averages nearly a double-double with an average of 17 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Scott is also second in Patriot League rebounding and ranks fourth in points.
Steding said her team is focused on being the best version of itself as the regular season comes to a close and postseason play nears.
“We’ve got to be the better us,” Steding said. “We’re not playing for the championship, and we’re probably not going to go deep in the tournament. I’m not saying we can’t, but unless we change some of the things about us and change some of the things we do, that’s not going to be different.
“I’m really proud of our girls because they don’t give up. But at the same time, we still have to do both the simple and difficult things.”
A bright spot for the Terriers, however, was the play of freshman forward Kara Sheftic, who shot 6-for-14 from the field and had 17 points of her own the last time the Terriers and Crusaders went head-to-head. Sophomore guard Meghan Green also added 10 points and eight rebounds in the contest.
“I think Kara is a great example of a freshman who has everything but experience,” Steding said. “She’s got the physical abilities and understanding of basketball. She just is really inconsistent.”
Sheftic is one of four freshmen on a BU roster anchored by just one senior in co-captain Mollie McKendrick.
“We have a lot of those kinds of players because of the lack of experience,” Steding said. “Kara has grown a lot. I think she understands what were looking for.”
I transferred to BU after playing a year of college hoops at Wesleyan University. Previous experience includes interning at the 7NBC-Boston (WHDH-TV) sports desk. I'm excited to cover women's soccer this fall for the Daily Free Press. Follow me here: @kfin2bu
