The Boston University women’s basketball team continued its four-game road trip Tuesday night with a matchup against in-state rivals University of Massachusetts Lowell, but was unable to snap its losing streak.
In the game against the River Hawks (1-5), and throughout the season, the Terriers (0-6) have featured standouts on offense, but are still searching for the right formula to ensure victory.
Junior guard Sarah Hope had her shot going Tuesday against Lowell. In her first four games, Hope shot nearly even with the team’s 3-point average, but against Lowell she took it to another level. The Medway native accounted for over one third of the BU’s offense, as she went 6-for-12 from long range for a 20-point night, banking one of her best performances as a Terrier.
BU coach Katy Steding said it’s Hope’s positive attitude and determination that’s brought her to this level after missing nearly half of the 2014-15 season due to injury.
“Sarah’s such a hard worker,” Steding said. “She’s always got such a great attitude … that has helped her through what’s not an easy rehab. It’s not easy, not everybody makes it. It says a lot about her that she’s plugged away and gotten back into fighting shape.”
Apart from Hope, however, BU has struggled mightily from deep. The rest of the Terriers are a combined 8-for-57 from 3-point range this season.
Troi Melton continues hot start on offense
While Hope elevated her game Tuesday, graduate student guard Troi Melton continued her impressive start to the season. She dropped seven buckets in the 70-57 loss, good for 16 points. Melton also chipped in five rebounds, two blocks and one assist in the defeat.
Melton’s performance parallels her own at the beginning of last season. While the points per game average between now and the 2014-15 season is up by almost four (7.2 up to 11.0), Melton is shooting the ball with just about the same accuracy — checking in with a .426 percentage from the field.
Despite the anomalies, it’s important to realize the different sample sizes. Melton attempted 200 field goals last year, but has only taken 61 shots so far this year.
Steding spoke of the tipping point in Melton’s 2014-15 season: when she re-dedicated herself to the basics of the game.
“She’s still doing that,” Steding said. “What a lot of people don’t know about her and good athletes and great athletes in general, is that they’re constantly working on it. It’s not just something that happens over night. Her shot is reflective of that.”
Terriers see gradual improvement on defense
There are many ways to measure team defense, but perhaps the most obvious is scoring margin. While BU is without a win, the margin of defeat has lessened over the last several games.
The Terriers lost their first game by 33 points, their second game by 40 points, their third game by 21 points, their fourth game by 22 points, their fifth game by 20 points and their most recent contest by 13.
