Despite a 72-63 loss to Colgate University, the Boston University women’s basketball team was physical and showed constant hustle throughout the game.
The first half was well played by the Terriers (1-16, 1-6 Patriot League), who seemed very honed in on forcing tough shots and not allowing many boards, limiting the Raiders (4-13, 2-5 Patriot League) to 10-of-33 shooting. Sophomore guard Corrine Williams finished the first half with seven rebounds and the team totaled 17 boards to Colgate’s 11. At the end of two periods, the Terriers were only down 26-24.
Although the game slipped away in the second half, the Terriers were still playing a physical brand of basketball, and sophomore forward Kara Sheftic did all she could to keep BU in the game. Despite finishing with only two rebounds in the first half, Sheftic was able to pull down a total of 13 boards for the game, with eight of them coming on the offensive end.
Sheftic, who averages 13.1 points per game in conference play, finished with 12 points, notching an impressive double-double against Colgate forward Josie Stockhill, who leads the nation in blocked shots per game with 4.25.
“Since the day she got here, she’s been someone you tell … ‘Do this,’ and she does it almost immediately,” BU head coach Katy Steding said of Sheftic. “If it’s something in her wheelhouse, she does it.”
Steding called Sheftic’s eagerness to learn and ability to pick up things in practice “refreshing.”
“We said, ‘Kara, use fakes,’ and she did,” Steding said. “[Stockhill] likes to try to block shots, [Sheftic] listens, she pays attention. Kara’s focus is something I have really enjoyed working with.”
Led by Sheftic, the Terriers finished with 49 total rebounds, 22 of which were offensive boards.
Steding used tonight’s performance as an example of Sheftic’s impressive ability to do what Steding and her staff ask of her.
“More specifically, tonight, we said our goal was to crash the offensive glass and get rebounds, and she went out and accomplished our team goal practically herself,” Steding said.
Along with the physicality on the offensive glass, the Terriers were running in transition on the offensive side of the ball and pressing on defense. Steding was very vocal throughout the whole game on the bench, telling the Terriers to push the tempo and get up on who they were guarding.
Though the game was played with a physical edge, Steding said that wasn’t the intention entering the game.
“[The officials] usually don’t let that much go, and at the outset, I’m just trying to make sure it’s even on both ends,” Steding said. “I know our girls play pretty physical, because we don’t call fouls during practice. We encourage that type of play, but it seemed they were letting a lot go.”
Toward the end of the game, the Terriers pressed hard in the backcourt and forced six turnovers in the final period. But their physicality was not enough due to the fact that Colgate had pulled so far away in the middle of the fourth quarter.
BU outrebounded and turned the ball over fewer times than Colgate, but the physical play and double-double from Sheftic wasn’t enough to take down the Raiders.
“Though 22 offensive boards is an amazing accomplishment, I should have told them they need to dunk,” Steding said, “because despite the physicality inside, we still need to convert our layups.”
