Finishing up a three-game road trip to start the 2016-17 season, the Boston University women’s basketball team fell 69-54 to the State University of New York at Albany at SEFCU Arena on Saturday night.
Senior guard Sarah Hope poured in 20 points to pace the Terriers (0-3), who will look to earn their first win at home on Tuesday night against Harvard University.
The Medway native was 6-of-11 from three and 7-of-12 overall en route to her team-high scoring performance.
BU led for just 13 seconds in the entire contest after a Hope 3-pointer less than two minutes after tipoff gave BU a 3-2 lead. Albany (2-2) then went on a 21-0 run that completely deflated the Terriers.
“We talked about pressure and how active they were defensively, and I think that got to us and got maybe into our heads a little bit,” BU head coach Katy Steding said. “We looked a lot more flustered, we looked so poised for the most part against [Boston College].”
The Great Danes were led by reigning America East All-Conference First Team and All-Defensive Team selection Imani Tate, who scored 24 points in just 25 minutes of play. The senior guard also chipped in four rebounds and three assists.
Tate scored 16 of her 24 points in the first half for Albany, who dominated in all facets of the game from the opening tip.
The Terriers had more turnovers (22) than assists (13), a sloppy performance that put the game out of reach in a hurry.
The Terriers were down 25-5 going into the second quarter, and that deficit was too great to mount a formidable comeback.
“It was disappointing, but it’s a lesson for us that we’ve got to be ready to play from the jump” Steding said.
To close out the first half, Hope netted two 3-pointers in the final minute to keep the game within 30 points.
BU was able to narrow Albany’s lead in the third quarter thanks to a strong showing by BU’s frontcourt. Junior transfer Sophie Beaudry and senior forward Meghan Green scored four points apiece in a quarter where the Terriers outscored Albany 14-10 thanks to strong inside play.
Green finished the contest as the only other BU player in double figures along with Hope. The Bedford, New Hampshire native finished with 11 points and three rebounds in just 15 minutes of play.
Beaudry finished the contest with six points and three rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter, where she picked up three of her five fouls.
BU outscored Albany once again in the fourth quarter, 23-14, to narrow the deficit even further and close with a respectable 15-point loss.
The Terriers put forth a solid effort in the second half, as they outscored Albany 37-24 over the final 20 minutes of play. Hope chipped in nine points in the final frame, and Green contributed seven of her 11.
The BU scoring was rounded out by sophomore guard Payton Hauck and junior forward Kara Sheftic, who combined for 17 points.
Great Danes senior Cassandra Edwards was the only other Albany player to score in double figures, contributing 10 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes of play.
Ten different Albany players recorded points in the victory.
Despite the loss, BU outshot Albany 44.4 to 25 percent from outside, aided heavily by Hope’s sharpshooting. In a game with few positives, that and their second-half play are things that Steding and her group can hang their hats on moving forward.
“The biggest thing we tried to do was focus on playing good hard-nosed defense,” Steding said. “Playing together, sharing the ball, moving the ball, not trying to take too many quick shots.”
