The Boston University women’s basketball team entered Monday night’s tilt against the University of New Hampshire aware of the offensive shortcomings that had plagued it over the first five games of the year.
Unfortunately for the Terriers (1-5), the friendly confines of Case Gym offered no respite to their recent swing of offensive struggles.
After a hot start where the Terriers went on a 10-0 run, the squad turned the ball over on 15 occasions in the final three quarters in a heart-wrenching 59-51 defeat at the hands of the Wildcats (4-2).
The Terriers cooled off significantly on the offensive side of the ball after the first 10 minutes.
“We just had a lack of concentration,” said BU head coach Katy Steding. “We were not focused like we needed to be. We were not aggressive. We needed to take the ball to the basket.”
In the first half, BU committed eight turnovers that fed into the Wildcats’ offensive attack. That number increased in the second half, when the Terriers turned the ball over 11 times.
“Once they started to score, we had trouble adjusting and stopping them from scoring,” Steding said. “We started to take more quick shots, we gave the ball back and we turned it over too quickly. We did not take care of the ball. Once they made their adjustments, we did not follow up.”
These turnovers ultimately cost BU the win, especially in the final quarter.
BU surged in the fourth quarter, tying the game up at 44 apiece after trailing by seven. However, a crucial turnover by junior center Sophie Beaudry with 1:53 remaining opened the door for a jump-hook by Wildcats forward Kat Fogarty, which pushed the deficit to 51-46 with just over a minute left.
Beaudry then proceeded to have the ball knocked out of her hands with 56 seconds remaining. On the subsequent possession, a pass from senior guard Courtney Latham intended for senior guard Sarah Hope ricocheted off a defender and into UNH point guard Brittni Lai’s arms.
Lai then knocked down two foul shots, creating an difficult 53-46 gap that BU could not overcome.
Early on, the Terriers deployed a plethora of pressuring looks to the UNH offense, showcasing a 1-3-1 and a 2-2-1 trapping full court press. BU limited the Wildcats to just 3-of-14 shooting while forcing seven turnovers in the opening frame.
However, the tables turned once the second quarter began. Fatigue set into the tired legs of the Terriers starters as the Wildcats rattled off 12 straight points. UNH forced four turnovers in the quarter, winning the quarter by the vast margin of 17-6.
On the other side of the court, the Terriers’ defensive pressure tapered off. In the third quarter, BU coughed up the ball on five occasions compared to just two forced miscues by UNH. The Wildcats capitalized on these mistakes, scoring four points off turnovers in what turned out to be the difference in a 15-12 quarter.
“We needed to cut the way we were cutting at the beginning of the game,” Steding said. “[We need to be] cutting, making moves and enjoying it.”
Though the fourth quarter went slightly better for the Terriers, as they put up 17 points to their opponent’s 18, their offensive struggles early in the contest proved insurmountable. Steding and her squad will look to get back on track when they travel to Arizona State University for a tilt on Saturday afternoon.
