The Boston University women’s basketball team emerged victorious in its Saturday afternoon matchup against Lehigh University, winning 64-50.
The win was an important one for the Terriers (7-13, 5-4 Patriot League), who are now over .500 in Patriot League play and tied for fourth place in the conference with Loyola University Maryland and the United States Military Academy.
While BU’s offense played an important role in the victory, it was the Terriers’ defense that ultimately won them the game. Immediately after tip-off, BU employed a full-court press, putting pressure on Lehigh’s (6-14, 1-8 Patriot League) less experienced players and setting the tone for the entire game.
“With Lehigh, one of the things we’re trying to do is speed them up a little bit,” said BU head coach Katy Steding. “[We wanted to] make them take some quick shots, so we can get back and run offense. Also, they’re young — they start three freshmen.”
Steding’s plan worked out nicely, as Lehigh looked uncomfortable on offense from start to finish. The Mountain Hawks hung around in the first quarter, as BU led by just two points after the first buzzer, but then they succumbed to a stifling Terrier defense in the second quarter.
BU switched to an intense half-court pressure in quarter two, a decision that Steding felt was key in building the team’s double-digit lead.
“We have a lot of different types of pressure that we can apply, so it makes us very versatile,” Steding said. “You try not to let a team adjust to what you’re doing, and once they make the adjustment, you move on to the next [strategy].”
BU allowed just six points during the second frame, and at the end of the half, Lehigh had turned the ball over 12 times and only managed a measly 30 percent shooting. They also were unable to get to the free throw line, shooting only two free throws in the first half.
Steding was also pleased to note that both offensively and defensively, the Terriers’ success was a team effort. Eight different players registered a steal for BU, including senior guards Sarah Hope and Courtney Latham, who had four each. Steding was particularly impressed with Latham.
“Courtney Latham made a great contribution today with six assists and four steals,” Steding said. “It doesn’t always show up in the stat sheet for her.”
BU’s defensive campaign continued into the second half, as Lehigh shot 32 percent — a slight improvement over their first half numbers, but not nearly enough to build any sort of comeback effort. The Mountain Hawks did attempt 16 free throws, but were only able to connect on 10, and their 2-9 three-point shooting didn’t help make up any ground either.
It was truly a wire-to-wire defensive showcase for the Terriers, who finished with 16 steals, forced 24 turnovers and three blocks. They also allowed just 14 points in the paint, and only two fast break points.
Perhaps BU’s most notable accomplishment was containing Lehigh’s leading scorer Quinci Mann. Prior to the game, Mann was fourth in the Patriot League in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game. She managed only nine against the Terriers, and shot just 3-13 from the field.
BU will look to carry the momentum from the win into its next game on Thursday against Navy, who managed a 62-59 victory against the Terriers on Jan. 6.
“I thought this was one of the few games where we’ve had a nice first half, and haven’t dipped. I thought we sustained our energy,” Steding noted. “I think we’re figuring some things out.”
