The Boston University women’s basketball team defeated Colgate University Wednesday night at home in Case Gym.
In this second matchup between the two teams, the Terriers (11-14, 9-5 Patriot League) redeemed their previous double-overtime road loss to the Raiders (8-17, 5-9 Patriot League) on Jan. 18. The 65-51 final score was the result of a long-awaited remedy to the Terriers rebounding troubles.
After several consecutive games of being outplayed on the boards on both ends, the Terriers resolved their rebounding issues by exploiting an ailing Raiders squad. Energized from an improved rebounding effort and a near double-double by junior center Sophie Beaudry against Loyola University Maryland, the Terriers out-rebounded the Raiders 55-32.
The precipitous increase in offensive and defensive rebounding proved fruitful, as BU was able to hoist 63 field goal attempts that resulted from the increased number of boards.
“We’ve put a lot of focus on rebounding,” said BU head coach Katy Steding. “We have to hold onto the ball at the end. And you can see how the game plays out because of it. … We really made a concerted effort to grab the ball.”
The defensive rebounding successes deterred the Raiders from feeding the ball into the post and forced them to resort to more perimeter shooting. However, in the second half, things began to change as Colgate was able to evade perimeter defenders and found clear paths to the basket.
In what was undoubtedly a very perimeter-oriented and relatively relaxed second half, the Terriers were still able to maintain their tenacity in the low post on offense. This effort was also matched on the defensive end, where BU communicated vehemently, further contributing to its ability to grab defensive boards.
The Terriers received powerful contributions from Beaudry and freshman forward Nia Irving. Beaudry achieved the double-double performance she sought out against Colgate with 12 points and 10 rebounds, her fourth double-double of the year. It is also the 10th straight game in which she scored more than 10 points.
Meanwhile, Irving contributed nine points and a career-high 12 rebounds, which she totaled in just 18 minutes of play. Both Irving and senior guard Courtney Latham secured seven rebounds in the first half.
Latham finished with 10 rebounds and junior forward Corrine Williams had nine. Collectively, the starters were responsible for 34 of the team’s 55 rebounds.
The 19 offensive rebounds were crucial for the Terriers, as they struggled to score all night, finishing with a 38.1 percent shooting percentage.
The Terriers go on the road next week to face Patriot League leader Bucknell University for the second and final time of the season.
“Bucknell is a very structured and disciplined team,” Steding said. “We held them to a standstill in the first half. So we have to stay true to who we are.”
While Steding recognizes the need for the team to stick to its style of play against the Bison (20-5, 12-2 Patriot League), the Terriers will also need to transfer over the nascent rebounding vigor that has emerged in the last two games.
“We need to be dominating on the boards,” Steding said. “That’s the word we use. We need to recognize that rebounding helps us win games.”
