The Boston University women’s basketball team has not won a Patriot League tournament game since the 2013-14 season, its first season in the conference.
Following a loss to Bucknell University that snapped a season-best four-game winning streak, the Terriers (11-15, 9-6 Patriot League) look to keep pace with American University for fourth place in the conference. Whichever side finishes fourth in the conference will get to host a first-round playoff contest.
“Everyone’s gotta battle hard. We have three games that will make us play at our best,” said BU head coach Katy Steding.
American (12-14, 9-6 Patriot League) lost to the College of the Holy Cross on Saturday, leaving the two teams deadlocked at fourth.
Against the Bison (21-5, 13-2 Patriot League), junior center Sophie Beaudry picked up two early fouls and the Terriers committed more turnovers than they made shots in the first half and could not find their stride in the 73-56 loss on Saturday afternoon in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
“Bucknell’s a good team and we are a good team at many times,” said Steding. “I was pleased with the way we fought but we didn’t get the outcome we wanted.”
Junior guard Corrine Williams led the Terriers with 13 points and eight rebounds in the Bucknell loss. Freshman forward Nia Irving secured seven rebounds to go with 10 points. Beaudry and senior guard Sarah Hope were held to just seven and three points apiece.
Hope, however, did hit a three-point field goal to give her 245 for her career, breaking the all-time record for BU women’s basketball which was set in the 2012-2013 season by Chantell Alford.
Beaudry and Hope remain the only two Terriers scoring in double figures, at 12.9 and 12 points per game, respectively. Beaudry also leads the Patriot League in blocks per game registering 1.9 per contest.
Meanwhile, Army (19-7, 10-5 Patriot League) is coming off of a 67-62 loss at the hands of the United States Naval Academy. In the loss at Annapolis, Army led 31-30 at halftime but faltered in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 21-16 in the final stanza.
Junior Aliyah Murray led the Black Knights with a team-high 20 points on 10-16 shooting to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds. Murray holds averages of 8.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game of the season.
Forward Madison Hovren, who leads the Patriot League in both points and rebounds per game, was held to just seven points on 2-8 shooting in the loss at Navy. The Spokane, Washington native averages 18.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and is the only Black Knight averaging double figures in scoring.
Murray, Hovren, junior guards Janae McNeal and Daizjah Morris all rank within the top 10 in steals per game in the Patriot League.
BU will play back-to-back games against the top two scoring defenses in the Patriot League, as Bucknell ranks first and Army second. The Black Knights are also second to the Bison in scoring margin and 3-point field goal defense, while leading the Patriot League in turnover margin.
However, it is important that BU not be intimidated by the Black Knights takeaway ability. If BU is to be successful against Army, they’ll need to make quick decisions and rely on ball movement.
The Terriers are sure to have their hands full with the Black Knights, but the recent four-game winning streak and overall attitude of the team has Steding confident of her squad’s chances against anyone in the Patriot League.
“We are starting to figure out that we can be really good,” said Steding.
