Despite riding a two-game winning streak heading into the Patriot League quarterfinals, the fifth-seeded Boston University women’s basketball team was unable to continue its momentum on Monday night, falling to fourth-seeded American University, 57-51.
The loss concludes an impressive season for the Terriers (13-17, 11-7 Patriot League), who unleashed on critics who picked them to finish dead last in the Patriot League in preseason polls. After a 3-15 in-conference output one year ago, BU rebounded in astounding fashion in 2016-17, finishing the Patriot League slate with an 11-7 record.
“I am really excited about our team moving forward,” said BU head coach Katy Steding. “We just didn’t shoot too well and that took a toll on us. I’m pretty happy all around with the strides that were made this year. I haven’t had much time to reflect, but what I said to the girls in the locker room, especially the seniors, was that they have built the program to a point to where we are respected and people are nervous about playing us.”
However, BU lost both of its game at American (15-15, 11-7 Patriot League) in the nation’s capital. The Terriers shot just 3-of-13 from beyond the 3-point line and 35.7 percent from the field, hampered by their lack of consistent shot-making.
BU also coughed up 15 turnovers leading to 14 additional American points. The main culprit in this regard was junior guard Corrine Williams, responsible for five turnovers despite shooting 4-of-6 from the field for nine points, six assists and four rebounds in a team-high 38 minutes of action.
Junior center Sophie Beaudry led the Terriers with 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting to accompany her nine rebounds, however, she turned the ball over on three separate occasions. Senior guard Sarah Hope struggled mightily from the field in her final collegiate appearance, shooting just 2-for-14 en route to six points, five rebounds, four assists and a pair of turnovers.
Meanwhile, American received measurable efforts from its trio of Emily Kinneston, Lauren Crisler and Cecily Carl. Kinneston led all scorers with 19 points to go along with her five assists while Crisler contributed 13 points and Carl added 12 points.
The Eagles were facilitated by guard Maria Liddane, who dished her way to an astounding 11 assists.
The Terriers held American to 39.6 percent shooting from the field, outmuscling the Eagles on the glass by a 42-28 rebounding margin and outscoring them in the paint 32-16, but they were still unable to fend off American’s methodical halfcourt offensive approach.
“I just didn’t think we were at our best tonight,” said Steding. “It takes a team’s best effort to beat a team like American at their place, just like it takes a best effort to beat a team like Army at their place [which the Terriers did last Wednesday].”
The Terriers trailed 29-25 at the half, but after buckets from Beaudry, senior forward Meghan Green, Hope, and sophomore guard Naiyah Thompson, they surged to a 34-29 advantage following a 9-0 spurt to begin the third quarter. However, the Eagles then rode a 12-4 swing into the final quarter, with a three-pointer by Carl with 35 ticks remaining in the third period giving them a 41-38 lead.
The Eagles pushed the gap to as much as six points early in the fourth quarter but BU fought back, as the final 3-point basket of Hope’s career tied the ballgame at 49 apiece with 2:49 to go.
Unfazed, Carl responded with a 3-point make of her own. Although Beaudry cut the gap to 52-51 with a jumper, a drop-step layup by Crisler with 29 seconds remaining followed by a missed 3-point attempt by Green set American on the path to the Patriot League semifinals for a date with formidable Bucknell University.
It was a bitter ending to a sweet year, but Steding was proud when reflecting on her team’s ascension this season.
“This is a team that started 1-9 with everyone going, ‘Here we go again,’ and they never quit,” said Steding. “Those seniors won eight games those first two years with me but they did not quit. They made sacrifices and did everything for their teammates. This program wouldn’t be back where it is without them leading the way.”
