2016-17 season serves as foundation for women’s basketball turnaround

The 2016-2017 season represented an enormous step in the right direction for the Boston University women’s basketball team. A 57-51 loss at the hands of American University during the Patriot League quarterfinals could not spoil the successful season BU fought so diligently for.

The Terriers (13-17, 11-7 Patriot League) enjoyed their finest season under head coach Katy Steding after winning just eight combined games over her first two years. Despite beginning the 2016-2017 season by losing nine of their first 10 games, BU triumphantly turned their season, and the program’s direction, around.

With the non-conference slate behind them, the Terriers focused on what matters most — Patriot League success.

“I told the girls, it really doesn’t matter what happens in non-conference,” said Steding. “It does from a pride standpoint, and for us building a program we need to know we can play with those kinds of teams. That’s the old season, now we have a brand new season and we can have a fresh start, and we really did.”

Narrowing focus to specific aspects of each game aided the Terriers’ success.

“We really tried to boil every game down to two or three things that we knew we could concentrate on,” Steding said. “They really wanted to do the work. They really wanted to show they were not the team of last year. I think the preseason helped us, but I always said once you get a taste of winning … you wouldn’t let go of it.”

With the addition of coveted 6-foot-5 transfer junior center Sophie Beaudry, the Terriers finished in the top half of the Patriot League. Beaudry, who joined the Terriers by way of Chambly, Quebec and later Monmouth University, earned All-Patriot League First Team and All-Patriot League Defensive Team honors, averaging a team-high 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and a league-best 2.1 blocks per contest in her first season as a Terrier after sitting out the 2015-2016 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules.

“You can’t say enough about Sophie’s impact,” Steding said. “After she started to get a rhythm and get confident, we showed some signs and stretches of brilliant play. [She is] such a solid presence on the block, she’s got a lot of room to grow as a player and a leader for us, and she’ll be a tremendous leader for us next year.”

Senior guard Sarah Hope and freshman forward Nia Irving also received honors following the regular season.

Hope, a Medway native, averaged 11.7 points per game en route to taking control of the BU all-time 3-point record. Named to the All-Patriot League Second Team, Hope averaged double-digits per game for the first time in her career, highlighted by a career-high 24 points in a Feb. 8 win at Case Gym.

“Sarah grew a lot as a leader this year,” said Steding. “It was really nice to see her huddle the team together at key points in the game and talk to them and tell them what we were going to be doing, but also lift them up a little bit. I thought she did a great job.”

Along with Hope, guard Courtney Latham and forward Meghan Green depart the BU program after spending their entire careers on Commonwealth Avenue.

“Meg Green had some great moments for us this year, coming in at Loyola [University Maryland] they were kind of battling us back and forth in the second and third quarters and Meg Green came in and really did the quintessential Meg Green,” Steding said. “She’s been a tremendous leader off the floor in the locker room and the team really loves her.”

Latham was hampered by an injury toward the end of the year, but was very impactful throughout her career.

“Courtney has been a captain since I got here, and that’s because of the respect her teammates give her — it’s because of her work ethic, her diligence, her tenacity,” Steding said.“When you talk about a high motor player, Courtney’s picture is next to that. That’s the kind of standard you want your kids to aspire to.”

With the seniors ready to graduate and a new recruiting class of freshman featuring two players ranking in the high 80’s on ESPN HoopGurlz, guard Tenisha Pressley and 6-foot-3 center Mackenzie Miers, Steding feels the Terriers are in a great position for both the present and future.

“Obviously, we want to go after the best players we can find, and we have,” Steding said. “The potential for this next class of players is through the roof. In terms of their potential immediate impact on the floor, they’ll have to earn it like everyone else, but also their long-term impact for the program. Those guys have big shoes to fill with Courtney, Sarah, and Meg … I’m really excited for them because I think it’s going to be a special atmosphere next year.”