The Boston University women’s basketball team defeated Emmanuel College 71-38 in an exhibition game on Tuesday night at Case Gym.
“The highlight of the game, for me especially, is the defensive end,” head coach Melissa Graves said. “We had a goal of winning every quarter. Last year, we didn’t win every quarter against them, and we kind of took our foot off the gas, and I thought we stayed locked in and hit a lot of our goals in this game.”
Freshman forward Allison Schwertner led the Terriers (1-1) with 17 points and 5 steals. Sophomore guard Aoibhe Gormley also contributed significantly with nine assists.
For the Emmanuel Saints (0-1), Olivia Matela matched Schwertner’s score with 17 points and 3 steals, while the team showcased strong collaboration with five players contributing assists.
Emmanuel’s Paris Atuahene won the opening tip-off to set the stage for the game. The game got off to a rocky start for both teams, as both sophomore guard Inés Monteagudo Pardo and sophomore Saints forward Kalia Saunders struggled with turnovers.
However, senior guard Alex Giannaros swiftly turned the momentum in favor of the Terriers, sinking a beautiful 3-pointer that ignited the crowd and put the Terriers ahead 3-0.
The Saints responded with determination, narrowing the gap to just one point when sophomore center back Kaitlyn Bartash stepped to the line and made both free throws. Yet, the Terriers quickly regained control, closing the first quarter with an 11-5 run.
Gormley, Giannaros and freshman guard Hildur Gunnsteinsdóttir each connected from beyond the arc, contributing to the Terriers’ surge and pushing their lead to 7 points as the first quarter concluded with the Terriers up 14-7.
In the second quarter, BU continued to build on its momentum.
With just four and a half minutes remaining in the quarter, the Terriers extended their lead even further to 23-9, prompting the Saints to call a crucial timeout to regroup. After the break, the Saints rallied in an attempt to regain their footing and finish the half strong.
Despite the Saints’ efforts, the Terriers maintained their advantage and headed into halftime with a comfortable 9-point lead, the score resting at 25-16.
The second half kicked off with a burst of energy as Schwertner initiated the scoring with a layup that was expertly set up by a precise pass from Giannaros. The Saints struggled to maintain possession.
From the beginning of the third quarter, Schwertner was unstoppable. She contributed an impressive 11 of the team’s 14 points and forced Emmanuel to call a timeout, with the scoreboard reading 39-22 in favor of BU.
Following the timeout, the Terriers kept the pressure on, embarking on a 17-0 run. Junior forward Megan Reilly finally broke the scoring drought for Emmanuel with a 2-pointer, but the momentum firmly remained with BU.
As the game progressed toward the final quarter, BU was in a commanding position, leading by 24 points with a score of 52-28. Schwertner’s remarkable performance was evident in the third quarter, as she tallied 13 points.
“Just my teammates really coming together, hyping us up to come out and have a stronger second half,” Schwertner said. “Our defense led to offense, and so once we got some good steals and good transition, my teammates were able to find me, and it was just better from there.”
BU maintained its dominance throughout the rest of the game, ultimately securing a decisive 71-38 victory.
Looking ahead, BU is set to travel to Durham, New Hampshire, where they will face the University of New Hampshire on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m.
