The Boston University women’s basketball team fell to the University of New Hampshire on Saturday, with a final score of 69-60.
Within the first two minutes of play, the New Hampshire Wildcats (4-1) racked up a 6-point lead, thanks to two 3-pointers from senior forward Clara Gomez and graduate guard Sydney Lusher, respectively.
However, Terrier sophomore guard Aoibhe Gormley would not let the gap get too wide and scored a layup for the Terriers (1-2). Still, the Wildcats increased their score yet again with two more 3-pointers from sophomore guards Eva DeChent and Maggie Cavanaugh. Terrier sophomore guard Audrey Ericksen and junior forward Anete Adler responded by adding 4 points to the board.
By the end of the first quarter, every score from New Hampshire was a successful 3-pointer, three of which were contributed by Cavanaugh.
The beginning of the second quarter opened with a 3 from DeChent, only to be matched by Gormley’s own shot from beyond the arc. Afterward, both DeChent and senior forward Belen Morales Lopez scored to get the Wildcats to a 10-point lead over the Terriers.
The Terriers’ sporadic scoring could not match the repetitive aggression of the Wildcats, who doubled the Terriers’ score with two-and-a-half minutes left in the first half, with 32-16 on the scoreboard.
Within the first minute of the second half, Gormley scored a jumper and free throw, followed by two free throws from sophomore forward Sisi Bentley. Thanks to a battle of free throws, the third quarter ended with the Wildcats at a 2-point lead, with the Terriers scoring 22 points versus the Wildcats’ 7.
“We obviously put our press on, and we were pressing every make, every dead ball,” BU head coach Melissa Graves said. “[Bentley] had a great game today, and she was at the top of the press, making a lot of things happen.”
The final quarter began with a back-and-forth battle –– a 3-pointer and two free throws from New Hampshire’s DeChent, countered by two layups from Boston’s Adler and Bentley. Senior guard Alex Giannaros made a 3-pointer, finally reaching beyond the 1000-point career threshold. Freshman forward Allison Schwertner helped tie the score with a layup and a free throw.
With just three minutes to go, the Wildcats had gained back a 3-point lead. By the time the clock ticked down to 30 seconds, the Terriers were down 65-58. Despite the Terriers’ best attempts, the Wildcats prevailed 69-60.
“I thought it was a little better in the second half, but it’s still something,” Graves said. “Out of two things, the turnovers and the rebounds got to be fixed.”
The Terriers will face the University of Maine on Thursday, Nov. 21, at home at 6 p.m. in Case Gymnasium.
