The Boston University women’s basketball team fell 74-64 to Navy off the back of a combined 41 points from Midshipmen guards Zanai Barnett-Gay and Julianna Almeida on Wednesday at Case Gymnasium.
The Midshipmen (14-4, 6-1 Patriot League) continue to be on strong form, while the Terriers (7-11, 1-6 PL) extended their losing streak to four.
The Boston University women’s basketball team fell 74-64 to Navy at the Case Gymnasium on Wednesday. CLAIRE GUEST/DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
“It’s pretty frustrating,” said BU sophomore guard Aoibhe Gormley. “We feel like we’re getting close, and it’s just hard to not come away with wins. I feel like we just need to get the one and then build off that [and] keep working.”
The atmosphere was elevated by the celebration of Boston Public Schools Day, bringing a lively crowd of young fans from Trotter Elementary School, Mason Elementary School, Boston Green Academy, Blackstone Elementary and O’Bryant High School.
BU Head Coach Melissa Graves expressed the significance of having students from grade schools present at the game.
“It means a lot,” she said. “We work with kids a lot. We go into classrooms, we have clinics here, so we get some one-on-one time with them, and they definitely have shown how much they look up to our team [and] what these young women have accomplished.”
Barnett-Gay had a standout performance for Navy, securing a double-double with 26 points and ten rebounds.
BU saw its own strong effort from senior guard Alex Giannaros, who paired 15 points with four assists, while sophomore forwards Sisi Bentley and Gormley pulled down five rebounds apiece.
The Terriers held an advantage over the Midshipmen for the entire opening quarter, a pair of three-pointers setting the tone.
The second period began with a BU turnover that proved costly. Trailing by four, Navy’s Almeida sank a three-pointer from the right, the lead now within one. BU responded with a layup until Barnett-Gay tied the game at 16 with a three-pointer.
Both teams fought to regain momentum, going back and forth until Midshipman Lizzie Holder leveled the score at 27, prompting the Terriers to call a timeout to regroup.
Navy seized the momentum after the break, embarking on an impressive 11-0 run, Barnett-Gay accounting for five points.
As the Terriers trailed 38-27, they were forced into another timeout as they struggled to find their rhythm.
“When we took care of the ball and we were running our sets, I thought we were executing well. So, it’s controlling that tempo piece [of the game]. It’s digging in and getting stops,” Graves said
With the half drawing to a close, the Terriers trailed by nine, leaving work to do in the final 20 minutes.
Giannaros quickly swung into action in the third quarter, responding to an early Midshipmen layup with a three-pointer that reduced the gap to 10.
The Terriers spent the last four minutes of the frame chipping away at the Navy lead, ending just three points behind with a quarter left.
Barnett-Gay started the scoring for Navy in the fourth quarter with a jumper at the 8:57 mark, extending Navy’s advantage and reestablishing their momentum as they would outscore the Terriers 24-17 in the fourth, setting the stage for a Midshipmen victory.
The Terriers now turn their attention to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania in their next Patriot League showdown against Bucknell on Saturday.
