Junior forward Anete Adler and senior guard Alex Giannaros combined for 42 points, shooting 16-for-24 from the field, to lead the Terriers to an 82-72 Senior Day victory over American University Saturday afternoon.
“To get this type of win on our home court on Senior Day is really special, and [I’m] really looking forward to celebrating our seniors right after this,” head coach Melissa Graves said.
Before tipoff, the Terriers (10-16, 4-11 PL) honored three seniors: Giannaros, guard Natalie Jasper and team manager Vannesa Rosa.
“These last four years flew by, and you take that for granted until you’re here in this position,” Giannaros said. “I’m very grateful to have had this experience, to be here, to be with the staff, with these teams the last four years.”
In proper fashion, Giannaros kicked off Senior Day scoring a three-pointer, but then Eagle (1-25, 1-14 PL) guard Laura Nogues evened the score with a three-pointer of her own.
Adler then leveled the score and started a 14-3 run for the Terriers.
In the closing moments of the first period, sophomore guard Aoibhe Gormley found sophomore forward Sisi Bentley on the right side of the court for a layup that put the Terriers ahead by seven at the end of the first period.
The second quarter opened with a 9-0 run for the Terriers as the Eagles struggled through a four-minute scoreless stint.
After a timeout called by American, the Eagles went on a 7-0 run, but by halftime, the Terriers held a 10-point lead.
American had a better opening to the third quarter, narrowing the once double-digit Terrier lead to just six.
However, by the end of the period, BU reestablished the gap, up 65-52 heading into the fourth.
“We sometimes come slow out of the half. So [we’re] just focusing on [stopping runs], taking it possession by possession, and not letting things pile up get worse over time,” Giannaros said.
The Eagles found another run late in the fourth, scoring eight straight points with Nogues contributing six, but the Terriers had pulled far enough ahead and continued adding on, holding on for the victory.
“We’ve won two out of [our last] five so far. We want to keep this momentum, and we really want to have some confidence going into playoffs,” Graves said. “We had individuals trending upward, and now we have games where we’re all playing together in an upward trend.”
The Terriers will play their last regular-season home game this Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m., when they host Patriot League-leading Lehigh University.
