While the Boston University women’s basketball team’s 61-48 loss against California State University, Long Beach Sunday afternoon may have appeared lopsided on the box score, the Terriers (1-7) made a strong effort in the early going. They will look to avoid a fourth straight loss on Wednesday night, as they host Dartmouth College at Case Gym before hitting the road again.
In its most recent contests against Long Beach State (4-4), BU was fueled by a hot start from outside and tough defensive effort. Though the Terriers held a 15-6 advantage after the first quarter, they were unable to continue their momentum past the opening period, faltering down the stretch and concluding a winless weekend at the ASU Classic in Tempe, Arizona.
BU head coach Katy Steding said the key to winning moving forward is consistency.
“We need to stay consistent over the course of a full 40 minutes,” Steding said. “Other teams are going to make runs, we just cannot let our confidence wane. We have to stay with what’s working.”
In its three consecutive losses, BU has struggled with maintaining a solid effort throughout the games. More often than not, they have faltered by a lopsided quarter or two in which they appear unfocused.
Most recently, Long Beach State outscored the Terriers by a combined 35-16 in the second and fourth quarters. On Nov. 28, BU led the University of New Hampshire 16-9 after one quarter before a 17-6 lapse in the second quarter hindered its efforts at sealing a victory.
An X-factor in Wednesday’s game against the Big Green (2-4) will be the Terriers’ ball protection, as they have suffered from turnover woes through the first eight games of the season. Their issue was prevalent on Sunday afternoon, as they turned the ball over 24 times en route to 28 extra Long Beach State points.
“We need to make sure that we shore up our turnovers,” Steding said. “That’s been the story of the season for us. We live and die by turnovers. We have to make sure that we’re taking appropriate risks. We can’t look too long at a pass to the point where it gets covered up and still throw it anyway.”
One aspect of the Terriers’ offense that could improve efficiency is working the ball through the post. In 28 minutes against Long Beach State, junior center Sophie Beaudry had 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and six rebounds, earning a nod to the ASU Classic All-Tournament Team.
6-foot-1 junior forward Kara Sheftic has quietly cemented herself as a key scoring option for BU. Look for Steding and her staff to utilize her and her 7.6 points per game against Dartmouth and moving forward.
If BU can find Beaudry and Sheftic inside rather than preoccupy itself with attacking from the perimeter, it will lead to better floor spacing and more room to operate for all five options on the floor.
Another key area for the Terriers will be rebounding. BU defeated Long Beach State in the rebounding battle, 36-35, and will look to do so again against Dartmouth.
Standing in the way will be 6-foot-3 forward Isalys Quiñones, who grabs 5.3 rebounds per game in addition to seven points. Quiñones showcased her rebounding prowess in Dartmouth’s season-opening victory against Central Connecticut State University by hauling in 12 boards.
Keeping track of Quiñones when a shot goes up will be essential if the Terriers hope to bring down the Big Green.
Defensively, the Terriers must account for guard Kate Letkewicz. The junior is not afraid to let the ball fly from long range, as she hit a pair of 3-pointers and notched a team-high 11 points in 39 minutes in the Big Green’s 63-50 loss to the College of William and Mary on Dec. 1.
“We need to be firing on all cylinders,” Steding said. “We need to go inside and attack the rim. We got better at that this weekend against some really good competition.”
