The Boston University women’s basketball team lost a hard fought game against Bucknell University Saturday afternoon in Case Gym.
In the first of two meetings between BU (6-13, 4-4 Patriot League) and the conference leading Bison (16-3, 8-0 Patriot League), the Terriers were competitive in the first half but failed to put together a complete game in a 66-50 loss.
Despite the double-digit loss, BU displayed an impressive performance that brought to life previously dormant aspects of its game.
Early on, the Terriers showed an unforeseen offensive aggression as they attacked the basket and fed their post players frequently, racking up several points in the paint. Freshman forward Nia Irving, sophomore forward Naiyah Thompson and junior center Sophie Beaudry pioneered the offensive dominance in the post as they collectively amassed 16 of the team’s 25 first half points.
BU outperformed Bucknell in all facets of the game in the first half except for offensive rebounding. The Terriers were unable to box out properly, which allowed Bucknell opportunities for second-chance points. On the other end, the Terriers were unable to translate their offensive rebounds into points on the scoreboard.
BU head coach Katy Steding acknowledged the Bison’s disciplined frontcourt but did not make any excuses for her team.
“Bucknell is very disciplined, very structured and strong,” Steding said. “Bucknell is 6’2″, 6’3’’ across their front line. They’re not crazy bigger than us, but it does change our shots. But too bad, you have to finish your shots.”
Although the Terriers were trailing by a bucket at the end of the first half, BU was able to stifle Bucknell’s inside game on offense by playing a zone defense. Consequently, the Bison had to resort to scoring beyond the arc, shooting a meager 3-16 in the first half as a result of a quickly rotating defense from the Terriers.
Early in the second half, the Terriers’ defense surged as they stole the ball four times in the third quarter. However, the team’s continued effort to double-team Bucknell proved unfruitful, as the Bison found ways to evade the increased pressure and draw fouls, which they then converted into points by going 6-6 at the free-throw line.
While only two points separated the conference rivals at the end of the first half, the deficit widened to double digits midway through the second half, resulting mainly from failed offensive efforts in the post and a defeated strategy on defense.
The Terriers inability to convert on a game total 18 offensive rebounds left them with a 35 percent field goal success rate.
Additionally, the defensive double-teaming efforts, while audacious, were not enough to disrupt the Bison offense.
Despite the several defensive surges early in the second half, Steding recognized that in retrospect, trapping on defense was not the proper way to control the Bison’s offense. Usually employed to dismantle the opponent’s rhythm, the double-teaming tactic was not effective against a disciplined and resilient team like Bucknell.
“We’ve had games where our defensive pressure has won us games,” Steding said. “But you can’t depend on your pressure to change the game for them. You might get four or six extra points out of it, but you’re not going to get a fifteen-point run against a team like Bucknell.”
Despite the ongoing struggles, both offensive and defensive, the Terriers have remedied many of them.
Earlier in the season, BU did not get enough points in the paint, or other times relied too heavily on junior center Sophie Beaudry to score. In this game alone, both of those problems were rectified as there were multiple different scorers who converted in the paint.
Problems, new and old, perpetuate for the Terriers. Steding and the team recognize the need to fix them and are working to improve.
“We had a remedy that didn’t get executed,” Steding said. “When you don’t follow the game plan, that leaves some scoring on the board that you shouldn’t have.”
