Junior guard Sydney Johnson and freshman guard Alex Giannaros carried the Boston University women’s basketball team (11-8, 7-1 Patriot League) to a 67-57 win against the Lafayette College Leopards (7-10, 3-4 PL) on Wednesday night at Case Gym.
Coming off their first Patriot League loss of the season to Lehigh University, the Terriers battled to get back to their winning ways in conference.
The win marks BU’s sixth consecutive home victory — the Terriers haven’t lost at Case Gym since November 2021, and sit in second place in the Patriot League standings.
“They didn’t have their heads down after [the Lehigh] game,” head coach Melissa Graves said postgame. “They went into the next play, next game, focusing on the next opponent and knowing that we have to win this one.”
Johnson led BU with 24 points and five rebounds while Giannaros added 15 points off the bench. Senior forward Chiara Tibbitt chipped in a season-high 11 points, knocking down five of her seven field goal attempts.
With her performance on Wednesday, Johnson recorded two consecutive games with at least 20 points for the first time in her career — Johnson also scored 24 points in the loss to Lehigh on Jan. 22.
Sophomore guard Makayla Andrews led Lafayette with 13 points, and senior guard and forward Makaila Wilson posted 12 points and five rebounds in the losing effort.
Lafayette struggled to hit shots — specifically from beyond the arc. The Leopards shot just 12.5% from three-point range on 16 attempts. BU fared significantly better, hitting seven of its 18 attempts from long range.
After a back-and-forth game in the first quarter, the Terriers raised the intensity in the second period, going into halftime with a nine-point lead over Lafayette.
Come the second half, the Leopards dominated the third quarter with junior guard Jessica Booth controlling the court alongside Andrews and Wilson, leaving the Terriers to face an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
“Obviously didn’t have a great third quarter, but I thought they were challenged going into the fourth quarter and we really pulled away in that,” Graves said.
Graves was pleased with her team’s ability to perform as a unit, complimenting junior forward Maren Durant and sophomore forward Caitlin Weimar for their key roles in rebounding and the team’s commitment to great defense — specifically sophomore guard Sophie Beneventine and her energy in the game.
BU returned for the fourth quarter on fire, as Giannaros came out with a three-pointer in the first minute of the final period, bringing the BU bench and fans to their feet. Scoring nine consecutive points for the Terriers, Giannaros shrunk the deficit to just one point.
The Terriers continued to maintain their momentum, as they went on a 6-0 run on the court to capture the lead. The Leopards got into some foul trouble late, and the Terriers were making their free throws to solidify their 10-point win.
Johnson and Graves both emphasized focus and energy as the team looks forward to their next matchup against Colgate University in Hamilton, New York on Saturday afternoon.
“Games are never easy,” Johnson said postgame. “So, just not getting down on ourselves early if shots aren’t falling or things aren’t going our way but just keep in focus and have high energy, and I think we’ll be OK.”
A terrific article on the team’s play and progress.
Good luck against Colgate.