For nearly four years, the University of Hartford was the face of America East women’s basketball. Two wins in the NCAA Tournament, a win in the NIT and four wins against ranked opponents cemented the Hawks’ status as the team to beat. On three occasions, the road to the NCAAs ran through Hartford both figuratively and literally: the Hawks’ 2005, 2006 and 2008 conference championships were won on their home floor.
If the Terriers’ 11-point victory over Hartford last month wasn’t an indication of the Hawks’ sudden vulnerability, Tuesday’s epic comeback in West Hartford certainly was. After multiple seasons of complete invulnerability at home, Hartford has lost consecutive games at Chase Family Arena. The illusion of Hartford as some invincible foe has vanished.
When one conference favorite falters, another steps forward to take its place. Are the Terriers that team? Is this finally their year? Let’s look at the evidence.
Whether the Terriers are a better team than Hartford is an open question, but BU certainly has an edge in momentum. Tuesday’s win was the Terriers’ 14th straight victory, and guaranteed the team will finish no worse than second. Any victory between now and season’s end will give BU a share of the regular season title and the number one seed in the conference tournament.
BU only has to win one more game to finish atop the conference and the remaining schedule isn’t overly threatening. Maine and Albany have combined for just three wins against conference opponents and one road win overall; two of those three conference wins came against each other. UMBC features the conference’s leading scorer, Carlee Cassidy, but the Terriers’ dismantling of the Retrievers earlier this season inspires confidence.
It’s difficult to talk about the possibility of going undefeated in conference play. Like a perfect game in baseball, it’s somewhat taboo to acknowledge the feat while in progress. On the other hand, this is history in the making, and history deserves a thorough treatment.
If the Terriers finish undefeated in conference play, continued success is almost definitely in the cards. The America East’s lowly standing among Division-I conferences and BU’s current RPI of 80 all but rule out an at-large bid to the NCAAs, but the likelihood of an at-large bid coming into play is rather low.
Consider, if you will, the four teams in America East history with unblemished records in conference play. Those four teams did nearly as well in the conference tournament, compiling an 11-1 mark and winning three conference titles. The only loss by a previously undefeated team came in 2003, when Maine fell to BU, the three seed, in the title game by a four-point margin.
How have the Terriers put themselves in this position? It’s difficult to point to any one thing. Indeed, BU has found success in a plethora of different game situations against both strong and weak opponents. Ten of the Terriers’ 13 conference wins have come by double digits ‘-‘- BU doesn’t step off the gas pedal when the opponent can be put away. The other three wins all came in overtime. The Terriers’ 3-0 record in extra time is a testament to BU’s senior leadership.
Resiliency was never the question about this team, but BU proved itself on Tuesday after Hartford put the Terriers on the ropes. An 18-1 Hartford run threatened to end the Terriers’ winning streak. Down 17 with less than 13 minutes remaining, BU chipped away at the lead methodically, relying on offense from team leaders (senior Christine Kinneary) and unexpected contributors (freshman Alex Young) alike.
Young’s 19-point performance from Tuesday illustrates BU’s greatest strengths, namely, versatility and depth. The Terriers’ leading scorer, Jesyka Burks-Wiley, averages nearly 19 points per game and is a major post presence. Aly Hinton can hit a layup or step outside for a jumper. Kinneary and Amarachi Umez-Eronini beat defenders off the dribble. Kristi Dini is the conference’s top perimeter shooter. Young and the rest of the bench fill specific roles and provide value despite limited minutes.
The Terriers’ balance is impeccable ‘-‘- anyone can spark a run at any moment. Teams with two or three legitimate threats are difficult enough to guard, but BU can space the floor with talented players and force opponents to pick their poison ‘-‘- precisely what happened against Hartford. During BU’s final possession of regulation, Dini was guarded closely by Erica Beverly, but Beverly backed off after Dini passed the ball only to see the ball return to Dini, who hit a game-tying three.
Hartford and Vermont are formidable foes, and BU will likely run into at least one of them in the conference tournament. The Terriers won their previous meetings with the Hawks and Catamounts by playing to their own strengths. Should there be a third meeting with one of those opponents, the Terriers will be able to rely on the knowledge obtained from the previous two victories against each.
Not that the championship game will be a cakewalk by any means. With three contenders vying to be king of the hill, the hardest part isn’t getting to the top ‘-‘- it’s staying there.
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