A team that loves using mottos to aid the flow of its season, the Boston University women’s basketball team has devised yet another saying for the final push. This time it’s more of a number than a motto, but the concept is still the same.
Exactly one week ago, the team decided its latest slogan would be “six.” After a demoralizing Feb. 9 loss to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, the coaches and players knew they needed a gut check. And what better way to do so than by creating a new maxim.
“We talked about six games,” said BU coach Kelly Greenberg. “[Binghamton] was No. 5 and Wednesday’s game is No. 4. We’re really, really focusing in on this last run here and want to be really strong and playing well going into the tournament.”
Last season, BU went into a tailspin in its last six contests, dropping five in a row before winning its last game of the season and three more in the conference tournament.
BU (15-8, 8-4 America East) looks to make it three in a row this season when the University of Vermont (8-15, 4-9) visits Case Gymnasium tonight at 7 p.m.
In addition to “six,” the Terriers are still very centered around BIED (Bring It Every Day), as well as coach Greenberg’s personal favorite: “energy.”
“I really think you need to have it every game,” Greenberg said of energy. “It’s funny, I watch games on TV and you can see it right away, which team has it and which team doesn’t. I think the one thing we want to learn is that if we don’t start off with it, how can we change that and that’s going to be the key for us the rest of the way.”
Earlier in the season, the Terriers came away from Patrick Gym on Jan. 21 with a 92-72 win. With the victory, BU recorded its highest point total of the year, as well as its best shooting percentage of the year (52.9 percent).
If the Terriers want to shut down Vermont this time around, they will first have to shut down sophomore Alexis Castro. The 6-foot forward is leading the America East with 16.6 points per game. She has also scored in double figures 20 times in 23 games.
“She’s really stepped up with the graduation of their star players for last season,” Greenberg said. “She has a real nice stepback move and can shoot the 3. She’s really a player that, as a sophomore, has stepped up and become their leader.”
The Catamounts have lost seven of their last eight contests, but with the way America East has been working this season, an upset is possible at any time.
A statistic that the Catamounts might like to forget is their No. 1 rank in the conference for points allowed per game. Vermont is letting opponents score an average of 66.3 ppg while shooting a conference-best 42.1 percent from the field.
For the Terriers, Rachael Vanderwal locked up America East Player of the Week honors for the second time in three weeks and will also look to extend her double-digit scoring streak to 10 games. Add to that the fact that sophomore Kasey Devine is playing her best basketball of the season, and there’s no reason why BU won’t be able to make “No. 3” a good one.