Bringing it all back home

The weekend could not have gone better for the Boston University women’s basketball team, as it knocked off University of Vermont, 62-38, and Binghamton University, 59-44, to earn a spot in the America East Championship game this Saturday. As the highest remaining seed, they will host the final game.

Facing Vermont in the conference quarterfinals in Hartford, Conn. on Friday, BU took control of the game early with relentless defense, allowing just six points in the first half en route to the victory.

“We took it to them early and got them in foul trouble,” said BU coach Kelly Greenberg. “We were really focused on what their strengths were and we kept them away from it.”

This was the second time in less than a week the Terriers defeated the Catamounts, as they won 75-52 on Senior Night at Case Gymnasium on Feb. 26.

Senior guard Kat Briggs started the game and provided the defensive spark to shut down the Catamount offense in the first half. Briggs has spent most of the season coming off the bench as a defensive specialist, but got the start after showing success against Vermont.

Sophomore guard Chantell Alford stole the show in her first game since being named America East Player of the Year, finishing with 24 points and 13 rebounds. She was the only Terrier player in double-digit scoring, and led the team with 36 minutes.

“She was all-around terrific,” Greenberg said. “What I was most excited about for Chantell in that first game was how much she rebounded. I mean, she was just a monster on the boards.”
After the win over Vermont, BU had to refocus for its next game on Sunday against Binghamton. The Bearcats were the third seed in the tournament and split the regular season series with the Terriers.

“We expected a slugfest,” Greenberg said. “They are physical off the ball and on the ball, and number-wise they are considered the best defensive team in our conference. We knew it was going to be a battle.”

The Terriers fell behind early when the Bearcats went on an 8-0 run within the first five minutes. However, the momentum in the first half went back and forth, and BU went to the locker room down 22-20.

The story of the second half was junior guard Alex Young, who scored 26 points in the final 20 minutes. Young hit five 3-pointers in the second to finish the game 7-of-9 from beyond the arc and tie a program record. Young’s 26 second-half points amounted to more than the entire Binghamton team scored in that period.

“Alex just went on this fantasy run when she just couldn’t miss. They weren’t even touching the rim,” Greenberg said. “It was a fun day.”

The Terriers out-rebounded the Bearcats and won the turnover battle in a game where they shot over 40 percent from the field. The BU bench was also a much bigger factor in the game, as it played a combined 36 minutes as opposed to a combined five minutes of playing time for the Binghamton bench.

One key member of the bench for the Terriers on Sunday was sophomore guard Mo Moran. Moran has spent most of the year as the starting point guard and was named to the All-Conference Second Team. Despite Briggs starting in her place most of this tournament, Moran saw 20 minutes of action on Sunday.

“Mo, being the unselfish player that she is, is 100 percent on board. We made some changes and it was for the good of the team and all of our players know that,” Greenberg said.
“I am very fortunate to have a group that is all about the team and Mo certainly is indicative of that.”

With fourth-seeded University of Hartford upsetting first-seeded University of Maryland-Baltimore County in the other semifinal, BU will host the America East Championship game on March 12 at 7 p.m. at Case Gym.

BU will do battle with a Hartford team that split the season series with them and is known as the Terriers’ rival.

“I think it is going to be a very good game. It always is with Hartford,” Greenberg said.

“We are home now and we are excited about it, but it is certainly not going to be easy.”