Looking to rebound from a two-game skid in consecutive road games, the Boston University women’s basketball team returned to Case Gym on Wednesday night for its penultimate home matchup of the 2014-15 season.
Although the Terriers (5-21, 2-13 Patriot League) were able to put up a much better effort in their second time out against American University, the Eagles (18-8, 13-2 Patriot League) were still able to coast to a 58-50 victory.
In the last matchup between the two teams on Jan. 21, American outscored the Terriers by 30 points, with five separate Eagles each scoring 10 or more. While the Eagles were still the better team in this one, the Terriers were able stay with them throughout the contest.
Many of American’s early points were the product of force and determination, utilizing crisp passing in the paint, showing why the Eagles sit atop the Patriot League rankings. The Eagles’ passing was spot-on throughout the first half. Every time they got the ball, they kept it moving quickly, keeping the Terriers on their toes and causing some confusion, resulting in wide-open jump shots on more than one occasion.
The Eagles opened the half on a 7-0 run, during which the Terriers seemed to struggle to get their bearings. A 3-pointer from redshirt junior guard Troi Melton, her only one of the night, was the Terriers’ first field goal, but it didn’t come until nearly five minutes into the half.
From that shot on, it was all Melton for the Terriers. Melton showed intensity on both ends of the floor. Immediately following her three, she hustled back on defense for a block on American guard Jen Dumiak. Melton led the team in points in Saturday’s game against Loyola University Maryland, and in Wednesday’s matchup against the Eagles, she continued to build on what was working for her so well her last time out.
BU coach Katy Steding said she was impressed with Melton’s performance Wednesday.
“She was very aggressive,” she said. “When she gets her first shot, I think she does really, really well. That gives her a lot of confidence. [Eventually], we were trying to run a lot of stuff for her to the point where she was getting tired, and that hasn’t happened in a while for her. It was a nice night for her.”
Overall, though, the Terriers had to fight for every inch against American. They struggled to get into the paint, which is where they succeeded against the Greyhounds (7-19, 5-10 Patriot League). While it was a challenge, the Terriers refused to let up and continuously worked to chip away at the Eagles’ lead. American did not give up the lead in the half, but the Terriers kept it manageable until the final minutes of the frame when the Eagles rode an 8-0 run into the locker room. Dumiak accounted for six of those points, going 3-for-3, and the Terriers trailed by a score of 32-21 at the break.
The second half was much of the same. The Terriers fought for anything American would give them, Melton and Dumiak were unstoppable on offense and the Eagles didn’t surrender their lead.
The battle between Melton and Dumiak was the real showdown in the second half. While the Terriers battled ferociously, the Eagles were able to keep making shots as well, leading by as much as 14 at one point. Because American was able to secure a comfortable lead in the second half, the main attention was on the scoring battle ensuing between the teams’ two guards.
In the end, the two tied for scoring with 23 points, which was a career-high for Melton. The duo also finished with nine combined rebounds. Dumiak recorded seven assists, and Melton had two blocks. Melton was also the only player on the Terriers to not turn the ball over on the game.
Overall, Steding said the Terriers’ improvement from their last game against the Eagles is the result of them fitting better into their roles.
“We didn’t change all that much except our focus to finish plays out,” she said. “I think we’ve gotten better. The last time we played them was really the first time we tried to switch everybody, so I thought we attacked that better. Our zone really came together [this time], and they stuck with it better.”
