The Boston University women’s basketball team opens up its regular season on Friday afternoon with a tilt against rival Northeastern University. Both teams look to improve upon sub-.500 records in 2015-16.
BU is coming off 3-27 campaign, with all three wins coming in Patriot League play. Northeastern, on the hand, went 15-16 last season.
The Terriers faced the Huskies in its season-opener in 2015-16 as well, a 77-44 loss in front of a home crowd at Case Gym. In last year’s contest, graduated senior Troi Melton paced the Terriers with 12 points and current senior guard Courtney Latham contributed 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals.
BU head coach Katy Steding, entering her third season at the helm, is looking for a different result this time around.
“I’m expecting us to come out and play them tough like in any other game,” Steding said. “I’m not worried about a poor performance like last year. It was our first game of the year last year with new bodies and a new system.”
BU will rely heavily on the leadership a senior trio featuring Latham, forward Meghan Green and guard Sarah Hope, all of whom hail from New England. All three seniors played significant minutes in their junior seasons; Latham was a regular starter, while Green and Hope were top contributors despite coming off the bench in the majority of contests.
Despite only starting 13 games last season, Green lead the Terriers in scoring with 9.6 points per game. Green was also a factor on the boards as she was one of five Terriers to register at least four rebounds per game. Green can play either forward position, giving the Terriers much-needed versatility.
Hope led the Terriers with 64 three-pointers and was third on the team in scoring during the 2015-16 season, averaging 7.3 points per contest.
Latham started 26 of 29 games last season and led the Terriers with 2.8 assists per game. She is looking to recover from a season in which she shot just 29.2 percent from the field and made no threes. If Latham continues to struggle shooting, look for junior guard Corrine Williams and junior forward Kara Sheftic to get many looks at the basket.
Junior center Sophie Beaudry will be making her Terrier debut on Friday night. Beaudry is a transfer from student from Monmouth University, who brings much needed depth to the Terriers frontcourt. At 6-foot-5, Beaudry is the tallest player in the BU lineup, standing three inches taller than junior forward Erin Bayram.
“[Beaudry] is one of the most agile 6’5” kids I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” Steding said. “She’s a true post player, she’s an excellent passer.”
Nia Irving of Fairfield, Maine and Vanessa Edgehill of Franklin are the lone freshman on the Terriers’ side. Irving was the 2015 Maine State Gatorade Player of the Year for Lawrence High School and led her squad to the state championship, but is questionable for Friday’s game due to a foot injury. Edgehill is a combo guard who can stretch the floor with a confident three-point stroke.
Despite a difficult start to last season, the Huskies turned around in the second half, winning seven of their last nine contests.
The Huskies lineup is youthful, as eight of their players are either freshmen or sophomores. Sophomore Jess Genco was second on the team in scoring with 9.4 points per game and led Northeastern in assists, dishing out 4.2 helpers per contest. Genco was one of just three Huskies who played in all 31 games last year.
Northeastern also boasts a talented freshman from Maine. Shannon Todd, a 5-foot-10 guard, is a steady guard who can both stretch the floor and take on smaller defenders in the post.
Center Sally Francesca is a returning force in the Husky lineup as well, who will likely match up with Beaudry. In 2015-16, the Denver native had a very successful season, averaging 8.6 points a game to go along with 5.4 rebounds, which was second on the Huskies.
With a chance to prove people wrong this year, Steding and her squad look forward to the opportunity to get the year underway against a familiar foe.
“We’ve got a strong core of experienced returners with a lot of game experience and we’ve got some new faces,” Steding said. “I’m really excited to have the opportunity to play them again.”
