Women’s Basketball: Terriers Beat Themselves as Navy Stays Undefeated at Home
By: Andrew Mason
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Boston University amassed a season-high 27 turnovers on Saturday night in a 59-48 loss to Navy. The defeat moves BU to 10-14 on the season and 4-10 in Patriot League play with only three games remaining in the regular season.
Being sloppy on offense has been a staple of the Terriers the last few games. The last three contests – a victory at Holy Cross and losses to both American and Navy – has seen 74 Terrier turnovers, the most in a three-game stretch this season.
At this point, the question is whether it is BU’s opponents or its own carelessness with the basketball that leads to so many mishaps.
“Our turnovers are a mix of their pressure and our mistakes,” said junior guard Naiyah Thompson, who finished the contest with 8 points, 8 rebounds. “We know that we struggle there and we get nervous. By trying to not make mistakes, we don’t play our game, which messes us up.”
Nonetheless, BU did break their other negative habit: starting slow.
BU came ready to fight in the first quarter, as a Corrine Williams (3 points, 6 rebounds) 3-pointer and a pair of Tenisha Pressley (8 points, 2 steals) free throws led the scarlet and white to a 13-12 lead after one.
But the Navy Midshipmen turned it up and won each of the last three quarters. Navy senior Taylor Dunham seized a game-high 17 points with four assists and four rebounds. Dunham rained on the Terriers with five triples.
The Mids continue to be red hot at home this season with a 14-0 record at Alumni Hall, the only Patriot League team besides American to still be undefeated at their own gym.
“Everyone has a little more edge when playing at home,” Thompson said. “I don’t think they’re unstoppable, they just know how to play their game and get it done at home.”
Sophomore Nia Irving led BU in scoring for the fifth consecutive game. The forward notched 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go with six boards. She was the only Terrier to finish in double figures on Saturday night.
The Terriers are in seventh place, tied with Lafayette, Loyola and Holy Cross with a 5-10 league record. Out of the 10 teams, all will move to the postseason tournament. But, the incentive is to finish in the top six, in order to obtain a bye during the first round play-in games.
If the playoffs started today, the Terriers would host a play-in bout against the 6-20 (2-13 Patriot League) Colgate Raiders.
“I don’t really care who we play,” Thompson admits. “There’s no one I think is unbeatable in our conference.”
BU stays on the road for their next contest, a Wednesday night battle in Easton, Penn. against Lafayette (9-16, 5-10 Patriot League). The Leopards grabbed the win in a thrilling 47-45 finish in Case Gym the last time these teams met in late January.
Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 21 at Kirby Sports Center.