Women’s Basketball: Spearman, freshman shine in opening day loss
By: Andrew Mason
In head coach Marisa Moseley’s debut at the helm of the Boston University women’s basketball team, the scarlet and white fell hard to the Northeastern Huskies by a final score of 81-51. Despite the Friday afternoon loss, Moseley and her Terrier squad know the game was a valuable learning experience.
The Huskies came out of the gate on fire, climbing to a quick 7-0 lead just three minutes into the first quarter, leading Moseley to call for a timeout.
“Both teams came out a little nervous,” Moseley said. “We’re going to figure out why it was a slow start [for us], and we’re going to change it.”
Although the Terriers were able to close the gap soon after, poor shooting told the story for BU on Friday. The Terriers finished 19-62 (30.6 percent) from the field, compared to Northeastern’s impressive 29-56 (51.8 percent).
Senior Lauren Spearman, who led the BU with 14 points, said the disappointing team shooting wasn’t a result of bad looks.
“I think for the most part, shots just weren’t falling,” Spearman said. “We got to keep shooting – we can’t let that discourage us.”
Spearman was placed in a brand new role on Friday. After playing just over six minutes per game last year, the Los Angeles native responded well in her first collegiate start.
“Before we went out, Coach Moseley told me that she had confidence in me,” Spearman said. “It helped me believe in myself more and take shots when they were open.”
Terrier junior, Nia Irving, grabbed nine points and five rebounds, but left the court early due to an injury on her right forearm. The specifics of the injury are still unknown. Meanwhile, BU’s leading point-scorer through most of last season, sophomore Katie Nelson, tallied just four points off two-of-seven shooting.
While Riley Childs was inactive due to a calf injury, fellow freshmen Ashley Sieper and Chiara Tibbit thrived in their collegiate debuts. Tibbit recorded a team-high six rebounds to go with six points and two blocks, while Sieper finished with four points, two rebounds, and an assist in just seven minutes of action.
“I thought they gave us great contributions off the bench,” said Moseley. “I think we can use both of them even more.”
Looking ahead, BU (1-0) next hosts Brown University (1-1) on Monday for the season home-opener. Last year, these teams battled in what ended up being a 92-68 blowout win for the Brown Bears.
“Brown shoots a ton of threes, so we can’t give up wide-open threes,” said Moseley. “They penetrate and kick a lot, so we have to make sure we are ready for those shooters.”
The Terriers and the Brown Bears tip-off at Case Gym on the campus of Boston University on Monday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.
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