Women’s Basketball: Terriers battle Bucknell, hold on for 67-58 win
By Hannah Yoshinaga
Boston University women’s basketball outlasted Bucknell on the road Wednesday, holding on in the final moments to secure a 67-58 win.
The win was the Terriers’ (13-8, 9-1 PL) third-straight and ninth in conference play, while the Bison (15-6, 6-4 PL) suffered their fourth loss to a Patriot League opponent and now find themselves in fifth place.
Despite getting off to a 1-for-7 start in the first quarter, junior guard Sydney Johnson led all scorers with 23 points and five assists. Johnson shot 58.3% from the floor for the remainder of the contest.
Freshman guard Alex Giannaros and junior center Maren Durant each reached double figures with 10 points apiece. Sophomore center Caitlin Weimar was just shy of another double-double, posting nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Though Bucknell outscored BU in the paint, the Terriers had a major advantage on the boards — totaling 42 rebounds compared to the Bison’s 27. BU opponents continue to wrangle 32.8 rebounds per game, the lowest mark in the Patriot League.
Bucknell could not seem to counter BU outside the arc either. The Bison shot 23.1% from deep, while BU made 46.2% of its shots from three-point land.
BU’s offense got off to an up-and-down start in the first quarter, during which the Terriers ultimately sank just three of 15 attempts all quarter long. Bucknell wasn’t much more successful but headed into the second period with a 15-7 edge.
The Bison’s offense subsequently came to a screeching halt, and BU handily outscored Bucknell 20-4 during the quarter. Cecelia Collins and Emma Shaffer each scored a two-point bucket, but the Bison failed to score for the final seven minutes and 53 seconds of the period.
However, Bucknell’s halftime adjustments posed a challenge for the Terriers. A 10-point third quarter from Collins, in addition to contributions from Carly Krsul, reduced the Bison’s deficit to just two points.
BU was able to build its lead back up marginally at the beginning of the fourth, but Bucknell kept pace and worked the deficit to three points with fewer than two minutes remaining.
A three-pointer by Giannaros increased BU’s lead to 60-54, eventually giving the Bison no choice but to foul. Six made free throws by Johnson down the stretch put the game away.
Krsul finished with 18 points on 58.3% shooting, while Collins recorded 16.
The Terriers return to Case Gym Saturday to face intraleague foe Lehigh, which was responsible for BU’s only loss thus far and has recorded wins against both of the conference’s top-ranked teams.
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.