Women’s Basketball: Terriers fight back to beat Merrimack

By James Noyes

Boston University Women’s Basketball (5-4) beat the Merrimack Warriors (1-7) 73-65 in Case Gym on Wednesday. The Terriers played without star junior forward Caitlin Weimar, who is day-to-day with a lower body injury. After losing two straight, BU got a reset win in their first home game in two weeks.

Sophomore Lauren Davenport scored the opening points for BU with an and-one layup early in the first quarter as they fought against Merrimack’s tough defense. Senior point guard Sydney Johnson hit two quick 3-pointers, but Merrimack’s knockdown shooting gave them all the momentum.

The Warriors’ shooting kept them in control for the entire first quarter. Redshirt senior Marissa Hamilton scored the first five points of the game for the Warriors as they came out of the gate hot. Merrimack shot 60% in the period, including three 3-pointers, giving them a 22-17 lead going into the second quarter.

Undaunted, the Terriers kept playing smooth offense in the second quarter, whipping the ball around the court and finding the open shooter. While their defense remained strong, Merrimack’s prolific shooting predictably went cold. BU took advantage of the Warriors’ stifled offense, working in the paint to get tough points.

As BU crept back to tie the game, then take the lead, the momentum inside Case Gym switched completely. Two big Terrier layups in transition had players and fans alike on their feet. Senior guard Maggie Pina hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put BU up 10 before Merrimack responded with a 3-pointer of their own to stop the Terrier onslaught. At halftime, BU led 34-31.

“Us being able to score inside and out is a really special thing about the team,” BU Head Coach Melissa Graves said. “The guards did a really good job of being the aggressor, attacking the rim and utilizing their passes to get their teammates open shots.”

The Terriers kept their foot on the gas after halftime, using their height advantage to keep hitting shots under the rim. Senior forward Maren Durant made two layups followed by a Pina jumper to put BU up nine points, forcing Merrimack to call a timeout.

BU’s defense improved in the third quarter, as they swarmed the Merrimack players whenever they got the ball. Merrimack’s shooting struggles continued while BU continued to move the ball and hit shots. After the third quarter, the Terriers led the Warriors 53-42.

The trend continued into the fourth. The Terriers lengthened their lead early, and their offense spurred on by skip-passes across the court thrown by Pina. BU hit four 3-pointers in the quarter, and despite a late-game surge from Merrimack, held on to win 73-65. 

“All of us sinking in and knowing where we have to be in the offense and also knowing what the reads are in the offense this year has made it a lot easier to be able to find each other and make those better passes,” Pina said.

Riding high off this win against Merrimack, the Terriers will travel to New Haven, Connecticut to take on the Yale Bulldogs on Dec. 13 at 4 p.m. BU will look to spark another win streak, like the four-game streak they had earlier this season.