Women’s Basketball: BU Battles Hard, Falls to Georgetown 69-61
Featured image by Jackson Shahinfar
By Samantha Genzer
Boston University Women’s Basketball (2-3, 0-0 PL) fought hard but ultimately lost to the Georgetown Hoyas (3-3, 0-0 BEC) in a final score of 69-61 on Wednesday afternoon at Case Gym. \
Despite a stellar 24-point performance from senior guard Alex Giannaros and a season-high six assists from sophomore guard Bella McLaughlin, the Terriers could not overcome a late Hoyas surge.
“I was really proud of our effort. I thought we really battled,” said Head Coach Melissa Graves. “Not happy to have to walk away with an L but really happy with the effort of the team.”
Georgetown guard Jayden McBride led her team with 18 points, including three three-pointers, while forward Ariel Jenkins added 16 points and eight rebounds.
BU started strong with Giannaros driving for an early bucket, but Georgetown responded with a 9-2 run to pull ahead 14-5. The Terriers ended the first quarter on an 11-2 run, cutting the deficit to 16-14.
In the second quarter, BU briefly claimed the lead with layups from McLaughlin and freshman forward Audrey Ericksen. However, Georgetown countered with a 9-0 run led by McBride to regain control.
Freshman forward Allison Schwertner and Giannaros fought back late in the half, with Giannaros beating the buzzer to bring BU within five, 31-26, at halftime.
Graves said Schwertner proved herself to be a “really solid post player” in the game.
“Allison did an amazing job,” Graves said. “She’s fearless as a freshman, going up against a Big East team.”
The Terriers opened the third quarter strong, tying the game 31-31 on a Schwertner layup and an Ericksen three-pointer. Georgetown responded quickly with an 11-2 run, fueled by triples from Khadee Hession and Victoria Rivera, to take a 42-33 lead.
Approaching the fourth quarter, Giannaros drilled a right-wing three to trim the deficit to seven, 56-49. She continued her hot hand, opening the final frame with a three-pointer from the BU logo and hitting three free throws to bring the Terriers within five.
With approximately four minutes remaining, Giannaros found McLaughlin for a clutch three-pointer, narrowing the gap to 62-60. However, Jenkins and McBride delivered late buckets for Georgetown, as BU scored just one point in the final minutes.
Graves praised her team’s defensive effort, particularly their ability to limit Georgetown’s Kelsey Ransom.
“She’s the heart and soul of the team,” Graves said. “I thought we really locked in, and that was a team effort to stop her.”
Giannaros’ 24 points marked a season high for any Terrier this year, and McLaughlin’s six assists were a career best. BU also shot a season-high 58.8% from beyond the arc, but the Hoyas’ edge on the glass and clutch scoring sealed the outcome.
“When Georgetown pressures as much as they do, you kind of got to calm them down,” Giannaros said. “That’s what today was all about, just making sure everybody was staying within themselves playing the game.”
The Terriers look to get back in the win column as they go up against the Rider Broncs on Dec. 1 in Case Gym, with tipoff set for 1 p.m. and streaming available on ESPN+.