Women’s Basketball: Terriers Prepare for a Dogfight With the Albany Great Danes

Featured image by Jackson Shahinfar

By James Noyes

Boston University Women’s Basketball (4-3, 0-0 PL) will take on the University of Albany Great Danes (7-1, 0-0 AEC) this Tuesday, Dec. 6th at the Case Gymnasium in Boston. 

The Terriers have been successful at home so far this season: they are 4-1 at The Roof this year. Albany has already collected three away-game wins this year, but their only loss also came on the road last Saturday against Siena College.

A major storyline for this season’s Terriers is the contribution from the underclassmen: freshman forward Allison Schwertener is averaging the second-most points per game on the team, behind senior guard Alex Giannaros. Four BU sophomore guards, Aiobhe Gormley, Audrey Erickson, Sisi Bentley and Bella McLaughlin, are all averaging over 19 minutes per game.

The Great Danes operate a bit differently. Albany is a veteran team; they start four graduate students alongside their freshman guard, Delanie Hill. They are led by their jack of all trades: six-foot forward, graduate student Kayla Cooper. 

Cooper does everything for the Great Danes. She is averaging 19.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, all team-high figures. She is shooting the ball at an efficient 62% clip, and leads the Great Danes in minutes per game as well. In other words, Cooper is as invaluable to Albany as the Schuyler Mansion itself.

Albany also starts forward Kaci Donovan. At 6’1, Donovan is the tallest player on the roster, alongside forwards Martina Borellas and Gabriela Falcão, who are also 6’1. The Great Danes will be at a disadvantage in the post against the taller Terriers while Albany has three players over six feet tall, none exceed 6’1. BU rosters three players 6’3 or taller, and five Terriers stand over six feet.

The Great Danes have been scorching hot over their past three games, going 2-1 with a +64 point differential.  The Terriers have also won two out of their last three games, but in a much less dominant fashion: BU’s point differential over that stretch is only +2, but their wins were well-fought.

BU has shown off their multifaceted scoring prowess recently. Three different Terriers have led the team in scoring in each of their last three games: Schwertener paved the way against Le Moyne with 18 points, Erickson directed the offense against Rider, scoring 20 points, and Giannaros put up 24 points in the loss to Georgetown. 

Every Terrier is expected to contribute every game, and the date with Albany is no different. While guards like Giannaros and Erickson will orchestrate the offense, BU’s path to victory lies in the trenches. If the Terriers can maximize their height advantage and parlay that into a lopsided margin in paint points, Albany will be staring down the barrel of their second loss of the season.

Expect heavy minutes from Schwertener and junior forward Anete Adler, who scored six points in the Terriers last game against Le Moyne. If those two pillars can contribute their usual impact, BU will look like the dominant team Tuesday night.

The game begins at 6 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast live on WTBU Sports and ESPN+.