{"id":39739,"date":"2023-12-10T12:35:30","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T17:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=39739"},"modified":"2023-12-10T12:35:59","modified_gmt":"2023-12-10T17:35:59","slug":"womens-basketball-terriers-defeat-harvard-in-thriller-led-by-weimars-milestone-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2023\/12\/10\/womens-basketball-terriers-defeat-harvard-in-thriller-led-by-weimars-milestone-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s Basketball: Terriers defeat Harvard in thriller led by Weimar\u2019s milestone night"},"content":{"rendered":"

Featured image by Jacob Ireland<\/em><\/p>\n

By Henry Dinh-Price<\/em><\/p>\n

BOSTON \u2013 A night of celebration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a game that featured a career milestone, ten lead changes and seven ties, Boston University women\u2019s basketball (6-3) squeezed out a win over the Harvard Crimson (5-5) in an 80-77 nailbiter that came down to the final seconds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust so proud. This was a total team effort,\u201d BU head coach Melissa Graves said postgame. \u201cI thought everyone who came in contributed in a positive way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Leading the way for the Terriers was senior forward Caitlin Weimar. She racked up 29 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. While every contribution was needed from her to secure a BU victory, no shot was more notable than her first.<\/span><\/p>\n

Entering the game with 999 career collegiate points, it would only take one basket for Weimar to reach the exclusive 1000-point club.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That basket didn\u2019t take long. 57 seconds to be exact.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Junior guard Alex Giannaros drove baseline and drew two defenders, leaving Weimar open in the paint. Weimar collected the bounce pass from Giannaros and put up a left-handed layup to give BU a 2-0 lead and surpass the 1000-point mark.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely exciting to hit and it\u2019s been a goal for sure. But you know, I think it\u2019s just like, it\u2019s a game, like I get 1000 points and then it\u2019s just like onto the next thing,\u201d Weimar said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s exciting though. I\u2019m happy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After transferring from Marist University after her freshman season, Weimar has scored 856 of her 1028 collegiate points at BU.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just think, aside from this, what she\u2019s done as a whole is just so tremendous here,\u201d Graves said. \u201cShe\u2019s just affected this team in such a positive way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While Weimar\u2019s milestone is certainly something to cherish, the Terriers were able to attach a win next to her special night, making it all the more memorable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BU produced their highest-scoring output of the season by far, notching 80 points on 58 percent shooting (31-53) and 56 percent from beyond the arc (9-16).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had extra passes. We had great open shots. Obviously, we were hitting really well,\u201d Graves said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Terriers’ elite offensive play allowed them to create some separation in the first half. At halftime, BU led 42-34.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the third quarter got underway, BU added to its lead, looking to put the game away early.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe came out in the third, which was really crucial for us,\u201d Graves said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Midway through the quarter, already up by eight, the Terriers went on a 12-2 run. Two layups and two assists for Weimar, along with two 3s from Giannaros, sparked the Terrier surge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The run was highlighted by a heat check 3-pointer from Giannaros as two defenders had a hand in her face. Her shot swirled around the cylinder before dropping through the net to give BU a 59-43 lead. As Harvard called timeout, Giannaros turned to the crowd and let out a yell, to which the BU crowd responded with cheers of their own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Later, a Weimar layup put the Terriers up 63-45 with just under a minute remaining in the frame. At this point, ESPN’s win probability metric gave the Terriers a 99.2 percent chance of winning the game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not so fast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A furious 21-3 run over the next four and a half minutes allowed Harvard to tie the game at 66 with 6:30 remaining in the fourth quarter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the fourth quarter obviously wasn\u2019t our best defensively. You know, I think that\u2019s something we\u2019re always trying to get better at. That and taking care of the basketball,\u201d Graves said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Full-court pressure from Harvard led to six BU turnovers in the four-and-a-half-minute stretch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey started face-guarding us, taking out our point guards, you know, that sort of thing,\u201d Graves said. \u201cWe\u2019re very young and so for them to get that experience to play against that pressure has been really, really good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the long term, Harvard\u2019s pressure gives experience to a young BU team that features six freshmen and two transfers. But in the short term, it allowed the Crimson to take their first lead of the game since the first quarter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crimson senior guard Lola Mullaney caught a pass in the corner and launched a triple over the outstretched hand of 6-foot-2 sophomore forward Anastasiia Semenova. Her 3-pointer gave Harvard a 71-68 lead with five minutes remaining and forced Graves to call a timeout.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe tried to limit her touches. She\u2019s a really talented player,\u201d Graves said. \u201c(The timeout) was to try to refocus on what we were trying to do defensively and one part of that was to take her away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After the timeout, Weimar delivered five straight points to regain the lead for BU at 73-71.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After trading baskets for the next few minutes, BU and Harvard found themselves tied at 77-77 with one minute remaining.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Harvard had possession with a chance for the lead, but a trap from Giannaros and senior guard Sophie Beneventine forced an errant pass from Mullaney as she crossed midcourt. Semenova came up with the steal as the Terriers earned a crucial stop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn those final moments it\u2019s all about defense, everything that we can do,\u201d Weimar said.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a chance to take the lead, it was freshman guard Audrey Ericksen who came up big for BU.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Giannaros drove hard with the right hand, getting to the low block before defenders converged. She kicked out to Beneventine at the top of the key, who swung it once more to an open Ericksen on the left wing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ericksen used a head fake to create a fly-by contest before taking two dribbles and burying a short corner jumper to give BU a 79-77 lead with 31 seconds remaining.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy confidence in this game, because of my teammates and their trust in me and their ability to like, talk me through the entire game. It didn\u2019t feel like there were 30 seconds left, it felt like a normal shot,\u201d Ericksen said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ericksen\u2019s confidence was on full display, as she set a new career-high with 17 points.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her go-ahead shot gave the Terriers a lead they would not relinquish, but massive defensive stands stood between BU and a victory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Beneventine took a charge on Mullaney with 14 seconds left. But after a BU turnover on a baseline inbound, the Terriers needed another stop.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This time it was freshman guard Aoibhe Gormley with the big defensive play as Harvard looked to Mullaney once again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe really tried to face guard (Mullaney) when she was near the ball,\u201d Graves said.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what Gormley did.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the Crimson looked for Mullaney, Gormley deflected the pass, which then grazed off of Mullaney\u2019s fingertips before traveling out of bounds with just six seconds remaining.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ahead 79-77, BU found Giannaros on the inbounds with a chance to ice the game at the line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Giannaros calmly buried the first free throw to put the Terriers up by three.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But her second shot, to put the game out of reach, hit the back iron.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mullaney skied for the rebound before racing up the court. With a chance to send the game into overtime, Mullaney\u2019s shot to beat the buzzer hit the back rim and fell to the waste side. And even if it had gone in, her right foot was on the line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt looked like her foot was on the line, so I was happy about that,\u201d Graves said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think they were all very relieved walking off the court,\u201d she added.<\/span><\/p>\n

It took BU\u2019s best offensive performance of the season, and a sweaty finish, but by the slimmest of margins, the Terriers held on for a resilient 80-77 victory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BU will next face Division III Emmanuel on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Case Gym in the final matchup of a three-game homestand.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Featured image by Jacob Ireland By Henry Dinh-Price BOSTON \u2013 A night of celebration.\u00a0 In a game that featured a career milestone, ten lead changes and seven ties, Boston University women\u2019s basketball (6-3) squeezed out a win over the Harvard Crimson (5-5) in an 80-77 nailbiter that came down to the final seconds.\u00a0 \u201cJust so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23098,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19,1039,1040],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39739"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23098"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39739"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39742,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39739\/revisions\/39742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}