{"id":39810,"date":"2023-12-21T13:18:12","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T18:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=39810"},"modified":"2023-12-21T13:37:49","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T18:37:49","slug":"womens-basketball-for-bu-this-season-is-about-caitlin-weimar-and-alex-giannaros-and-thats-a-good-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2023\/12\/21\/womens-basketball-for-bu-this-season-is-about-caitlin-weimar-and-alex-giannaros-and-thats-a-good-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s Basketball: For BU, this season is about Caitlin Weimar and Alex Giannaros, and that\u2019s a good thing"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

By Sam Robb O\u2019Hagan<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Caitlin Weimar and Alex Giannaros are not done yet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Never mind the loss of six critical teammates from last year. Never mind the eight new players \u2014 the eight kids \u2014 that were brought in to fill that crater. Never mind a program that appears hurtling towards a new era. And never mind the idea that <\/span>this<\/span><\/i> era of Boston University women\u2019s basketball, the one that watched a 17-1 regular season conference record end heartbreakingly short of a Patriot League Championship last year<\/a>, has missed their opportunity to go to the dance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Never mind all of it. The senior forward and junior guard are still here, and they\u2019ve just kept on going.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And what does it look like when the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year and the nation\u2019s reigning 3-point percentage champion get even better?<\/span><\/p>\n

Through 10 games, the Terriers are averaging 62 points per game. That\u2019s third-highest in the conference, and Weimar and Giannaros are scoring more than half of them. Only one team in the Patriot League doesn\u2019t have at least three players averaging seven points a game; it is BU, whose third-leading scorer is putting up just 6.9 points a night. BU\u2019s 7-3 record is second-best in the conference. Yes, Weimar and Giannaros have been <\/span>that <\/span><\/i>good.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is, of course, far from a coming-out party, but the improvement of the Terriers\u2019 two best players has got BU, which plays their last non-conference game on Friday at Northeastern before opening Patriot League play on January 3 against Navy, right back in the race for the conference title.<\/span><\/p>\n

Weimar, who was so close with Maren Durant on and off the court last season she still calls the now-graduated forward her her \u201cpostmate,\u201d has handled being the center of attention in her senior year seamlessly. Her 17.9 points per game are up from 15.5 last season, and her assists are up ever-so-slightly as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Against Harvard on December 9, she faced double- and even triple-teams, something she seldom faced last season, and did brilliantly to pass out of them and find open shooters. BU put up their most points, shot their highest percentage, and earned arguably their most impressive win of the season that night. <\/span>Everyone <\/span><\/i>played well \u2014 and it started and ended with their star forward\u2019s presence in the post.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought Cait did a tremendous job of passing out of the post, with five assists,\u201d head coach Melissa Graves said after that game. \u201cShe\u2019s had to really work on that, you know, because now she\u2019s getting double- and triple-teamed, and to add that piece to her game is really, really special.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Teams are sending the <\/span>house<\/span><\/i> at Weimar this season, because when they don\u2019t, as Harvard found out \u2014 a casual 29 points on 12-for-20 shooting. UMass Lowell, BU\u2019s first opponent of the season, can vouch for that one too; Weimar shredded the River Hawks for 33 points,<\/span> including a game-winning, buzzer-beating hook shot over a helpless defender.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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CAITLIN WEIMAR AT THE BUZZER! TERRIERS WINNNNNNN!!! #GoBU<\/a> #SCTop10<\/a>@MarchMadnessWBB<\/a> @PatriotLeagueTV<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/01KaIVgF5Q<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 BU Women’s Basketball (@TerrierWBB) November 7, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n