{"id":40632,"date":"2024-03-03T11:53:34","date_gmt":"2024-03-03T16:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=40632"},"modified":"2024-03-04T23:59:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T04:59:00","slug":"womens-basketball-bu-storms-back-from-21-point-deficit-to-defeat-holy-cross","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2024\/03\/03\/womens-basketball-bu-storms-back-from-21-point-deficit-to-defeat-holy-cross\/","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s Basketball: BU storms back from 21-point deficit to defeat Holy Cross"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By Henry Dinh-Price<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BOSTON \u2013 A comeback for the ages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With 25.6 seconds remaining, BU had a chance to take its first lead since a 2-0 advantage in the opening minute. It was on a 7-0 run, keeping Holy Cross (16-12, 10-7 PL) scoreless for over four minutes. A 21-point deficit had shrunk to just one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of Case Gym knew where the ball was headed. Into the hands of star senior forward Caitlin Weimar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freshman guard In\u00e9s Monteagudo caught the sideline inbounds pass near the top of the key and found Weimar posting up against Holy Cross\u2019 Janelle Allen. Weimar caught the pass and in one fluid motion, drop-stepped towards the rim with Allen on her hip.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As she went up for the layup, Allen bumped her to the floor. It didn\u2019t matter. Weimar buried it, giving the Terriers a 64-63 lead with 21.8 seconds remaining. Case Gym erupted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">TO TAKE THE LEAD <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GoBU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Watch on ESPN+: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qsSs7pJWlC\">https:\/\/t.co\/qsSs7pJWlC<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PatriotLeagueTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PatriotLeagueTV<\/a>| <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ESPN<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/T5sMfAs1sa\">pic.twitter.com\/T5sMfAs1sa<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 BU Women&#8217;s Basketball (@TerrierWBB) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TerrierWBB\/status\/1764049921311899981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 2, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weimar made the and-one free throw moments later to put BU up by two.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOnce I realized that our play kind of broke down I just went to go into the post to try my best to get good position,\u201d Weimar said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI kind of blacked out after but yeah, I just tried to post up to get an easy shot.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was the decisive play in a 66-63 statement victory for BU (18-10, 10-7 Patriot League). And of course, it would be Caitlin Weimar to deliver the moment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weimar, despite facing double and triple teams all game long, had a masterful performance. She finished with 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJust to win on a day like this, it\u2019s just amazing,\u201d Weimar said. \u201cI think everyone stepped up and played so well. So I\u2019m just so happy with everything right now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was a game that BU had circled on its calendar. Not only was it senior night, but it was also against the Holy Cross Crusaders (16-12, 10-7 PL). The same team that handed BU its only two losses of Patriot League play last season, including a 66-61 victory in the Championship Game, denying the Terriers a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s such an emotional game. It\u2019s such a big rivalry, such a big history with them,\u201d head coach Melissa Graves said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the previous three meetings, Holy Cross has gotten the better of BU. And on Saturday, it looked like the Crusaders would win their fourth straight, cementing their kryptonite status over the Terriers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Junior guard Alex Giannaros opened the scoring with a midrange jumper, but after that, everything went awry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holy Cross scored the next 14 points, with star senior guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy tallying 10.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even more importantly, BU lost one of its three seniors just four minutes into the game. Kelsi Mingo fell to a heap clutching her knee while driving to the rim. She stayed down on the hardwood and was unable to put any pressure on her right leg when she was helped off the court a few minutes later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Terriers struggled to respond in her absence, and Holy Cross continued to stretch its lead. After 12 minutes, the Crusaders led 29-8. They had made nine of their last 10 field goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThose are typically how these games go with them,\u201d Graves said. \u201cThey typically come in and shoot an insane percentage (against us).\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BU started to claw its way back. A steal and transition layup from Caitlin Weimar capped off a 9-2 run, forcing Holy Cross to call timeout. Yet, BU still trailed 31-17 with five minutes remaining in the second quarter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holy Cross went into the break leading 40-28 after making 59 percent of its shots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey typically are shooting like 39 percent from the field. So to shoot that high at halftime, I think they were at like 59,\u201d Graves said. \u201cWe talk a lot to them about trusting the process and understanding that the percentages will play out, and I think that happened a little bit in the second half.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holy Cross shot 1-of-6 to begin the third quarter. BU capitalized, going on a 9-3 run coming out of the break. A layup from Monteagudo sliced the deficit to six, trailing 43-37.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But BU couldn\u2019t crack past that six-point hole. It traded baskets, as the deficit fluctuated from six to eight points for the following three minutes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the end of the third quarter, Holy Cross had built its lead back to 10. A top-of-the-key 3 from sophomore forward Meg Cahalan hit the back iron, skied into the air, and still fell through the net as the buzzer sounded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She followed it up with a mid-range jumper to start the fourth, stretching the Holy Cross lead to 12, the same margin it had been at halftime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A corner 3 from Giannaros cut the deficit to seven just over a minute later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That would be the last of Giannaros (18 points), however, as she fouled out on the next possession, with eight minutes remaining.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOur team faced a lot of adversity with Kelsi going down, who helps us a lot, and also (Giannaros) fouling out,\u201d said Weimar. \u201cSo I feel I\u2019m like really proud of my teammates for just stepping up. I think everybody knew what was at hand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BU initially struggled without Giannaros, its second-leading scorer. A driving layup from Kaitlyn Flanagan gave Holy Cross a 63-55 lead with 4:45 remaining. But a media timeout 20 seconds later gave the Terriers a chance to regroup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe talked about, in the fourth quarter, to lock down defensively. And we talked about taking it one possession at a time because we had that deficit, to try to get a stop, score, stop, and get that in succession,\u201d Graves said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The stops were no issue. BU held Holy Cross scoreless for the final 4:45.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scores didn\u2019t come until the 2:37 mark. But once they arrived, BU was as close to perfect as it will ever be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think it was just a refocus piece and you know, a will to win,\u201d Graves said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A turnaround jumper from senior guard Sophie Benaventine cut it to six. A Weimar layup on the next possession cut it four. And with one minute left, BU cut it to one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monteagudo launched a 3 from the right wing but left it short. Holy Cross sophomore guard Simone Foreman came away with it in the corner but was immediately swallowed up by a trap from Benaventine and freshman wing Audrey Ericksen. Benaventine ripped the ball away, earning BU an extra possession.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It led to another Monteagudo 3, and this time she found the bottom of the net.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">3 BY MONTEAGUDO!!! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GoBU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Watch on ESPN+: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qsSs7pJWlC\">https:\/\/t.co\/qsSs7pJWlC<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PatriotLeagueTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PatriotLeagueTV<\/a>| <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ESPN<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yYHUlAwzGD\">pic.twitter.com\/yYHUlAwzGD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 BU Women&#8217;s Basketball (@TerrierWBB) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TerrierWBB\/status\/1764049385133142065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 2, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another stop led to BU\u2019s go-ahead possession: Weimar\u2019s three-point play.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And from there, the Terriers were able to close it out with two crucial stops. Holy Cross had a last-second look, but senior guard Cara McCormack\u2019s 3 glanced off the iron.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTo be able to come back and fight with that slow of a start that we had, I\u2019m just so so proud,\u201d Graves said. \u201cAnd to do it on senior night for our seniors who have committed so much to the program, I\u2019m really happy to get this win for them, especially.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the victory, BU moves into a three-way tie atop the Patriot League standings with one game remaining in the regular season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BU will travel to Hamilton, N.Y. to face Colgate (16-12, 9-8 PL) on Wednesday. With a win, it will earn at least a share of the regular season title and could end up as the 1-seed in the Patriot League tournament.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But for now, BU will cherish this thrilling win. A win to celebrate the seniors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey\u2019ve done so much on the floor for us,\u201d Graves said. \u201cI really have loved just seeing the growth of them, you know, all together in their past few years here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>FEATURED IMAGE BY ZUZU JANSEN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Henry Dinh-Price BOSTON \u2013 A comeback for the ages.\u00a0 With 25.6 seconds remaining, BU had a chance to take its first lead since a 2-0 advantage in the opening minute. It was on a 7-0 run, keeping Holy Cross (16-12, 10-7 PL) scoreless for over four minutes. A 21-point deficit had shrunk to just [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23098,"featured_media":40664,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19,1039,1040],"tags":[1129,1136,69,1145,1789],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40632"}],"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=40632"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40678,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40632\/revisions\/40678"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}