Women's Basketball Takes On Canisius in Midweek Road Contest
November 30, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Boston University and Canisius, both 2-1 on the young season, are meeting for the first time ever. The Terriers are riding a two-game win streak following a 61-59 home triumph over Delaware on Sunday, while the Golden Griffins are coming off an 93-86 setback in overtime at Binghamton. America East schools are 5-1 against teams from the MAAC this season.
SCOUTING THE GRIFFS: Before it???s overtime loss at Binghamton, Canisius opened up the season with a pair of wins. The Griffs posted a 77-61 victory on the road over cross-town rival Buffalo before posting an 84-54 triumph over Cornell in their home opener.
Canisius has nine players averaging over six points per game, including junior Megan Lyte, who is scoring a team-high 16.0 points per contest. Sophomore center Laura Granzow is chipping in with 10.0 points per game, while three other players sport a scoring average of 8.3, including junior Abby Radunske, who tallied a team-high 15 points in the loss to Binghamton. Senior point guard Becky Zak is posting averages of 8.0 points and 6.7 assists per contest. As a team, the Griffs are shooting 46.9 percent from the floor, including a 41.8-percent clip from behind the arc.
Last season, Canisius posted a 21-10 record and captured the MAAC championship to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history.
After leading the Griffs to the NCAAs in just his first season as a head coach, Terry Zeh sports a 23-11 career record.
CONFERENCE HONOR FOR VANDERWAL: Senior co-captain Rachael Vanderwal was named the America East Co-Player of the Week on Monday after helping the Terriers earn home wins over two former America East schools, Northeastern and Delaware. The weekly honor was shared with Stony Brook???s Mykeema Ford. In Monday???s home opener against Northeastern, Vanderwal scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and added game highs of eight assists and six steals to guide BU to a convincing 73-46 win. On Sunday, Vanderwal helped the Terriers pull out a thrilling 61-59 victory over Delaware by posting her fourth career double-double with 13 points and a career-best 10 rebounds. Through three games, Vanderwal is BU???s leader in scoring (16.3 ppg), rebounding (7.3 rpg) and steals (1.7 spg).
TERRIERS LOOK TO REVERSE ROAD TREND: Dating back to the early stages of last season, BU has lost 11 of its last 13 road games. The Terriers??? last road win was at New Hampshire on Jan. 26, 2005, a stretch of six contests. However, BU is a perfect 4-0 in neutral-site contests during the stretch, including three wins in the 2005 America East tournament. Canisius has won nine of its last 12 home contests.
BU SQUEAKS OUT 61-59 WIN OVER DELAWARE: The Terriers ended an eight-game losing streak against former conference mate Delaware with a 61-59 home victory over the Blue Hens on Sunday. Sophomore Kasey Devine had the best game of her career, posting career highs in points (13), blocks (6) and assists (4), while matching her career best in rebounds (10), set initially in last season???s America East championship game. BU trailed by as many as nine points in the second half before taking the lead and holding off the Blue Hens in the final minute.
MOVIN??? ON UP: Vanderwal is on the verge of entering BU???s top-10 list in career assists, as she has totaled 255 in her four seasons with the Terriers. Kelly Jo Gallagher ???98 is 10th on the all-time list with 257, while Karen Wood ???88 and Terry Shinkwin ???81 are ninth and eighth with 261 and 263 assists, respectively.
GREENBERG REACHES CENTURY MARK: With BU???s 73-46 victory over Northeastern, head coach Kelly Greenberg picked up the 100th victory of her career. She has averaged over 16 wins per season during her first six years as a head coach and has posted an overall record of 101-71, resulting in a winning percentage of .587.
MAAC ATTACK: BU is 12-8 all-time against schools from the MAAC. The Terriers most recent meeting with one of the conference???s member schools was a 72-46 home victory over Marist on Jan. 3, 2004. Here is a breakdown of BU???s record versus each school it has faced:
Fairfield 3-3
Iona 1-0
Manhattan 0-1
Marist 3-1
Niagara 2-0
Saint Peter???s 0-2
Siena 3-1
TERRIERS DOWN HUSKIES IN HOME OPENER: BU won its home opener for the second time in as many seasons with a dominating 73-46 victory over Northeastern on Monday (Nov. 21). Six Terriers hauled in five rebounds or more to help the team hold a convincing 52-33 edge on the boards. BU shot 43.1 percent from the floor, including a 38.1-percent effort from behind the arc, while holding the Huskies to just 26.3-percent shooting. The Terriers assisted on 19 of their 29 baskets and made all seven of their attempts from the charity stripe.
TERRIERS DROP SEASON OPENER AT ST. JOHN???S: BU dropped a 64-53 contest at St. John???s on Nov. 18 at Carnesecca Arena. Faced with a 27-point deficit six minutes into the second half, the Terriers stormed back to within 10 points, but the Red Storm???s lead proved to be insurmountable. St. John???s went on a decisive 26-5 run starting with the final seven minutes of the opening half and including the initial six minutes following intermission. During the stretch, BU was held without a field goal for a span of just over 12 minutes. Vanderwal scored a team-high 15 points, all coming within a span of 8:16 in the second half. Sophomore Cheri Raffo chipped in with 13 points.
KOVACH, PETRANOFF RETURN TO BU LINEUP: After missing the second half of last season due to injury, junior Erica Kovach completed her rehabilitation and has come off the bench in all three contests, averaging 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Also making a comeback is senior Shannon Petranoff, who missed her entire junior season due to injury. She hauled in six rebounds against St. John???s and added six points in the win over Northeastern. The post duo has combined to go 11-of-20 (.550) from the floor so far this season.
KINNEARY OFF TO STRONG START: Kinneary has been impressive in her first three collegiate games, averaging 8.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Before scoring a season-high 10 points in the win over Delaware, she filled up the box score against Northeastern with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists. In her collegiate debut, Kinneary grabbed a team-best seven rebounds against St. John???s. She grew up in Plainedge, N.Y., just 20 miles from the St. John???s campus.
INJURY HOLDS UP SHARPSHOOTER???S MOMENTUM: After averaging 25.6 points per game during the Terriers??? run through the 2005 America East tournament, junior co-captain Katie Meinhardt looked to carry her strong shooting into the 2005-06 season, but a preseason injury sidelined her for the team???s first two games. In BU???s win over Stony Brook in the first round of the conference tournament, Meinhardt recorded a program-record 43 points. Last season, she shot 40.6 percent from behind the arc and was one of four Terriers to have a better 3-point percentage than an overall field goal percentage (Raffo, Corinne Jean, Becky Bonner).
STEP RIGHT UP: Raffo made a big impact on the BU lineup as a rookie, starting all 31 contests, the most starts for a freshman in program history. She averaged 6.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game during the 2004-05 campaign.
GUARDS FILL REBOUNDING VOID: After losing over half of its rebounding production with the graduation of forwards Adrienne Norris, Larissa Parr and Becky Bonner, the Terriers have accounted for the void with strong play off the glass by their guards. Vanderwal and Kinneary are the team???s top two rebounders through three games, averaging 7.3 and 6.7 boards per game, respectively.
CANADIAN CONNECTION: The Terriers??? roster features three Canadians this season, including Vanderwal, sophomore Corinne Jean (Victoriaville, Que.) and freshman Brianne Ozimok (Midhurst, Ont.). Jean made eight starts as a freshman and she led the team in 3-point percentage, making 29 of her 71 attempts (.408) from behind the arc.
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH, WITH EXPERIENCE: The Terriers??? 16-player 2005-06 roster features 10 underclassmen, including six freshmen. However, the team???s four sophomores combined to make 41 starts as freshmen in 2004-05.
CAPTAIN DUO: Vanderwal and Meinhardt will serve as co-captains for the 2005-06 Terriers. It is the first year that each player has taken inherited a captain???s role.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: Despite losing three players who made a combined 78 starts last season, the Terriers were predicted to be near the top of the league in the America East preseason coaches??? poll. BU received 45 total points, tied with Maine for second among the conference???s nine teams. Defending conference champion Hartford was a unanimous decision to repeat.
Preseason Coaches??? Poll
Team - Points (First-Place Votes)
1) Hartford - 64 (8)
2t) Boston U. - 45
2t) Maine - 45
4) New Hampshire - 42
5t) Binghamton (1) - 36
5t) Stony Brook - 36
7) Vermont - 30
8) Albany - 16
9) UMBC - 10
MEINHARDT PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: Meinhardt was tabbed by league coaches as a preseason all-conference selection. The former America East Rookie of the Year, Meinhardt finished second on the team last season in scoring (11.1 ppg) and in 3-pointers made (39). Hartford???s Erika Messam and Binghamton???s Rachel Laws were unanimous selections to the squad and were also joined by Hartford???s Ikea Witt and Stony Brook???s Mykeema Ford.
ON THE AIRWAVES: BU???s student radio station, WTBU, will be broadcasting all 27 of the Terriers??? regular-season contests this season. Jonah Goldberg and Brian Maurer will serve as the WTBU???s broadcast team throughout the year. Each game will be streamed live on the station???s website: www.wtburadio.com
