Women's Basketball Hands Eastern Michigan 65-59 Loss
December 2, 2006 | Women's Basketball
TEMPE, Ariz. – Senior tri-captain Erica Kovach recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds and hit three free throws in the final 35 seconds to help lead the Boston University women’s basketball team (4-3) to 65-59 victory over Eastern Michigan (2-3) in the Terriers' final game of the Verizon Wireless ASU Classic, on Saturday, Dec. 2.
Freshman Aly Hinton (14 pts), junior tri-captain Cheri Raffo (13 pts) and senior tri-captain Katie Meinhardt (11 pts) all tallied double-figure scoring to aid the Terriers offensive push. Nine of Raffo’s points came in the second half, while Hinton put up 11 points in the final 20 minutes.
Eastern Michigan came back from a 12-point deficit to put the game to within a one possession game with under a minute left in regulation, however Kovach and Hinton were able to convert on their free throw opportunities to seal the victory for the Terriers.
The Terriers and Eagles traded baskets over the first four minutes, but BU broke away at 15:05 on an Aly Hinton 3-pointer, Erica Kovach followed up with a lay-up at 14:20 and Kristi Dini, in her first start of the season, hit a jumper to put the score at 13-6.
Meinhardt extended the BU run to 9-0 with a lay-up with 12:22 remaining. Dini pulled up for another jumper with 10:42 remaining to increase the lead to 17-6. EMU’s Sarah VanMetre ended the run with a lay-up at 10:17.
Eastern Michigan came back with five points coming from Emily Hanley, Sarah VanMetre hit a lay-up, and Hanley sunk two free throws to cut the deficit to four points. Amarachi Umez-Eronini converted on a three-point play to bring the score back up to 27-20 with 1:32 remaining in the first stanza.
The Terriers took the 27-20 lead into the locker rooms at halftime with Meinhardt leading BU scorers with six points. At the end of the first 20 minutes, Kovach had already collected seven rebounds.
In the second half, the Terriers opened upped their lead to 45-33 backed by an eight-point performance from Raffo. Within the first six minutes, Hinton matched Raffo’s offensive production with eight points of her own, including one from 3-point range.
Eastern Michigan came back on back-to-back jumpers from Patrice McKinney, to put the score at 48-42. Sarah VanMetre made it a four-point game with 9:27 remaining. McKinney brought the game to within one point, but Meinhardt came back a 3-pointer to up the Terriers to 51-47.
EMU took its first lead since early in the first half with a jumper with 7:40 remaining. Kovach quickly regained the lead for the Terriers after hitting both free throws.
The Eagles did bring the score to within one possession, however Kovach hit three free throws in the final 35 seconds to give the Terriers the final 65-59 advantage.
The Terriers return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m., when BU hosts Brown at Agganis Arena.
