Women's Basketball Takes on St. John's Saturday
November 29, 2007 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2007
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BOSTON - The Boston University women's basketball team (5-2) begins its month-long road stretch with a trip to New York, N.Y., on Saturday, Dec. 1 to face off with St. John's (4-1) at Carnesecca Arena at 2:00 p.m. The Terriers and Red Storm will be meeting for the 11th time overall, as St. John's owns the 9-2 advantage in the series history. BU is coming off a convincing 72-60 victory over UMass on Wednesday evening at Case Gym, while St. John's recently defeated Monmouth, 71-48.
THE TERRIERS: Backed by junior Jesyka Burks-Wiley's double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) and junior Amarachi Umez-Eronini's 19-point performance, BU improved to 5-2 with its victory against the Minutewomen on Wednesday at Case Gym. Senior Cheri Raffo chipped in 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting.
BU has three players averaging double figures, with Burks-Wiley leading with 14.2 points per game. Senior Kasey Devine (12.3 ppg) and Raffo (11.3) are not far behind. Burks-Wiley is also the team's leading rebounder with 7.3 per game.
Junior Christine Kinneary continues to lead the conference in assists with seven per game. Her closest competitor is Vermont's Courtnay Pilypaitis with 4.83 per game.
As a team, the Terriers have shot an impressive .842 from the free-throw line - tops in the conference - and have averaged 72.0 ppg, ranking second in the America East.
THE RED STORM: St. John's is off to a 4-1 start with wins over Army, then-No. 24 NC State, Dartmouth and most recently Monmouth. St. John's dropped its only contest of the season to Vermont in the Catamounts' TD Banknorth Classic championship game. The following week after its upset victory over the Wolfpack, the Red Storm were receiving votes in the AP poll. Since the tourney, the Red Storm has earned back-to-back wins over Dartmouth, 74-31, and Monmouth, 71-48.
Monique McLean and Kelly McManmon lead on the offensive front with 14.6 ppg and 10.2 ppg, respectively. Joy McCorvey is the team's rebounding leader with 5.8 per game.
BU VS. ST. JOHN'S: The Terriers and Red Storm have matched up in 11 contests and St. John's holds the 9-2 series advantage. The rivalry opened on Feb. 3, 1979 at Carnesecca Arena in Queens, N.Y. The Red Storm won that game by a 72-56 margin.
BU's first win came in the 1979-80 season, as it took St. John's into double overtime and left with a 90-81 win. The next season, the Terriers and Red Storm played another overtime game, a 104-94 St. John's victory.
Following those early games the two teams played regularly throughout the 1980s, however they did not meet once in the 1990s. In 2005-06, the Terriers and Red Storm rekindled the series, as St. John's defeated BU, 64-53, in the season opener. However, last season the Terriers answered back with a commanding 83-64 victory at Case Gym.
NEXT TIME OUT: BU will make the trip to Providence, R.I., for a 7:00 p.m. contest against Brown on Dec. 5.
