Box Score | Season Stats
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Freshman Aly Hinton posted a career-high scoring effort for the second consecutive game to help lead the Boston University women’s basketball team past the University of Vermont, 61-49, on Wednesday evening at UVM’s Patrick Arena. Hinton scored a game-high 22 points to go along with 11 rebounds, as the Terriers improved to 12-11 overall and 4-6 in the America East. The Catamounts fell to 15-7 overall and 5-4 in conference action.
In the second half alone Hinton posted 12 points, as the Richboro, Pa., native earned BU’s America East Player of the Game honors. Senior tri-captain Erica Kovach contributed 12 points and junior tri-captain Cheri Raffo added 11.
The Terriers held the Catamounts to their lowest shooting percentage since their first game of the season against UMass, as UVM shot 27 percent in the contest.
After going down by five within the first minute of the match and turning the ball over three times by 18:30, Boston University quickly recovered as Kovach scored the Terriers first four point, drawing to within one point with end-to-end basketball as Umez-Eronini dished it off to Kovach with three UVM defenders surrounding her. BU took its lead, one they would not relent for the remainder of the half, when Raffo dropped it into Hinton for the easy lay-up at 15:39.
Over the next few minutes, the Terriers continued to move the ball well and UVM’s top offensive threat, freshman Courtnay Pilypaitis, picked up two quick fouls. Umez-Eronini drew two fouls and the BU defense also held up, as Vermont remained scoreless over seven minutes until Amy Rosenkrantz hit one free throw at 12:50. The closest the Catamounts came was on a Sy Janousek 3-pointer that moved the score to 13-11. The duo of Kovach and Hinton continued to lead the Terriers’ attack, accounting for 12 of the first 20 points BU scored.
Going into the locker rooms at halftime, BU was shooting 50.0 percent from the field on 12-of-24 shooting, while the Catamounts were 23.5 percent. Kovach was a perfect 5-of-5.
UVM made it a two-point game early in the second half with back-to-back field goals from Pilypaitis then knotted the score at 30 with a BU turnover at halftime court and a layup from May Kotsopoulos. During the first five minutes of second half, the contest proved to be much closer than the first half as both teams traded baskets. However, Kinneary found both Hinton and junior Kasey Devine to take a six-point lead. Hinton continued her impressive second half eight points by 11:55, including crucial jumpers that pulled the Terriers away from the Catamounts.
Raffo made tough fade away jumper after getting fouled to give the Terriers a 44-39 advantage. BU continued its run with a Hinton jumper and a three-point play from Kinneary. The Terriers played tenacious defense causing UVM to make errant passes. Four offensive rebounds at 6:10 led to a layup from Devine to gain a 14-point margin. Once again,
BU’s defense held UVM scoreless for a significant stretch of time as the Catamounts went seven minutes without a basket. Vermont ended the drought at 5:31 with a free throw from Kelly Poles. Down the stretch, BU held off Vermont's last-ditch attempts at a comeback as the Terriers pulled off the 61-49 victory.
BU will face Stony Brook on Saturday, Feb. 10 at noon. The game will be televised on NESN.
