Nov. 14, 2008
Box Score
KINGSTON, R.I. -
Senior Jesyka Burks-Wiley netted a game-high 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help the Boston University women's basketball team open the season with a 50-45 win over Rhode Island on Friday afternoon at the Thomas Ryan Center. Senior Christine Kinneary chipped in 11 points and six rebounds and junior Aly Hinton also tallied six boards.
The Terriers jumped to an early lead, but the Rams came back to pull ahead in the second half before BU escaped with the win. Senior Crystal Bellinger led Rhode Island with 15 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field, and senior Sierra Cooper pulled down eight rebounds.
A pair of threes from senior Kristi Dini gave BU the early lead as the Terriers opened the game on a 13-4 run, holding the Rams scoreless for a five-minute stretch. Rhode Island cut the margin to five with eight-and-a-half minutes to go in the opening frame, but the BU defense once again frustrated the Rams, holding URI without a bucket for the final 5:22 of the first half as Burks-Wiley scored five of her eight first-half points down the stretch to deliver a 30-19 lead at the break.
The Rams came charging back midway through the second, scoring 15 unanswered points and taking the lead on a layup from Bellinger as the Rams' senior guard scored the final six points of the run to stake Rhode Island to a 43-38 edge with seven minutes to play.
The Terriers used a 6-0 spurt to regain the lead with a pair of free throws from Burks-Wiley pushing BU ahead by one. Junior Lindsay Harris put in a layup to put the Rams back up one, but that was the final basket URI could muster. Senior Amarachi Umez-Eronini gave the Terriers the lead for good, sinking a pair of free throws with 2:57 to go for two of her nine points of the game.
BU's final eight points came on free throws as the Terriers shot 15-of-18 from the charity stripe. The visitors shot 34.8 percent from the field with a 43.5 percent first half helping to offset a 26.1 clip from the field after the break.
The Terriers return to action on Thursday (Nov. 20) with the home opener against Siena at Case Gym at 7 p.m.
