Terriers Travel to Marist for Saturday Match-Up
December 12, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 12, 2008
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Poughkeepsie, N.Y. - The Boston University women’s basketball team (5-4) heads to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Saturday to take on Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foe Marist (7-1), which is receiving votes in the most recent Associated Press poll. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Terriers enter Saturday’s contest following back-to-back wins over the Ivy League, while the Red Foxes are riding a four-game winning streak.
THE TERRIERS: This season has been highlighted by the solid play of the Terriers’ senior class, which currently holds the top four spots on the team in scoring. Senior Jesyka Burks-Wiley leads the four-person class with 15.9 points per game – good for third in the America East – followed by Kristi Dini (11.7), Christine Kinneary (11.0) and Amarachi Umez-Eronini (9.6). In eight of the team’s nine contests, a senior has led the squad in scoring. In each of those games, the team’s scoring leader posted at least 16 points.
In addition to being the team’s most prolific scorer this season, Burks-Wiley has also crashed the glass, averaging a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game.
THE RED FOXES: Marist, which is receiving votes in the latest AP poll, is currently riding a four-game winning streak. The Red Foxes opened the season on a three-game spurt before suffering its first and only loss of the year to No. 5 Oklahoma, 83-57, on Nov. 26.
Marist also boasts one of the nation’s most prolific scorers of the 2008-09 season, as junior Rachele Fitz is currently averaging an impressive 23.5 points per game to rank fourth in the country. In addition, senior guard Julianna Viani is 12th in assist/turnover ratio (2.72) and 15th in assists pre game (6.1).
As a team, the Red Foxes have been steady from the free-throw line, sinking 81.5 percent, which is the third best percentage in the nation.
BU VS. MARIST: The Terriers lead the Red Foxes, 3-1, in the all-time series record; however, the two squads have not met since the 2003-04 season when BU claimed a 72-46 victory at Case Gym. Boston University has reached at least 70 points in all three of its wins. At the McCann Center, BU is 1-1 all-time.
BU VS. THE MAAC: The Terriers own a 16-6 (.727) advantage over Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) opponents all-time, and have already faced one MAAC squad this season as it defeated Siena, 84-61, in the Terriers’ home opener on Nov. 20.
Canisius (1-1)
Fairfield (3-3)
Iona (1-0)
Manhattan (1-0)
Marist (3-1)
Niagara (2-0)
Siena (5-1)
LAST TIME OUT VS. THE RED FOXES (Jan. 3, 2004): The Terriers’ earned a 72-46 victory over visiting Marist College in the final non-conference game for both teams at Case Gymnasium on Jan. 3, 2004.
Picking up its third straight victory, Boston University held Marist to a 25.0 shooting percentage in the game and forced 20 turnovers. Leading the Terriers offensively was Katie Terhune with a game-high 21 points to go along with eight rebounds.
Adrienne Norris notched the Terriers’ first double-double of the season with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds while Becky Bonner had nine points and 10 boards.
TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS: The Terriers’ senior class of Jesyka Burks-Wiley, Kristi Dini, Christine Kinneary and Amarachi Umez-Eronini need 15 more wins this season to become the all-time winningest class in school history. They currently own a 57-43 (.570) record over four seasons.
KINNEARY HANDOUTS: Senior Christine Kinneary is 49 handouts away from breaking a 28-year-old record for career assists. The record is currently held by Debbie Miller (‘81), who had dished out 477 over her four years as a Terrier.
If Kinneary maintains her 5.4 assists per game, she could surpass Miller’s record halfway through the conference season.
UP NEXT: The Terriers will enjoy a 17-day break before hosting the Big East’s St. John’s at Case Gym on Dec. 30 at 2 p.m.
