Dec. 9, 2008
Box Score
BOSTON - Led by five players in double figures and a 20-for-23 performance from the free-throw line, the Boston University women's basketball team staved off a furious second-half Harvard rally to claim an 80-61 victory on Tuesday evening at Case Gym. The win marked the program's 450th in 34 seasons and also extended the Terriers' home unbeaten streak to 13 games. BU improves to 5-4 on the season, while Harvard falls to 4-4 overall.
The starting five all reached double figures as senior Jesyka Burks-Wiley, the America East Player of the Game, poured in a game-high 21 points and was followed by senior Amarachi Umez-Eronini (14), senior Kristi Dini (12), junior Aly Hinton (11) and senior Christine Kinneary (10). Hinton was one board shy of a double-double as she brought down a game-high nine rebounds.
The Terriers led by as many as 23 points in the first half, aided by a thrilling 15-0 run to start the contest, but a tough Harvard side cut the deficit to six points with nine minutes remaining in the second stanza. A 3-pointer from Dini broke a nearly six-minute scoreless stretch at 8:16 and jumpstarted BU's offense, which stretched the lead back to double digits and also hit 14 of its 15 free-throw attempts in the final five minutes.
The win marked the Terriers 13th straight triumph at home, which includes games at Case Gym and Agganis Arena, and the 16th consecutive victory at The Roof.
To open the game, the Terriers went on a 15-0 tear as Burks-Wiley netted nine of the team's first 13 points. BU played staunchly on defense, holding the Crimson without a field goal for the first four minutes and forcing four turnovers in the first six minutes of the game.
BU stretched its lead to 20, 35-15, with 6:04 remaining in the first half and kept sophomore Emma Markley, Harvard's leading scorer, without a field goal through 18 minutes of action. The Terriers took a 44-25 lead into the break, with Burks-Wiley leading the way with 13 points.
Harvard came out firing on all cylinders in the second half and erased the double-digit deficit with a 22-9 run that spanned 11 minutes. Dini drained a three at 8:43 to break a scoreless streak and rejuvenate BU's offense, which responded by quickly upping the lead to 11, 62-51, over the next three minutes. The Crimson drew to within eight, 62-54, with 5:50 remaining, but the Terriers hit 14-of-15 free-throw attempts down the stretch to round out the scoring at 80-61.
BU will hit the road on Saturday (Dec. 13) when it takes on defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) champion Marist at 2 p.m. in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
