Feb. 19, 2008

Box Score

BOSTON - Senior Cheri Raffo led three players in double figures with 18 points, as the Boston University women's basketball team cruised to a 77-56 victory over Maine on Tuesday evening at Case Gym. Junior Christine Kinneary and senior Kasey Devine chipped in 15 and 12, respectively. BU shot a season-high 56.9 percent from the field, while going 10-for-16 from 3-point range. The Terriers improve to 14-10 overall and 7-4 in the America East, while the Black Bears fall to 7-18 overall and 4-8 in conference play.

Raffo was 6-for-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from the arc to earn America East's Player of the Game honors, while Kinneary was 5-for-6 with nine assists and two steals.

The Terriers shot 62.5 percent (10-for-16) from 3-point range, while also posting 36 in the paint. The Terriers played stingy defense, matching a season high for steals with 13. They forced 27 Maine turnovers and scored 26 points off the miscues.

The Terriers took a commanding 40-21 lead into the locker rooms at halftime after shooting 51.7 percent from the floor, backed by Raffo's 5-for-7 shooting for 13 points. The Terriers and Black Bears both brought down 12 boards, however, BU made the most of 14 Maine miscues to score 15 off turnovers. The Terriers were also aggressive in penetrating the Black Bears defense, scoring 19 in the paint.

Maine earned its only lead of the game two minutes into the contest, but BU quickly recovered and held the Black Bears scoreless for the next six minutes to take a 10-4 lead at 12:28. The Terriers opened the lead to 10 points, 23-10, at 7:09, before Maine closed the gap to nine, 23-14, three minutes later. This would be the closest the Black Bears would come as BU went on a 17-3 run that spanned five and a half minutes, before Maine hit back-to-back baskets to close out the stanza.

In the second half, BU maintained its double-figure lead, trading baskets with the Black Bears for the first 12 minutes, before junior Kristi Dini's 3-pointer with 7:38 remaining upped the advantage to 21 points, 63-42. The trey helped jumpstart a 12-6 run that gave BU its largest lead of the game - 27 points - with 1:57 left. In the final two minutes, the team held onto possession, and Kinneary put up the Terriers final two points on free throws. After Maine's Magdala Johnson's scored the final basket of the game, Kinneary held onto the ball for the final 16 second to earn the victory.

BU will travel to Vermont on Saturday, Feb. 23 for a 2:00 p.m. game that can be seen locally on CN8.