Feb. 23, 2008

Box Score

BOSTON - The Boston University women's basketball team dropped a 65-56 decision to Vermont on Saturday afternoon at Patrick Gymnasium. Senior Cheri Raffo led with 17 points, scoring ten points in the final six minutes, and junior Amarachi Umez-Eronini posted 11 as the Terriers fall to 14-11 overall and 7-5 in America East action. UVM improves to 19-7 overall and 9-3 in league play.

Raffo was 6-for-17 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line, while Umez-Eronini was 4-for-11 with a team-high four assists. Junior Jesyka Burks-Wiley contributed 11 points with four rebounds.

The Terriers shot 31 percent for the game and 36.4 from the arc. BU converted on 17 points off turnovers and 20 in the paint.

Vermont jumped out to a 6-0 lead on three consecutive fast break baskets and opened an 11-2 advantage in the first 4:30 of the game. Umez-Eronini snapped the Terriers' scoreless streak with a layup at 16:31 and BU quickly put itself back in the game with back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to one, 11-10, at 13:15. Junior Kristi Dini gave BU its first lead of the game with a trey at 9:57 and Raffo took over, scoring the Terriers' next four points to keep the deficit to one. Heading into halftime the score was knotted at 27 after freshman Kerry Cashman went in for the layup to tie the game.

At the break, Umez-Eronini led all scorers with nine points, while Vermont's Courtnay Pilypaitis brought down a game-high 12 rebounds and led the Catamounts with eight points - all on free throws.

Reminiscent of the first half, Vermont opened the second stanza on a 6-0 spurt before BU closed the gap, 33-31. UVM's May Kotsopoulos drained a three and followed up with a fast break layup to move to score to 38-31 at 15:57. The Catamounts opened a 10-point advantage in the seventh minute of the half on two made free throws, however, the Terriers quickly halted the momentum when senior Corinne Jean drained a 3-pointer at 13:32.

The Catamounts took a 12-point lead - its largest of the game - at 7:49 on a jumper in the paint. Over the next six minutes, UVM maintained its advantage and with 3:35 remaining, owned a 59-50 lead. Raffo netted the Terriers' next eight points to keep BU within arm's reach, however, the UVM lead proved too much to overcome as the Terriers fell, 65-56.

BU will host UNH on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m.