Dec. 1, 2010

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - The Boston University women's basketball team (2-5) dropped a heartbreaking 58-56 decision to Rhode Island (4-3) on Wednesday night at URI's Ryan Center. Junior Alex Young poured in 16 points, and classmate Caroline Stewart recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Terriers were within two points with 14 ticks left on the scoreboard after the Rams' Megan Shoniker hit the backend of two free throws. With one possession left, BU brought the ball up the court but a flurry under the net resulted in two missed layups in the waning seconds.

Young went 5-for-15 with three treys, while Stewart was 5-for-9 from the hardwood. Senior Kerry Cashman went 5-for-7 and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. The Newfields, N.H., native also hauled in seven boards and recorded one block and two steals.

As a team, BU shot 32.8 percent from the floor, 31.8 percent from behind the arc, and 75 percent from the charity stripe. The Terriers forced 22 turnovers and scored 23 points off those miscues.

After falling behind, 6-0, to start the game BU came back to within one possession with a layup by Stewart, however, back-to-back treys at the 11-minute mark forced the Terriers into a timeout as they trailed 18-10 with 10:35 remaining in the half. The Rams went on to take a nine-point lead, 21-12, before Young scored six consecutive points to bring BU to within three, 21-18. Two minutes later sophomore Jacqueline Kuczynski hit a trey to draw BU to within two points, 23-21.

BU took its first lead of the game after completing a 7-0 spurt, 25-23, forcing URI into a timeout to halt the momentum swing. The Rams did not allow the lead to remain for very long as it took a slight 27-26 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.

To start the second half, the Terriers and Rams remained within one possession of each other and by the 12:32 mark, URI held the slim 38-37 advantage. Back-to-back treys from Kuczynski and sophomore Mo Moran, who finished the game with seven assists, catapulted BU over URI, 43-40, at the 11-minute mark in the second stanza.

By the 4:42 mark, URI rebuilt a seven-point lead, 52-45, backed by strong free-throw shooting from Megan Shoniker, who hit 7-of-8 in the second half. A resilient BU side came back to within two points, however, 54-52, as Young nailed a three and hit two free throws.

With 23 seconds left and down by three, 57-54, Cashman went in for a layup then grabbed the steal on the ensuring in-bounds pass to give the ball back to BU and draw the team to within one point, 57-56. After a BU turnover, the Terriers were forced to foul and URI's Megan Shoniker hit the second of two free throw attempts. Moran brought the ball up the court with 14 seconds left but with nearly everybody on the court under the basket, creating a flurry of action, BU missed two attempts to tie the game.

The Terriers will next host the Big East's St. John's on Saturday (Dec. 4) at Case Gym. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m.