Nov. 6, 2012
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Video: Women's Basketball Home Opener
BOSTON - Armed with its top three scorers from a year ago, the Boston University women’s basketball team enters the 2012-13 season primed for another successful campaign. BU begins its season on Friday (Nov. 9) when the Terriers welcome cross-town rival Boston College to Case Gym.
For the first time under head coach Kelly Greenberg’s nine-year tenure, BU starts the new season with three straight home games. After hosting the Eagles on Friday, the Terriers welcome a Big 12 program to The Roof for the first time on Monday, Nov. 12, when NO. 17/22 West Virginia comes to Boston. BU then hosts Richmond of the Atlantic 10 Conference on Friday, Nov. 16.
Greenberg’s squad is prepared for the challenge ahead, as she returns 10 letter winners from last year’s team that finished with a 23-9 overall record and a 15-1 mark in the America East en route to the conference’s regular season title and automatic bid to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Terriers were selected finish second in the league this season in the America East coaches’ poll.
Chantell Alford returns for her senior season and will attempt to become the first player in America East history to win three consecutive Player of the Year awards. The junior led BU’s offense with 12.4 points per game last season in addition to pulling down 4.7 boards per game. Alford reached the 1,000 career point mark last season and enters the season with the best 3-point field goal career percentage in program history (.398).
Joining Alford in the backcourt is classmate Mo Moran. The guard ranked second on the team last year with 10.9 ppg and was second in the conference with 4.0 assists per game which led to her spot on the All-Conference First Team. Moran joined Alford in scoring her 1,000th career point last season and will serve as a tri-captain for her senior season.
Guard Kristen Sims and forward Jacqueline Kuczynski make up the remainder of BU’s senior class. Sims, who appeared in every game last season, will continue to provide a spark for the Terriers off the bench and figures to improve upon her 2.7 ppg and 2.3 rpg from last year.
Kuczynski will provide leadership and support for the Terriers from the sidelines as she recently suffered a season-ending injury.
Junior Rashidat Agboola was also elected a tri-captain after her breakout sophomore campaign. The forward ranked second in the league with 8.8 rpg and third on the team with 10.1 ppg. Agboola also led BU with eight double-doubles on the season and was named to the All-Conference Third Team in addition to the All-Defensive Team.
BU’s third captain, Danielle Callahan, will step on the hardwood wearing a BU uniform for the first time this season after having to sit out the past two years. Callahan transferred from La Salle before the 2010-11 season and had sit out due to NCAA transfer regulations. The guard was primed to make her BU debut last year but suffered a season-ending injury during the Terriers’ trip to Spain in August 2011 and was forced to miss the 2011-12 campaign.
Fellow juniors Melissa Gallo and Whitney Turner also return for BU, providing depth at the guard and forward position, respectively. Gallo saw action in 23 games last season while Turner appeared in 31 contests and ranked second on the team with 28 blocks. Both will see their roles increased this season.
The Terriers’ sophomore class only features one active player, as guard Troi Melton will miss the season as she recovers from an injury. Mollie McKendrick will be back for her second year at the forward spot after appearing in 16 games last season.
BU’s roster will be bolstered by four newcomers in Dionna Joynes, Katie Poppe, Clodagh Scannell and Dana Theobald.
Greenberg has assembled another challenging schedule for the Terriers, as BU will face 11 teams that finished last season with 17 or more wins. The Terriers will take on six teams that received bids to the NCAA tournament, including three that won at least one game during March Madness. BU also faces three teams that earned bids to the WNIT and a team that made an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational.
In addition to starting the season with three home games, including contests against members of the ACC and Big 12, highlights of the BU schedule include a trip to Big 10 member Michigan, a home game against the Big East’s St. John’s and a trip to Bethlehem, Pa., for the Christmas City Classic before the conference season gets underway.
