Women's Basketball Welcomes UMass Wednesday Night
December 4, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2012
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Alford Earns Third AE Player of the Week Award of the Season
BOSTON – Coming off its second-ever win over a ranked opponent, the Boston University basketball team looks for its third consecutive victory when BU hosts the University of Massachusetts Wednesday (Dec. 5) at Case Gym. Tip-off between the Terriers and the Minutewomen is set for 7 p.m.
The Terriers (5-3) are coming off back-to-back wins for the first time this season after BU downed Rhode Island, 54-29, before upsetting then-No. 17/15 St. John’s, 66-49, last week. The win marked the second time in program history that the Terriers have defeated a ranked opponent while No. 17/15 St. John’s is the highest ranked team that BU has ever upset.
Wednesday’s game marks the 25th meeting between the two intrastate foes and the sixth straight season that BU and UMass will meet on the hardwood. The Minutewomen evened the all-time series to 12-12 with a 55-49 victory over the Terriers on Nov. 13, 2011, in Amherst, Mass. BU is 8-2 when hosting UMass on its home court.
Senior Chantell Alford, the reigning America East Player of the Week leads the America East with 19.4 ppg and has scored in double-digits in all eight contests for the Terriers this season. She is shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 47.5 percent from beyond the arc while grabbing 5.4 rpg.
Junior Rashidat Agboola leads the conference with 9.1 rpg while adding 8.6 ppg. Senior Mo Moran is second on the team with 11.0 ppg and leads the league with 7.3 apg.
BU is averaging 60.6 ppg and shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from the 3-point line. The Terriers are ranked third in the nation with 9.0 3-pointers per game. BU is on pace to make 261 3-pointers this season which would shatter the program record of 206 made 3-pointers, which was set in 2008-09 and 2009-10. It would also break the America East record for most 3-pointers, which was set with 223 treys made by UMBC in 2007-08.
UMass arrives in Boston with a 2-6 record with its lone wins coming in its season opener against Kent State (83-53) and at Ohio on Nov. 29 (65-61). In their last game, the Minutewomen fell, 50-40 at Miami of Ohio.
Jasmine Watson leads UMass with 14.3 ppg while chipping in 7.1 rpg. Emily Mital is second on the team with 13.4 ppg while Rashida Timbilla leads the team with 9.0 rpg and ranks third with 10.3 ppg. The Minutewomen average 62.9 ppg and are shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from long-range. Five of their six losses on the season have been by 10 points or less.
Head coach Sharon Dawley is in her third season leading the Minutewomen. Dawley is familiar with the Terriers as she spent seven seasons coaching America East foe Vermont. She led the Catamounts to two consecutive America East titles and three straight postseason berths.
Following Wednesday’s game, BU travels to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to battle Marist on Saturday (Dec. 8). Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
