Feb. 1, 2012
Box Score | Highlights
BOSTON - The Boston University women’s basketball team used a strong second half effort take down Vermont, 72-64, Wednesday night at Agganis Arena. The win is the ninth-straight victory for the Terriers, as BU moves to 16-6 on the season and 9-0 in America East play.
Despite trailing 35-30 at the half, BU came out in the second period and out-scored Vermont, 42-29, to remain undefeated at home (8-0 in Case Gym; 1-0 in Agganis Arena). The Terriers shot 51.7 percent from the floor and 75.0% from beyond the arc in the last 20 minutes to win a game that featured six ties and 10 lead changes.
BU finished the game with a 40.3 percent (25-of-62) clip, while going 8-for-12 from beyond the arc (66.7 percent). Vermont ended with a 35.9 percent mark (23-of-64) from the floor and shot 29.2 percent (7-of-24) from three-point land. Vermont held the rebounding advantage, 48-48, but committed 18 turnovers while the Terriers had 11.
Chantell Alford was named BU’s America East Player of the Game, as the junior scored a season-high 28 points, falling just short of matching her career-high (29 points vs. Vermont on Feb. 26, 2011). The guard shot 83.3 percent (5-of-6) from long-range, matching her career-high of five made three-pointers. Alford also added four steals and four rebounds to her stat line.
Sophomore Rashidat Agboola was the only other Terrier to reach double-digits in scoring with 14 points and the forward tied for the team-high with six rebounds. Senior Caroline Stewart also grabbed six boards while adding nine points and four assists. Junior Mo Moran matched her season-high with eight assists while contributing eight points and six rebounds.
The Terriers and the Catamounts engaged in a back-and-forth battle in a first half that saw four ties and three changes in the lead. With the score knotted at 28-28 with 4:15 to play in the first period, the Catamounts scored the last five points to take a 35-30 lead into the locker rooms.
Alford scored the first points of the second half with a try to cut Vermont’s lead to two but back-to-back three pointers from Tierra Shumpert and Kayla Burchill put the Catamounts ahead by eight with just over 18 minutes to play. The Terriers used an 8-0 run to even the game at 41-41 and the teams then exchanged baskets before BU broke free from a 43-43 tie to take four point lead following a jumper from Stewart with 13:54 to play.
The Catamounts used an 11-2 run over the next two minutes to go ahead 52-49. BU chipped away at the deficit with treys from Alford and Moran and another shot by Alford to give the Terriers a 61-60 lead that they would not relinquish with six minutes to play.
Alford netted her fifth three-pointer of the night and Stewart sank a jumper before Vermont sent BU to the foul line to close out the game. The Terriers out-scored the Catamounts, 11-3 over the final six minutes to take record the 72-64 victory. BU returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 4, as the Terriers travel to Binghamton for a 2:30 p.m. match-up.
