Feb. 22, 2012
Box Score | Video Highlights
BOSTON - Sophomore Rashidat Agboola recorded a double-double with a career-high 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Boston University women's basketball team to a 61-56 victory over UMBC at Case Gym on Wednesday night. The Terriers improve to 21-7 on the season and 14-1 in America East play.
Agboola recorded her team-leading eighth double-double while adding three blocks and a steal in 38 minutes of action. Senior Caroline Stewart was second on the team with 13 points, including a career-best two three-pointers, and added nine rebounds.
Junior Chantell Alford also hit double-figures with 10 points while adding three steals and two rebounds while classmate Mo Moran posted a game-high 10 assists in addition to nine points.
The Terriers held the lead throughout the game despite UMBC finishing with a higher shooting percentage. BU ended the night with a 38.2 percent (21-of-55) field goal percentage while UMBC finished with a 42.1 percent (24-of-57) mark. The Retrievers also held the advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Terriers, 39-33.
BU opened the game with a 10-0 run sparked by four-straight points from Agboola before UMBC hit its first shot at the 13:14 mark. Alford stretched BU's lead to 11 points, 13-2, with a three-pointer but the Retrievers scored eight unanswered points to cut the lead to 13-10. Alford connected on her second shot from beyond the arc to halt the UMBC run and give BU a 16-10 lead with 9:27 to play in the first.
The Terriers regained a double-digit advantage with an 8-2 run, including two straight layups by Agboola. After a pair of free throws from UMBC's Raven Harris, Stewart nailed a three-pointer to put BU up 27-14 with 4:05 remaining in the half. The Terriers' lead increased to 17 points, 31-14, with Stewart's second triple of the night but the Retrievers out-scored BU, 7-2 in the remaining minutes and the Terriers took a 33-21 advantage into halftime.
The Terriers maintained their double-digit advantage to begin the second half before allowing UMBC to bring its deficit down to four, 39-35, with a 14-2 run capped by back-to-back three-pointers. BU called for a timeout at 13:32 to halt the Retriever's momentum then scored the first six points out of the break to regain a 10-point cushion. Yet, the Retrievers retaliated with a jumper from Kristin Coles and two consecutive baskets by Lauren Chase to make it a four-point game, 45-41, with 10:30 on the clock.
UMBC did not back down, coming within three points, 52-49, with just over five minutes to play in the game. Alford sank a pair of shots from the charity stripe and Agboola added another layup just before the final media timeout to put BU ahead by seven, 56-49. The teams traded the first few baskets after the break to give BU a 58-54 lead with 2:05 to play.
Neither team could make a shot in the final minutes, as UMBC's only hope was to send the Terriers to the foul line. Stewart went 1-of-2 from the line and Alford sealed the victory with two free throws in the final seconds for BU to earn the 61-56 victory.
BU travels to Hartford on Saturday, Feb. 25, for the Terriers' final game of the regular season. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
