Jan. 4, 2013
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BOSTON – The Boston University women’s basketball team concludes its four-game road swing on Saturday (Jan. 5) when the Terriers travel to West Hartford, Conn., to take on the Hartford Hawks. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Chase Arena.
Saturday’s game is a battle between two of the top 10 teams according to the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. As of Tuesday (Jan. 2), Hartford ranks 9th in the poll while BU is 10th. It is the 61st meeting in the storied rivalry between BU and Hartford with the Terriers owning a 31-29 advantage in the all-time series.
The teams were even at 29-29 in the series entering the 2011-12 America East season but the Terriers swept the Hawks in the two meetings last year, a 53-46 victory at home on Jan. 22, 2012, and a 57-52 road victory to close out the regular season, to take a two-game lead in the series. It marked the first season sweep for the Terriers since the 2008-09 season.
Winners of their last eight games, the Terriers boast the conference’s second-best scoring offense with 64.3 ppg while their scoring defense also ranks second, allowing 53.9 ppg. Much of BU’s offensive success can be attributed to BU’s efficiency from the 3-point line. The Terriers lead the America East with a 39.3 3-point field goal percentage and rank third in all of Division I with 9.0 3-pointers per game.
During the win streak, the Terriers have averaged 66.9 ppg while holding opponents to 49.0 ppg to for +17.9 scoring margin. The eight-game winning streak marks the longest win streak for the Terriers since BU rattled off 13 straight victories last season.
Senior Chantell Alford leads the league with 18.1 ppg and accounts for a third of BU’s made 3-pointer per game with an average of 3.1 shots from beyond the arc per contest. Junior Rashidat Agboola leads the America East with 9.6 rpg and ranks third on the team with 10.6 ppg. She boasts six double-doubles so far this season. Senior point guard Mo Moran owns an 11.1 ppg average and dishes out 7.2 assists per game, which ranks sixth in the country.
Hartford enters Saturday’s game looking to snap a two game losing streak, as the Hawks are coming off losses at Maryland (72-40) and in their conference opener at Binghamton (46-44). The Hawks stand at 9-5 on the season and are 5-2 when playing on their home court.
A pair of players is averaging double-digit scoring performances, as Amber Bepko posts 10.5 ppg while Nikkia Smith adds 10.4 ppg. However, Bepko has been sidelined the last four games with an ankle injury. Katie Roth is the top rebounder for Hartford with 4.9 boards per game while chipping in 5.9 ppg.
BU returns to Case Gym for the first time since Dec. 10, when the Terriers host Vermont on Wednesday (Jan. 9). Tip-off between the Terriers and the Catamounts is scheduled for 5 p.m.
