Nov. 16, 2013

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BOSTON - Both seniors Rashidat Agboola and Whitney Turner nearly had double-doubles and sophomore Katie Poppe hit a critical 3-pointer in the final minute to lead the Boston University women's basketball team past Rhode Island, 52-49, on Saturday afternoon at Case Gymnasium.

Earning their first victory of the season, the Terriers improve to 1-2, while the Rams (0-3) suffer their ninth defeat in the last 10 meetings with BU.

Agboola matched her season high with nine rebounds while adding 11 points. Her classmate Turner was one point shy of a double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds and season-high four blocks. Junior Mollie McKendrick was the second Terrier in double figures with 12 points. Beside scoring BU's final four points in the game to finish with seven total, Poppe added six rebounds and a career-high three steals.

URI's Sydney Lewis had the game's lone double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds with Kerry Wallack falling just one point short with 10 boards. Tayra Melendez tallied a game-high 16 points but was held to 5-of-16 shooting on the day.

The Rams scored the game's first six points in the first four minutes of action to jump out to their largest lead of the game. The teams then battled back and forth with the score tied at 19-19 at 2:25 following a layup by Lewis for URI.

Turner then scored on a layup with an assist from sophomore Clodagh Scannell to give BU the lead for good, as the Terriers finished the half on a 7-0 spurt to enter the locker room leading, 26-19.

Poppe and McKendrick's baskets gave BU a 15-point lead at 16:18 (38-23) and 14:12 (40-25), respectively, but URI did not back down.

Trailing 46-38 with 3:36 remaining, the Rams reeled off seven straight points to cut the deficit to one at 1:55. BU head coach Kelly Greenberg called timeout to set up a play for Agboola to score down low.

The Rams missed on their next field goal attempt but Lewis grabbed the offensive rebound and hit the putback to keep the Terriers' lead at one. Poppe followed with a dagger though, hitting nothing but net from behind the arc with 54 seconds remaining.

Melendez would draw a foul and hit two free throws but after getting a defensive stop, the Rams committed a costly turnover. Poppe hit one of two free throws and URI missed a desperate heave at the buzzer, giving BU the victory.

The Terriers finished 19-of-54 (.352) from the field and overcame a poor performance at the charity stripe, as they went 11-of-24 (.458). BU converted 13 URI turnovers into 15 points while only giving up four off 14 of its own miscues. The strong defensive effort held the Rams to 28.8 percent shooting (17-of-59).

Following the win, BU will remain at home and host Yale on Tuesday (Nov. 19) at 7 p.m.