Boston University
8-16 (3-8PL)
Navy
18-4 (10-1PL)
Women's Basketball Falls to Navy, 68-57
February 5, 2014 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2014
Box Score | Watch Replay on PLN | Highlights
BOSTON – Senior Rashidat Agboola and junior Mollie McKendrick combined for 35 points but it was not enough, as the Boston University women’s basketball team lost to Navy, 68-57, on Wednesday night at Case Gym. BU drops to 8-16 (3-8 Patriot League) while Navy, the first-place team in the conference standings, improves to 18-4 (10-1 PL).
BU nearly erased a 19-point deficit against the three-time defending Patriot League champions, but ultimately could not complete its comeback, as McKendrick posted her third double-double of the season (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Agboola scored a game-high 19 points and added six rebounds.
Seniors Melissa Gallo and Danielle Callahan added eight points each while sophomore Clodagh Scannell pulled down five rebounds for the Terriers.
Alix Membreno and Chloe Stapleton scored 18 points apiece to lead the Mids while Kara Pollinger added 11 points. Audrey Bauer led Navy with 11 rebounds while BU limited Jade Geif, the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year, to seven points and seven rebounds.
The Terriers overcame a slow start and shot 50.0 percent in the second half to finish the game with a 40.0 field goal percentage (24-of-60). BU hit 5-of-21 shots from beyond the arc (23.8 percent) and went 4-of-10 from the foul line. Navy shot 35.4 percent (23-of-65) from the floor and hit 10-of-35 3-point attempts (28.6 percent) along with 12-of-18 shots from the charity stripe (66.7 percent).
The Mids commanded the boards, 47-37, including 17 offensive rebounds. BU’s 13 turnovers were turned into 15 points by Navy.
The Terriers took a 4-0 lead in the first minute of game before a 22-1 run by the Mids that lasted the span of almost 11 minutes gave Navy a commanding 22-5 lead. Agboola got BU back on the board with a jumper at the 8:12 mark.
The Mids then took their largest lead of the half with a trey from Stapleton, Navy's fifth 3-pointer of the half, to go up 27-9 with 4:55 to play. Freshman Sarah Hope responded with a triple of her own to spark a 9-2 run for BU, which cut the deficit to 29-18 with 2:24 on the clock. M.L. Morrison hit the last shot of the half to send the teams into the break with Navy leading, 31-18.
BU cut its deficit to 10 points with its first shot of the second half, a trey from Callahan, but Navy went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc to open the period and claim a 40-21 lead almost three minutes in. The Terriers chipped away at the advantage with an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to make it an 11-point game, 40-29.
After a layup from Pollinger, Callahan sank a triple to spark a 10-2 spurt for the Terriers that brought BU within five points, 44-39, with 10:04 on the clock. The teams traded baskets on the next few possessions and McKendrick brought the deficit down to four points, 47-43, with a jumper at the 8:11 mark.
Stapleton responded with a pair of 3-pointers for Navy to regain a double-digit lead and a layup from Geif put the Mids up, 57-43, with 4:46 on the clock. The Terriers came as close as eight points, 60-52, following a layup from Gallo with 1:17 on remaining but BU was unable to complete its comeback.
The Terriers return to the road this weekend when BU travels to Easton, Pa., to play Lafayette on Saturday (Feb. 8). The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Patriot League Network.
