Women's Basketball's Comeback Falls Short at Holy Cross, 75-69

Saturday, January 19

Worcester, MA

3 PM

Boston University

8-8, 4-2

Holy Cross

10-7, 2-4

Boston University

Holy Cross

Photo by: Rich Gagnon/Boston University At

Women's Basketball's Comeback Falls Short at Holy Cross, 75-69

January 19, 2019 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. – Visiting Holy Cross for the first Turnpike Trophy matchup of the year on the hardwood Saturday afternoon at the Hart Center, the Boston University women's basketball team erased a 15-point deficit in the second half, but Holy Cross pulled away down the stretch the hand the Terriers a 75-69 defeat.

Katie Nelson led the Terriers with 18 points, 11 of which came in the second half, and added in five assists. Nia Irving tallied her second straight double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

How It Happened

Holy Cross opened the game with an 8-0 run before BU got going as Lauren Spearman knocked down a mid-range jumper and Nia Irving delivered an and-1 reverse layup to put the game within one possession.
Swinging the momentum back in its favor, the Crusaders spurted out 9-2 run to make it a 10-point game at 17-7.
Spearman swished a triple to get the offensive back on track, though the scoreboard held in favor of the home team, 24-10, at the end of the first.
BU continued to use the 3-ball as Spearman and Nelson kicked off the second quarter with back-to-back makes to cut the deficit to 27-20.
The Terriers hit on 4-of-7 from beyond-the-arc in the frame, as Payton Hauck got in on the flurry, though the Crusaders matched that mark to clutch a 46-34 advantage at the break.
Nelson caught fire to open the third, pouring in seven straight points to put the Terriers within one possession again, 46-43.
Holy Cross responded with a 9-4 run until Spearman knocked down her fourth triple in the waning seconds of the third to cut the gap to 60-54.
Nelson stayed hot, driving through the paint for two straight layups, tying the score twice at 60- and 62-all midway through the fourth.
In a game of runs, the Crusaders answered once again with a 6-0 streak before BU used five straight free throws to make it a one-possession game again, 70-67, with 50.8 to play.
However, that would be the closest the Terriers would get down the stretch, as Holy Cross closed the game from the free throw line.

Game Notes

BU's 69 points were the most it has scored at the Hart Center since putting up 81 on Dec. 2, 1977.
Saturday marked the first time the Terriers have lost in Worcester since 2016.
Spearman and Hauck also reached double figures with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Riley Childs posted another solid line coming off the bench with seven rebounds, six points and two blocks.

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