BERKELEY, Calif. – Closing out its two-game West Coast swing, the Boston University women's basketball team battled tough with Cal, but ran out of steam as it fell, 73-62, Saturday afternoon at Haas Pavilion.

Sydney Johnson led all scorers with a 19-point effort. Katie Nelson had a stellar all-around game, leading the team with nine rebounds and seven assists, and followed Johnson with 14 points.

How It Happened

• Johnson hit a mid-range jumper to put the Terriers on the board first, though both teams struggled to find their stroke as the score held at an even 2-2 through the opening four minutes.
• Johnson maintained an early hot hand, hitting a pair from the line before sinking another duo from the paint to give the Terriers an 8-6 edge.
• From there, Cal netted the next 13 points to hold the scoreboard in its favor, 19-8, with 7:36 left in the second quarter.
• Maren Durant worked the post before Maggie Pina was left alone on a press break to get the Terrier offense back on track.
• Nelson connected from beyond-the-arc to spark a 6-2 run late in the second, capped by a Chiara Tibbitt putback layup, but Cal held a 35-22 advantage at the break.
• Pina kicked off the second half with a 3-pointer before the Bears answered with a 5-0 run to take a 15-point lead, their largest of the game.
• Johnson put up five straight points of her own, floating in two straight coast-to-coast drives, including converting on an and-1, to make it a 10-point game again.
• BU continued to chip away, as an 8-0 run made it a two-possession game, 42-38, with 3:15 remaining in the third.
• The Bears tried to pull away, using an 8-0 streak to go up 52-40 early in the fourth.
• Once again, the Terriers battled back, as a Johnson and-1 kick started a 7-2 run.
• BU was able to get within a seven-point margin six times over the final 6:30 of play, but couldn't get over the edge as dropped its second straight road contest.

Game Notes

• Nelson's nine rebounds set a new career high, while her seven assists were one short of setting a new career best.
• Riley Childs hauled down six rebounds and has pulled down at least five rebounds in all seven games.
• BU held the Bears to shoot just 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from the floor to start, the second-lowest shooting percentage Cal has posted in the first quarter this season.

Up Next

• BU will return home for four straight home games to close out its non-conference schedule.
• UMass is next on tap for Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 11 a.m.