BOSTON – Hosting a Patriot League quarterfinal game for the first time ever, the Boston University women's basketball team saw its season come to a close as Holy Cross pulled away in the final seconds to end BU's season, 72-70, on Monday night at Case Gym.

Katie Nelson matched a season high with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including pouring in 15 points in the second half. Nia Irving posted her eighth double-double of the season with 16 points to go with 11 rebounds. Riley Childs and Payton Hauck also reached double-digit scoring figures with 12 points apiece.
 
How it Happened

• Lauren Spearman and Riley Childs found their rhythm from deep to open the game, putting the Terriers ahead 8-3 just a few minutes into action.
• Holy Cross answered with a 13-6 streak to take a two-point edge.
• Nelson fed Childs for another triple before linking two of her own in the final minute of the first quarter, regaining the upper hand at 25-20.
• Nia Irving highlighted a 7-2 run by converting on an and-1 to bring The Roof on its feet as the Terriers seized a 38-26 command with 3:25 left before the break.
• Irving accounted for seven of BU's final nine points in the quarter to further the lead to double figures, 40-30.
• Holy Cross came out of the break on fire, connecting on 4-of-5 to open the frame while holding BU to hit on just 1-of-6 from the field to trim the gap to 44-38 at the halfway mark in the third.
• The Crusaders held the Terriers without a field goal for six minutes en route to polishing off a 19-6 run to take its first lead, 49-48, with 1:06 left in the quarter.
• Nelson found her stroke again to open up the fourth, drilling on back-to-back triples before blowing past a defender to thrust BU back on top, 60-53.
• Irving put in three straight of her own before Nelson got a friendly bounce on a floater in the lane to put the score at 68-64.
• The Crusaders reeled off a 5-0 run in less than a minute to make it a one-point game with 2:07 remaining.
• Irving put BU back on top with a putback layup before the Crusaders tied it up for the fifth time with 46.2 ticks left.
• Holy Cross missed a go-ahead 3-point attempt with 13 seconds left, but grabbed the offensive rebound, and converted on a jumper in the key following a called timeout to take the lead with two seconds left.
• BU was not be able to get a shot off before the buzzer sounded as the Crusaders advanced to the tournament semifinals.

Game Notes

• Despite the loss, BU finished with its best record in five seasons at 15-14. 
• The 40 points in the opening half were the most the Terriers have scored in the first 20 minutes of a Patriot League tournament game.
• The Terriers fell to 1-6 all-time in Patriot League Tournament games.
• Seniors Payton Hauck, Lauren Spearman and Naiyah Thompson played their final game as a Terrier.