BU Tops UMass Lowell, 76-47, For Graves' First Win

Tuesday, November 9

Boston, MA

6 PM

Boston University

1-0,0-0Patriot

UMass Lowell

0-1,0-0America East

UMass Lowell

Boston U.

Photo by: Matt Woolverton

BU Tops UMass Lowell, 76-47, For Graves' First Win

November 9, 2021 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Highlights

BOSTON, Mass. - The Boston University women's basketball team utilized a 60 percent shooting performance from beyond the arc and a 44-17 scoring margin in the second half to post a dominant 76-47 victory over UMass Lowell in BU's season opener on Tuesday evening at Case Gym. The Terriers (1-0) earn their first win with Head Coach Melissa Graves at the helm as BU welcomed fans to "The Roof" for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

The Terriers nursed a 32-30 lead at halftime before outscoring the River Hawks 25-10 in the third quarter, knocking down four of their five three-point shots and shooting over 62 percent in the frame. BU cruised in the fourth stanza, never leading by less than 17 points as 12 Terriers saw playing time.

Junior Sydney Johnson led BU with 13 points, while redshirt senior Emily Esposito notched 11 points while hitting three triples. In her Terrier debut, sophomore Caitlin Weimar snagged a game-high 12 rebounds. Senior Riley Childs came close to a double-double, posting nine points and 10 boards.

Jaliena Sanchez paced UMass Lowell (0-1) with 14 points and six assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After each team settled down following turnovers in the opening minutes, Esposito followed junior Maggie Pina's three with her own triple to give BU a 13-12 lead late in the first.
UMass Lowell ended the first frame on a 9-2 run, capped with Ivory Finley's layup at the buzzer.
BU knotted the contest at 25 after trailing by six, with sophomore Sophie Beneventine and Esposito nailing consecutive threes near the midpoint of the second.
Johnson scored BU's final five points of the half for the two-point lead at the break.
In the third, the Terriers scored eight straight points on a Weimar layup and triples from Esposito and Pina to force a River Hawk timeout, extending BU's advantage to 42-32.
The visitors got to within six, but BU responded with a 15-4 run to close out the quarter, highlighted by junior Maren Durant's nostalgic three-point play and two buckets from freshman Alex Giannaros off the bench.
That burst extended to a 24-7 mark as the Terriers expanded the edge to 70-43. Childs scored five of BU's first seven points in the fourth, and junior Annabelle Larnard buried a three from the wing during the period.
BU's final six points came from rookies; Giannaros converted a layup off a UMass Lowell turnover, while freshman Lauren Davenport capped the scoring with a free throw as well as a three-pointer with the shot clock expiring.

GAME NOTES

In total, BU shot over 47 percent from the field, made 12-of-20 from distance, and went 10-for-13 from the foul line.
After shooting over 69 percent in the first quarter, the River Hawks shot less than 25 percent (11-for-48) in the final three quarters, finishing with a 32.8 percent clip.
BU held the edge in rebounds (41-34), assists (13-12), and steals (13-7).
The Terrier reserves scored 27 points off the bench.
As a whole, BU had 15 fast break points while forcing 23 UMass Lowell turnovers.
The Terriers' 29-point victory is the largest winning margin in a season opener in 44 years, trailing only the 93-60 win over Stonehill back on Nov. 30, 1977.
Graves becomes the first Terrier head coach to win in her debut since Margaret McKeon back in the 1999-2000 campaign.
Dating back to 2019-20, BU has won 18 of its last 22 games in Case Gym.
The Terriers improve to 5-2 all-time against UMass Lowell, and 2-1 since the programs reignited their rivalry in 2015.

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