Annabelle Larnard shoots the ball over a Boston College defender at Case Gym.
Kyle Prudhomme

Women’s Basketball Closes Road Trip At Merrimack

December 8, 2021

Boston University (2-5) vs. Merrimack (2-5)
Date & Time: Thursday, Dec. 9, 7 p.m.
Venue: Lawler Arena, North Andover, Mass.

Watch: NEC Front Row
Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierWBB 
Rosters: BU | Merrimack
Schedule: BU | Merrimack
Game Notes: BU
 
BOSTON, Mass. – After an eight-day layoff from its previous game, the Boston University women's basketball program returns to close out its three-game road swing at Merrimack on Thursday, Dec. 9. The opening tip is slated for 7 p.m.
 
The contest continues a stretch of seven straight games in the state of Massachusetts for BU, and will be the seventh of eight games this year taking place in the Bay State. The Terriers seek to snap a four-game losing streak.
 
Merrimack has lost three of its last four games, but is 2-0 at home this year. All five of its losses this season have come by an average margin of 34.6 points.
 
TERRIER TIDBITS
  • In its last contest back on Dec. 1, BU fell to Northeastern, 53-45 from the Cabot Center.
  • Senior Riley Childs registered her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. She knocked down a career-best three shots from beyond the arc.
  • Junior Sydney Johnson reached double figures for the sixth time in seven games, totaling 11 points while adding three assists.
  • Entering that game fifth in the nation in three-point percentage, the Terriers were limited to just 4-of-22 makes from deep.
  • Despite that, BU still has four Terriers who've shot 10 or more threes while making 37 percent or better. Childs and junior Liz Shean have each made 50 percent, while Johnson is 8-for-17 (.471) and classmate Maggie Pina has a team-leading 10 triples (.370).
  • On the defensive side, BU limited Northeastern to 2-of-14 from downtown, a season-low for the Terrier defense.
  • This season, BU has limited three opponents to less than 60 points, a mark it achieved 12 times in 2020-21 and five times in non-conference play back in 2019-20.
  • Johnson leads the Terriers with 14.7 points per game, which is higher than her career-best 11.9 scoring average from last season. The highest scoring average for a Terrier since BU joined the Patriot League is Nia Irving with 13.6 back in 2017-18.
  • Childs is averaging a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth in the Patriot League so far this year. This is identical to her career average, which entered the season fifth-best all-time in program history.
  • Junior Maren Durant leads the team with eight blocks this season, and has 81 for her career. She needs 14 more swats to reach the top 10 all-time in Terrier history.
  • She also leads the team with a .576 field goal percentage (min. four attempts per game). She recently became eligible for the Terriers' all-time field goal percentage record (min. 200 attempts); her current .603 clip (140-for-232) would be the highest ever.
 
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
  • Merrimack is currently in its third season in Division I athletics after making the jump from DII following the 2018-19 campaign.
  • The Warriors' two victories this season came at home against UAlbany and Dartmouth.
  • In terms of common opponents on BU's schedule, Merrimack dropped 99-75 and 106-42 losses to Harvard and Rhode Island, respectively. The Warriors also fell 85-64 to Patriot League-foe Lehigh, and will play Colgate and New Hampshire in its next two games.
  • Merrimack has two Warriors scoring double figures in Mayson Kimball (13.9 points per game) and Kate Mager (13.3). Paige McCormick leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game, while Jayme DeCesare has 30 assists.
  • The Warriors' scoring margin is -21.7 this season; opponents are shooting 49 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.
  • Head Coach Kelly Morrone is in her second season leading the Warriors.
 
SERIES HISTORY
  • BU and Merrimack will meet for the first time in program history.
  • Thursday marks the Terriers' second of three games this year against a first-time opponent, joining Princeton and Georgia Tech.
  • BU has played an NEC foe twice since joining the Patriot League, beating Bryant in both games, with the most recent contest on Nov. 20, 2018.
 
UP NEXT
  • BU returns to Case Gym for its final home game of the non-conference schedule with a date against New Hampshire on Monday, Dec. 13.
  • Opening tip is slated for 6 p.m. For tickets, click here.
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