Women's Basketball Visits Lehigh In Key PL Contest

Saturday, January 22

Bethlehem, PA

2 PM

Boston University

Lehigh

Annabelle Larnard passes the ball from outside the arc.

Photo by: Kyle Prudhomme

Women's Basketball Visits Lehigh In Key PL Contest

January 21, 2022 | Women's Basketball

Watch Live Stats Int'l Stream Lehigh Spectator Policy Game Notes

Boston University (10-7, 6-0 PL) vs. Lehigh (12-5, 4-2 PL)
Date & Time: Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, 2 p.m.
Venue: Stabler Arena, Bethlehem, Pa.

Watch: ESPN+
Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierWBB
Rosters: BU | Lehigh
Schedule: BU | Lehigh
Game Notes: BU

BOSTON – The Boston University women's basketball program aims to match its longest Patriot League winning streak when it treks to Lehigh this Saturday (Jan. 22). Opening tip is scheduled for 2 p.m.

BU, winners of six straight and 6-0 in Patriot League play for the first time in program history, looks for its seventh consecutive win over a PL foe, which occurred for the first and only time in 2020. The Terriers remain the only undefeated team in league action with two-thirds of conference play left.

Lehigh, the defending Patriot League champion, has won two in a row over Loyola Maryland and Navy. The 2021-22 preseason favorite Mountain Hawks' two league losses have come against the preseason third- and fifth-ranked teams in Bucknell and Holy Cross, respectively.

Saturday's matchup features the top two teams in the PL during league play in scoring offense, three-pointers per game, defensive rebounds per game, and blocked shots. Combined, the two teams lead 12 different statistical categories among league opponents during PL action.

TERRIER TIDBITS

Playing just seven Terriers, a short-handed BU defeated Loyola Maryland 65-47 last Wednesday (Jan. 19) at Case Gym.
BU started the game on a 17-2 run, and later shot 60 percent in the second half.
Junior Maggie Pina dropped a season-high 17 points via four three-pointers, while classmates Sydney Johnson and Liz Shean each scored 16 points.
Junior Maren Durant tallied 10 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks, becoming the ninth Terrier in the BU annals with 100 career rejections.
During its six-game winning streak to start PL play, BU is averaging 69.7 points on 42.4 percent shooting and 43.7 rebounds per game.
On the flip side, opponents are shooting just 34.8 percent from the field, 29.1 percent from deep, and scoring 53.5 points per contest.
BU is 10-1 this season when scoring 60 or more points, as well as when leading after the third quarter.
Since Nov. 21, BU's foes have scored more than 60 points three times out of 14 games.
Entering Friday (Jan. 21), Head Coach Melissa Graves is the only Division I first-year head coach in the nation with no prior Division I head coaching experience to be undefeated in conference play.
Graves is one of two D1 first-year head coaches to maintain a perfect league record. SMU's Toyelle Wilson (3-0) is in her first season with the Mustangs, but was the head coach at Prairie View A&M from 2010-13.
During Patriot League play, the Terriers lead the PL in scoring average (69.7), scoring margin (+16.2), three-point percentage (.343), rebounds per game (43.7), defensive boards per game (30.8), rebounding margin (+10), and blocks per game (5.5).
Johnson, currently averaging a career-best 14.6 points per game, ranks third among her PL counterparts with 15.7 points per league game. Since Nov. 21, she sports a 3.14 (44/14) assist/turnover ratio.
Coming off her first-career start against the Greyhounds, Shean has made nine of 16 three-point attempts in her last two games, scoring 36 points. She leads the team with a .553 three-point percentage.
Durant is third during Patriot League play with 10.3 rebounds per game. Currently ninth all-time with her 100 career blocks, she is three away from Sophie Beaudry for eighth place.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS

Lehigh is 12-5 on the season, and 4-2 in the Patriot League.
The preseason favorite Mountain Hawks are coming off a 99-65 rout against Navy on Jan. 19.
Lehigh leads the Patriot League this season with 73.5 points per game. The offense has scored 90+ points twice, and 70+ points in 11 of 17 games.
Four Mountain Hawks score in double figures, led by Mackenzie Kramer. Kramer averages 15.1 points on .453 shooting. She ranks sixth in the nation with 54 three-pointers.
Preseason All-PL selection Frannie Hottinger scores 14.5 points per game, with Emma Grothaus (13.1 PPG and 8.8 rebounds per game) and Megan Walker (11.2 PPG) rounding out the top-four scorers.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday marks the 19th all-time meeting between BU and Lehigh.
The series is tied 9-9. Both sides have won five games in the last 10 matchups.
The teams have split the last four matchups in Bethlehem, Pa. as well.
In the last matchup, the Mountain Hawks prevailed 64-54 in the 2021 Patriot League Championship behind Hottinger's 21 points. Grothaus was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Johnson notched 16 points to lead BU.
Saturday marks the first regular season contest between the programs since Feb. 26, 2020, a 48-47 Terrier win.
Four of BU's last six wins over Lehigh have come by single digits.

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