Terriers Drop Close Battle With Northeastern In Season Opener, 66-65

Monday, November 7

Boston, MA

4:30 PM

Boston University

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Northeastern

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Northeastern

Boston U.

Photo by: Kyle Prudhomme

Terriers Drop Close Battle With Northeastern In Season Opener, 66-65

November 7, 2022 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Highlights Postgame Audio - Melissa Graves and Caitlin Weimar

BOSTON – Sophomore Alex Giannaros dropped 23 points, and junior Caitlin Weimar posted a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, but the Boston University women's basketball program fell to Northeastern in the 2022-23 season opener for both teams on Monday evening at Case Gym.

In a game where neither team led by more than seven points, BU (0-1) went ahead 65-64 with 1:56 remaining on a driving layup from senior Maggie Pina. However, Derin Erdogan made two free throws with 1:33 to play, and Northeastern (1-0) held firm on the Terriers' final offensive possession to seal the result.

Pina made four three-pointers and matched Weimar with 14 points. In addition to her double-double, Weimar added three blocks and two steals.

Erdogan finished with a game-high 24 points, while Gemima Motema added 16 points and three rejections.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Huskies scored the game's first seven points, but the Terriers responded after a timeout with nine consecutive points, capped by Giannaros' nostalgic three-point play from a right lane layup with 5:31 left in the first quarter.
Sophomore Lauren Davenport collected a rebound for a putback basket to give BU a 16-15 lead, but Erdogan nailed a jumper outside the paint to cap the opening stanza in the visitor's favor, 17-16.
BU regained the lead 2:32 into the second when Giannaros and Pina nailed threes on back-to-back Terrier possessions, the latter making it 22-21.
At the midpoint of the frame, Weimar and senior Maren Durant sandwiched layups between a Halle Idowu bucket to pull the Terriers within 27-26.
Northeastern would extend its lead to 35-31 at halftime, as Oralye Kiefer's second-chance putback was uncontested at the buzzer.
BU snagged its first lead since the 7:28 mark in the second quarter after Pina nailed another three, then Weimar got a feed from junior Kelsi Mingo for a right-block layup plus a foul with 7:07 left in the third, making it 38-37.
The Huskies would go up by three, 46-43, with 2:59 remaining in the third, but Giannaros sank five free throws in the rest of the quarter. Her final pair knotted the game at 48-48 heading to the fourth quarter.
After Erdogan answered Giannaros' layup with her own to stake Northeastern to a 53-50 edge, the Brockport, Mass. native buried a three, and later assisted in Pina' triple to put BU on top, 56-55, with 7:44 to play.
Motema later put the Huskies ahead 59-56, but a Giannaros jumper plus a layup-and-one from Weimar with 5:43 left returned the lead to the Terriers, 61-59.
BU took its largest lead, 63-59, with 4:33 on the clock after a Giannaros layup as the shot clock expired. However, Erdogan scored five points herself in the next two minutes to reclaim the lead.
In its final possession, Weimar couldn't connect on a left elbow jumper. Pina aimed to collect the loose ball, but Northeastern jarred it loose before she could secure it.

THE STATS

As a team, BU shot 38.3 percent from the field. Northeastern was 38.1 percent.
Both teams hit six three-pointers, though the Terriers had the edge at 31.6 percent.
BU won the rebounding battle, 44-39.
Every Terrier that made an appearance secured at least one rebound.
The Terriers had the edge with 32 points in the paint and 13 second-chance points. The Huskies had 13 fastbreak points and 12 points off turnovers.
Monday's game featured 16 lead changes, and was tied 10 times.
Fourteen of Giannaros' 23 points came in the second half. She shot 44.4 percent after halftime.
Giannaros and Pina went a combined 6-for-12 from deep.
Junior Sophie Beneventine collected two steals, while freshman Sam Crispe blocked two shots.

GAME NOTES

Giannaros' nine free throws were a career-high. She was one point shy of her career-best, which was 24 points against Army West Point on Jan. 12.
Her 23 points was the most by a Terrier in a season opener since Danielle Callahan dropped 27 points against the Huskies on Nov. 8, 2013. It was the first 20-point effort in the first game since teammate Sydney Johnson scored 21 points against Marist on Nov. 8, 2019.
Pina has recorded 31 career games with multiple three-pointers.
Weimar has nine-career double-doubles with the Terriers. Monday's performance was her first in a non-conference contest.
Davenport made her first-career start after appearing in 13 games off the bench last season.
Monday marked the 80th all-time meeting between BU and Northeastern. BU's edge is now 41-39.

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