Chiara Tibbitt dribbles the ball at the free throw line against UMass Lowell.
Jim Pierce
56
Holy Cross HolyCr 16-9,10-4 Patriot
74
Winner Boston U. BU 15-10,11-3 Patriot
Holy Cross HolyCr
16-9,10-4 Patriot
56
Final
74
Boston U. BU
15-10,11-3 Patriot
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Holy Cross HolyCr 19 10 8 19 56
Boston U. BU 9 25 17 23 74

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Terriers Alone In First Place After 74-56 Win Over Crusaders

BOSTON – Senior Chiara Tibbitt dropped a career-high 16 points, junior Maren Durant recorded a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double, and the Boston University women's basketball program took sole possession of first place in the Patriot League with a 74-56 triumph over Holy Cross on Wednesday evening at Case Gym.
 
BU (15-10, 11-3 PL) trailed by 12 points late in the first quarter, but executed an extended 25-7 run into the second to lead at halftime. The Terriers then outscored the Crusaders (16-9, 10-4 PL) 40-27 in the second half to power the 18-point victory.
 
In addition to Tibbitt's and Durant's effort, freshman Alex Giannaros tallied 16 points on a trio of three-pointers as well as five assists. Junior Sydney Johnson added 11 points and three steals.
 
Holy Cross had three in double figures, led by 20 points from Avery LaBarbera. Janelle Allen and Cara McCormack posted 14 and 12 points, respectively.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Tibbitt scored the Terriers' first three buckets, all within a span of 2:34, to get the Terriers within 12-7 halfway through the first.
  • Holy Cross went on a 7-0 run to boost its lead to 19-7 with 1:45 to go in the frame.
  • Freshman Lauren Davenport nailed a pull-up jumper for the first basket in the second, then zipped a pass from the arc down to sophomore Sophie Beneventine underneath the hoop for a layup that got BU within 21-13.
  • The latter basket ignited a 13-2 spurt for the Terriers, capped with Durant's layup off a pass from Beneventine. BU took its first lead at 24-23 with 3:09 to go until halftime.
  • After McCormack responded to that with a three, the Terriers continued with a 10-0 run that featured threes from Tibbitt and Giannaros. BU took a 34-29 edge into the locker room.
  • In the third quarter, LaBarbera's layup pulled the Crusaders within 37-35, but junior Maggie Pina faked out two defenders to nail a foul line jumper to replenish a four-point Terrier advantage 3:03 into the stanza.
  • Her bucket was the start of a 12-0 burst, capped with triples from Giannaros and Beneventine, that boosted BU's lead to 49-35 with 3:27 to play in the third.
  • Entering the final frame ahead 51-37, Johnson would extend the advantage to 55-40 on a pull-up jumper from the free throw line less than 90 seconds in.
  • Durant made a layup at the midpoint of the quarter while drawing a foul against McCormack, hitting the free throw to convert the three-point play. Allen made a layup for Holy Cross, only for Tibbitt to counter with a straightaway three that made it 67-50.
  • Giannaros later buried a three near the left sideline, giving BU a 70-50 edge with 3:55 remaining.
  • Tibbitt hit the final shot of the game with 1:40 left, a left elbow jumper from sophomore Kelsi Mingo's pass.
 
GAME NOTES
  • The Terriers shot .492 from the field. Against a team that entered the game 26th in the nation in three-point defense, the Terriers shot 8-for-17 (.471) from deep.
  • BU also notched a season-high 21 assists on 31 baskets.
  • The Crusaders shot 30 percent in the game, and 13-for-52 (25 percent) in the final three quarters.
  • Tibbitt made her third-career start, and first since Dec. 12, 2018. Her seven field goals are a career-high, and she now has four games with 10-plus points.
  • Durant notched her second double-double of the season, and fifth of her career.
  • She also recorded five of the Terriers' nine blocks, matching her career-high, which was also set against the Crusaders on Jan. 25, 2020. Durant is now fifth all-time with 118 career blocks, surpassing Whitney Turner and Marisa Moseley.
  • Giannaros is now second on the team with 10.2 points per game, joining Johnson and sophomore Caitlin Weimar in double digits.
  • Johnson added two boards, three assists, and three steals. She has a team-best 35 steals this year.
  • The Terriers are now 9-3 at Case Gym this year, and 21-4 in their last 25 home games against Patriot League foes.
  • BU has recorded 11 Patriot League wins for the fourth time in nine seasons as a league member.
  • The Terriers have won seven of their last eight meetings against Holy Cross.
 
UP NEXT
  • Maintaining a one-game lead in the standings over the Crusaders, BU turns its attention to a home contest against Colgate this Saturday (Feb. 19) at 1 p.m.
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