BOSTON – Junior
Alex Giannaros scored a team-high 16 points, senior
Caitlin Weimar notched eight points and 14 boards, and the Boston University women's basketball program defeated New Hampshire 56-47 on Friday evening at Case Gym.
BU (2-0) made just eight shots from the field in the first two quarters, trailing UNH (1-1) by one at halftime. However, the Terriers shot 11-for-22 (50 percent) out of the break to capture the victory.
Giannaros went 6-for-11 from the field, and added three rebounds and two assists. Senior
Sophie Beneventine collected six points, a game-best five assists, and four boards.
Adara Groman was the leading scorer on the floor with 17 of the Wildcats' points. Clara Gomez and Breezie Williams added eight points each.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Giannaros and Beneventine teamed up to hit the first two threes for BU in the opening two-and-a-half minutes.
- After grabbing two offensive rebounds in the sequence, freshman Audrey Ericksen floated a jump shot on a pass from sophomore Anastasiia Semenova just before the buzzer, handing BU a 14-11 edge after 10 minutes.
- Ericksen put BU ahead by five on a three-pointer with 3:54 left in the second quarter, but Williams capped a 6-0 Wildcat run with a jumper off a turnover to put UNH on top, 22-21.
- Trailing 28-25 after 90 seconds went by in the third, Ericksen sank another triple, then Weimar converted a second-chance layup for a 30-28 Terrier advantage.
- New Hampshire went on a scoring drought for nearly four minutes in the third, while senior Kelsi Mingo and freshman Aoibhe Gormley drilled threes to put BU on top, 39-29.
- Semenova connected on a three of her own with 1:07 on the clock in the third to boost the advantage to 42-34.
- Giannaros dropped eight-consecutive Terrier points in the fourth quarter, the last being a triple from a Wildcat turnover to give BU a 50-42 lead with 3:47 to play.
- Beneventine then nailed her second three-pointer of the night with 1:26 remaining for a 53-42 edge.
STATS
- Overall, the Terriers shot 38.8 percent from the field, while UNH was 31.1 percent.
- BU limited the Wildcats to under 15 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
- The Terriers won the rebounding battle, 39-34. Both teams combined for 24 offensive caroms.
- The two teams surrendered 41 total turnovers.
- BU held the edge in both bench points (15-11) and second-chance points (12-11).
NOTES
- BU is 2-0 to start a full season for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign. The Terriers did achieve the feat in the 2020-21 slate, which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- After going 2-4 in 2022-23 when scoring 60 or fewer points, the Terriers have won both games this year as such.
- Friday was Giannaros' 12th-career game with 15 or more points. She has now led BU in scoring in nine games as a Terrier.
- Weimar has snagged 26 rebounds in the first two games of the season.
- Semenova's eight points marked a career-high, last set on Dec. 7, 2022 against Merrimack.
- Gormley scored her first-career points in a BU uniform.
- The Terriers utilized the same starting five of Giannaros, Beneventine, Gormley, Ericksen, and Weimar as the season opener.
- BU improved its winning streak over UNH to five, and now leads the all-time series 45-33.
UP NEXT
- The Terriers cap their three-game homestand with Yale for Pride Night on Tuesday (Nov. 14). Opening tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.