LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – Despite a 14-point comeback from late in the third quarter, the Boston University women's basketball team dropped its first game of the season, a 58-55 result to Rider on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium.
 
Trailing 44-30, BU (3-1) rattled off an 18-4 run to take a 51-48 lead with 2:44 remaining in regulation. However, the Broncs (2-2) regained the advantage for good on Sofie Bruintjes' three-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining.
 
Freshman Audrey Ericksen paced the Terriers with a career-best 13 points, while senior Kelsi Mingo and junior Alex Giannaros each added 10 points. Sophomore Anete Adler snagged 12 rebounds.
 
Taylor Langan registered a game-high 18 points for Rider with eight rebounds. Mikayla Firebaugh collected 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Adler scored four of the Terriers' first five points, including a spin move to her right for a layup off glass four minutes in to make it 5-2 BU.
• Giannaros' three and freshman Aoibhe Gormley's floater put the Terriers up three, but Rider executed a 7-0 run to go ahead 14-10, before Ericksen's three cut it to one after one quarter.
• Trailing by two at the 6:33 mark of the second, Mingo drained a three-pointer near the top of the arc to give BU the lead.
• Terrier freshmen scored the final seven points of the half. Gormley pump-faked on a 2-on-1 opportunity to lay a basket in with 22 seconds left, but Jamia Blake canned a three at the buzzer to put the Broncs on top at the break, 29-25.
• Ericksen entered double figures on a third-chance possession triple by the top of the key at the 7:12 mark, but BU was held scoreless for the next 6:20 as Rider built a 44-30 advantage.
• Mingo opened the fourth with a triple near the top of the arc, then Gormley found Giannaros in transition for her own three with 7:13 on the clock to cut the gap to 46-39 and coax a Broncs timeout.
• Ericksen and Mingo sandwiched Kaylan Deveney's layup with threes of their own, closing the gap to 48-47 at the fourth's midpoint.
• BU took its first lead since the 3:09 mark of the second quarter on senior Caitlin Weimar's second-chance putback as the clock read 3:24, then Weimar swiped a steal and finished another layup with 2:44 to go to make it 51-48 Terriers.
• Langan notched four-straight points to return the edge to Rider, but out of a Terrier timeout, Gormley drove down the left lane to finish underhanded with 1:32 to go for a 53-52 Terrier lead.
• Leading 55-53, Bruintjes received the feed from Sanaa Redmond on the left wing to nail the three-pointer.
• Bruintjes committed a foul on the ensuing inbound, but BU missed both free throws, while Firebaugh sank both on the other end to seal the result.

STATS

• BU shot 37.5 percent from the field for the game, and 34.8 percent from deep. Rider was 33.9 percent, and 33.3 from beyond the arc.
• The Terriers outscored the Broncs 22-12 in the fourth quarter.
• Rider won the rebounding battle, 38-34.
• The Terriers swatted five shots.
• BU generated 14 points off 15 Rider turnovers, and held a 22-18 advantage in points in the paint.
• The game featured 10 lead changes. 

NOTES

• Ericksen is the first Terrier rookie to lead the team in points in a game since Giannaros did so at Holy Cross on Mar. 2, 2022. The freshman shot 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.
• Mingo's 10 points were a season-high, as she hit three of her five three-point attempts. Her last double-digit effort was at Miami on Nov. 13, 2022.
• Sophomore Anete Adler made her first-career start, while her 12 rebounds marked a career-high.
• Gormley also set personal-bests with nine points and seven boards.
• Freshman Aina Grane-Torres made her collegiate debut. Two of her three rebounds were on the offensive glass.
• Saturday was the first all-time meeting between BU and Rider.

UP NEXT

• The Terriers return home to face Le Moyne on Wednesday (Nov. 22). Opening tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.