BOSTON – Sophomores Audrey Ericksen and Bella McLaughlin each set career highs with 20 and 15 points, respectively, to guide the Boston University women's basketball team to a 64-59 victory over Rider on Sunday afternoon at Case Gym.
 
Ericksen exploded for 17 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting effort in the first quarter to help BU (3-3) post the wire-to-wire win. The Broncs (1-5) would only get within two possessions in the second half with the final shot as time expired.
 
Finishing with a game high 20 points, Ericksen made all six of her three-point shot and was 7-for-8 from distance. McLaughlin also made seven buckets. Freshman Allison Schwertner posted 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
Kaylan Deveney paced Rider with 15 points, while Mariona Cos-Morales finished with 10 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Ericksen made her first five shots, four of which came from beyond the arc, to guide BU to an 18-6 start just 4:05 into the contest.
• Rider cut into the gap with an 8-0 spurt before McLaughlin's layup halted the run.
• Devaney's three made it a one-score game, but Ericksen beat the buzzer with her fifth three-pointer to put BU on top 23-19.
• Camryn Collins' layup three minutes into the second quarter closed the gap to a 27-23 Terrier lead, but layups from Schwertner, classmate Hildur Gunnsteinsdóttir and sophomore Sisi Bentley powered a 6-0 BU burst to replenish the double-digit lead.
• McLaughlin responded to five straight Broncs points with a driving layup before the horn, giving the Terriers a 35-28 advantage at halftime.
• That basket would ignite a 9-0 BU run that lasted three minutes into the third quarter, as McLaughlin and senior Alex Giannaros converted layups while Ericksen buried her sixth three-pointer of the contest to make it 42-28, BU's largest lead of the day.
• BU hit that margin again with 19 seconds left in the frame as Bentley stopped underneath the rim and generated contact while sinking the bucket, completing the three-point play for a 53-39 edge.
• Giannaros scored BU's first four points in the fourth quarter for a 57-43 Terrier lead, but a 7-0 Rider run whittled the gap to 57-50 with 3:47 left in regulation.
• Schwertner responded with a layup on the left block that rolled into the rim, then McLaughlin bolted down the right lane to hit the layup and draw a foul from behind, completing the and-1 to make it 62-51with 2:58 left.

STATS

• BU made 43.3 percent of its shots, highlighted by 60 percent and 57.1 percent in the first and third quarters, respectively.
• Rider shot 40 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from distance.
• The Terriers generated 40 paint points, shooting nearly 48 percent inside the arc.
• Rebounds favored Rider, 39-33, though BU secured a season high 12 offensive rebounds.
• BU also set a season best with 18 assists. Giannaros and McLaughlin each led the team with four dishes.

NOTES

• Ericksen reached 20 points for the first time in her career. She has drilled eight of her last 10 shots from beyond the arc.
• Including her 13-point performance last season against the Broncs, Ericksen has scored 33 points in two career games against the Broncs.
• In three games as a starter, McLaughlin is averaging 13.7 points per contest on 53.3 percent shooting.
• Schwertner's effort was her second 10-plus point performance in her last three games.
• BU finished its three-game homestand with a 2-1 record and is now 3-1 at The Roof this year.
• Sunday marked BU's first-ever win over Rider in program history, with the series shifting to 1-1.
• It was also the Terriers' first win over a MAAC opponent since Nov. 24, 2013.

UP NEXT

• BU travels to Le Moyne for the first time in program history on Thursday (Dec. 5). Opening tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.