BOSTON – Led by senior Caitlin Weimar's 25 points and junior Alex Giannaros' 18 points, the Boston University women's basketball overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat Holy Cross on Saturday evening at Case Gym.
 
BU (18-10, 10-7 PL) trailed 29-8 just 1:30 into the second quarter. However, the Terriers forced the Crusaders (16-12, 10-7 PL) to shoot 2-for-11 in the fourth quarter, ending the game on an 11-0 run in the final 4:45 to move into a three-way tie for first place in the Patriot League standings.
 
Weimar, who made the game-winning layup while drawing a foul with 21.8 seconds left in regulation, made 10 of 12 baskets while chipping in eight rebounds. Giannaros nailed three of her five three-point shots, and was 6-for-10 from the field.
 
Bronagh Power-Cassidy paced Holy Cross with 15 points, though she scored just three points after the first quarter. Janelle Allen recorded 12 points, while Kaitlyn Flanagan scored 11 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Giannaros scored the game's first basket on BU's opening possession, draining a left elbow jumper just inside the arc.
• However, the Crusaders ripped off a 14-0 run over the course of five minutes before freshman Aoibhe Gormley's driving layup at the 2:56 mark of the first quarter.
• After the Crusaders made nine of their 13 shots in the opening stanza, Allen's baskets and a Power-Cassidy triple in the second's first 90 ticks extended the Holy Cross lead to 29-8.
• BU's first three of the game came as Giannaros shed her defender on the left wing with 6:41 until halftime. Weimar's steal and layup over a minute later cut the gap to 31-17.
• Weimar and Giannaros combined for 16 of BU's 20 second-quarter points, the former finishing a layup from Gormley's pass to make it a 40-28 contest at the break.
• Trailing 42-30 four minutes into the third, Weimar laid in a ball from junior Natalie Jasper. After a Cara McCormack turnover on the other end, Giannaros converted a right-block layup and drew Power-Cassidy's fourth foul of the game at the 5:42 mark, converting the free shot to bring BU within seven.
• The Terriers made it a two-possession game on three occasions, including a layup from freshman Inés Monteagudo Pardo and Weimar's bucket with 2:27 on the timer.
• However, after Weimar's feed to freshman Audrey Ericksen for a layup whittled the deficit to seven, Meg Cahalan drained a right-wing triple before the buzzer to stake Holy Cross to a 55-45 lead after three quarters.
• Each side traded baskets to open the fourth before Monteagudo gave off to Giannaros for a three 1:32 into the period, making it 57-50. However, the junior fouled out of the game on the next play.
• Monteagudo delivered a three before the shot clock expired with 5:52 to go to once again bring the Terriers within six, 59-53.
• Jasper knocked down a midrange jumper after two Allen free throws, but Flanagan drove to the cup for a layup out of a Crusader timeout to boost the visitor's lead to 63-55 with 4:45 to play.
• Both sides struggled to score until senior Sophie Beneventine flushed a turnaround jumper in the high paint as the clock raced past 2:37. Power-Cassidy missed her own jumper, and Weimar snagged an offensive rebound for a second-chance layup the other way to cut it to 63-59.
• Monteagudo missed a three-pointer that Simone Foreman rebounded, but Beneventine was able to pick her pocket right after. Gormley then found an open Monteagudo for three with 1:01 remaining to make it a one-point game.
• Foreman couldn't connect on a layup, allowing Gormley to scoop the rebound. At the top of the key, Monteagudo floated a pass to Weimar near the left block. In stride, the senior bounced the shot off glass and in as Allen fouled her.
• She hit the foul shot to complete the nostalgic three-point play with 21.8 seconds remaining and hand BU its first lead since the first basket of the game, 65-63.
• Power-Cassidy missed a layup the other way, and Ericksen knocked down a free throw with 10.5 seconds to play. Then, McCormack's right-corner three before the horn was off the mark.

STATS

• BU made over 49 percent of its shots, including a 14-for-24 performance (58.3 percent) in the second half.
• Holy Cross shot 45.3 percent from the field, spurred on by a 17-for-29 effort (58.6 percent) in the first 20 minutes.
• Weimar's eight rebounds were a Terrier-high, as Holy Cross held a 31-24 edge on the glass.
• Monteagudo racked up a team-best five assists, while Gormley added four with zero turnovers.
• The Terriers turned 14 Crusader turnovers into 15 points.
• BU also held the edge in paint points, 36-18.
• The Terriers led the game, which was tied once and only had two lead changes, for a total of 86 seconds.

NOTES

• Weimar moved up to 13th in the Terrier record books, now sport 1,197 career points in the Scarlet and White.
• She has scored 25 or more points in six games this year.
• Dating back to Jan. 20, Giannaros has drilled 33 of her 62 three-point attempts, good for 53.2 percent.
• BU's 21-point comeback in a win is the largest under Head Coach Melissa Graves, and the first time erasing a 20-point gap to win in her tenure.
• The Terriers are now the only Patriot League team to amass double-digit conference victories each regular season from 2018-24.
• BU is 42-7 at Case Gym against Patriot League opponents, postseason included, since the start of the 2019-20 campaign.
• Holy Cross now leads the all-time series 23-15, as the Terriers snap a three-game losing streak to the Crusaders.

UP NEXT

• BU wraps up the regular season at Colgate on Wednesday (Mar. 6). at 6 p.m.
• With a win, the Terriers would capture at least a share of the Patriot League regular season championship, and lock in a top-three seed in the Patriot League Tournament.