BOSTON – Despite 20 points from senior Alex Giannaros and 12 points from sophomore Audrey Ericksen, the Boston University women's basketball program dropped its Patriot League opener to Lafayette, 66-55, on Thursday afternoon at Case Gym.
 
BU (6-6, 0-1 PL) sported a six-point lead in the opening eight minutes before the Leopards (4-8, 1-0 PL) ripped off a 22-0 extended run over the course of the next six minutes in the game to take the lead for good.
 
Giannaros nailed four three-pointers and shared the team lead with sophomore Aoibhe Gormley with four assists. Ericksen shot 50 percent from the field in the effort.
 
Kay Donahue powered Lafayette's offense with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting, matching Sauda Ntaconayigize's performance form the field. The latter supplied 15 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Giannaros canned three triples and a driving layup while sophomore Bella McLaughlin knocked down her own triple as BU made its first five shots of the game to take a 14-8 lead halfway through the first quarter.
• However, Lafayette closed the first quarter on a 10-0 run thanks to a pair of Teresa  Kiewiet jumpers and four foul shots to make it 20-16 for the visitors after the first frame.
• That burst expanded to 22-0 as the Leopards scored the second quarter's first 12 points before Giannaros' three brought BU within 32-19.
• Brynn Beffert's layup with 22 seconds until halftime gave Lafayette its largest lead of the first half at 16 points before Ericksen nailed a left-wing three-pointer to cut the Terrier deficit to 41-28 at the break.
• Trailing by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, BU whittled its deficit to 10 points after floaters from junior Anete Adler and sophomore SiSi Bentley, the latter occurring at the 3:02 mark.
• With 1:22 left in the third, Giannaros stuck a right-elbow, pull-up jumper to close the distance to 49-41, but Donahue's layup and Kiewiet's straightaway three capped the stanza to make it 54-41.
• Donahue and freshman Allison Schwertner traded baskets to open the fourth quarter before layups from Ericksen and freshman Channing Warren brought BU within 56-47 as the clock read 5:14.
• Ntaconayigize responded with a pair of triples, however, as BU was held off the scoreboard for nearly three minutes to make it a 15-point game.
• Four consecutive Giannaros points and Bentley's layup off Ericksen's feed once again trimmed the game to single digits with 1:20 to play before Lafayette iced the contest on free throws from there. 

STATS

• BU shot 37.5 percent from the field in the game. After hitting 6-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first half, the Terriers were limited to 1-for-8 from that range in the second half.
• Lafayette made 44.9 percent of its shots, a season high.
• Rebounds favored BU, 33-31. Gormley led all student-athletes in that category with nine, one shy of her career best.
• The Leopards posted advantages in points off turnovers (13-4) and fastbreak points (16-5).
• The Terriers had an 18-11 edge in bench points, with Adler's six leading that contingent.

NOTES

• Giannaros surpassed 400 career field goals in the effort while moving into 17th place in program history with 1,145 career points.
• Ericksen tallied her ninth game in double figures, and first since Dec. 5 at Le Moyne.
• Gormley led the team in assists and rebounds during a game for the 11th and fourth time, respectively, in her career.
• The Terriers sustained their first loss in a Patriot League opener since Jan. 2, 2020, which also came against Lafayette.
• BU remains ahead of the Leopards in the all-time series at 22-11. 

UP NEXT

• The Terriers start a two-game road swing at Army West Point for its Patriot League road opener on Sunday (Jan. 5). Opening tip is slated for 1 p.m.