BOSTON – Senior Alex Giannaros exploded for a season high 29 points to lead three Terriers in double figures and fuel the Boston University women's basketball team's 80-68 victory over Lehigh on Wednesday evening at Case Gym.
 
BU (11-16, 5-11 PL) never trailed against the Mountain Hawks (23-5, 14-2 PL), shooting over 55 percent against the Patriot League's top-ranked team and snapping Lehigh's winning streak at 12 games. The Terriers led by as many as 23 points in the contest.
 
Giannaros canned 10 of her 17 shots, including 7-for-12 from three-point range, to score the most points she has in a regulation game in her career. Sophomore Audrey Ericksen knocked down three of her own triples for 14 points, while junior Anete Adler collected 11 points, six rebounds and four blocks.
 
Maddie Albrecht and Belle Bramer both led Lehigh with 14 points. Lily Fandre and Ella Stemmer added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Terriers jumped out to a 17-7 lead in the game's first six minutes as Giannaros nailed a trio of three-pointers within a three-and-a-half-minute span.
• Layups from Adler and sophomore Bella McLaughlin plus a foul shot from freshman Allison Schwerter ballooned the lead to 22-9 with 1:08 left in the first quarter, capping an extended 15-4 run.
• Giannaros bookended a 10-2 Terrier burst across 1:45 to open the second with three-pointers, the latter in transition on a cross-court feed from sophomore Aoibhe Gormley, to increase BU's advantage to 32-13.
• Ericksen expanded the gap to 23 points on multiple occasions with her own three-pointers, including one off an outlet pass from Adler with 1:20 until halftime to make it 45-22.
• The Cary, N.C. native drained a corner triple 1:18 into the third quarter for a 50-30 lead before Stemmer helped ignite a 7-2 Mountain Hawk with an and-1 off a baseline jumper towards the period's midpoint.
• Schwertner made a layup after that, but Lehigh countered with an 8-0 spurt featuring three layups to slash the Terrier lead to single digits before a key Giannaros three stretched it to 57-45 with 2:48 remaining in the third.
• Bramer ignited the fourth quarter with a layup to cut the gap to 59-50, only for Giannaros to draw contract on a driving layup on the right block for a nostalgic three-point play with 8:06 to go in regulation for a 62-50 score.
• Each team traded blows, but Giannaros swished a foul line jumper at the 2:18 mark and then a three with 1:39 on the clock, the latter replenishing BU's double-digit edge to 73-61.
• Stemmer answered with a triple in front of her own bench on the next play, but the Terriers hit seven foul shots the rest of the way while Ericksen picked up a clutch steal with under 17 seconds left in regulation to seal the result. 

STATS

• BU finished the game 27-for-49 from the field (55.1 percent) and 11-for-25 from three (44 percent).
• Lehigh, who leads the Patriot League with 228 three-pointers on the year, was limited to 3-for-23 shooting (13 percent) from distance.
• The Terriers led the game for 39:17.
• Rebounds were even for both teams, 33-33. BU snagged 25 defensive rebounds.
• BU generated 15 fast break points.
• Gormley finished with team-bests of five assists, six rebounds and two steals.

NOTES

• Giannaros' career high of 30 points came in a double overtime game at American on Jan. 10, 2024.
• The senior now boasts 1,334 career points to move into ninth place on BU's all-time scoring list.
• Ericksen drained at least three three-pointers for the fourth time this season and now has 11 career games in double figures.
• Adler, who made her first start since Dec. 5, 2023, is averaging 13 points and 2.4 blocks in her last five contests.
• BU has won three games in a row for the first time this season and back-to-back home games for the first time since its opening two games of the campaign.
• As a team, the Terriers are shooting 49.3 percent from the field and averaging 14 free throws per game during its winning streak.
• The all-time series between BU and Lehigh is tied at 13-13. The Terriers have won four of their last six over the Mountain Hawks. 

UP NEXT

• BU treks to Lafayette for the penultimate game of the regular season on Saturday, March 1. Opening tip is scheduled for 2 p.m.