By Tyra Brooks
Boston University News Service
The Boston University women’s basketball program started its 48th varsity season with a close loss against The Northeastern Huskies at home. The local rivals fought until the last seconds of the game, ending with a final score of 65-66.
This is the second season for head coach Melissa Graves. Last year she led the program to third place in the Patriot League. With many players returning this season, she is able to continue growing the dynamic of the team.
The Terriers, wearing white and red jerseys, welcomed fans back into Case gym Monday with an energetic marching band. Sophomore Alex Giannaros led the team with 23 points while junior Caitlin Weimar earned her first double-double of the season.
The Huskies had the largest lead of the game, 7-0, in the first quarter. After Weimar scored BU’s first basket, the next few possessions were offensively strong. The Terriers took the lead and started moving the ball more comfortably around the court.
In the second half, senior guard Maggie Pina hit three crucial shots from the 3-point line. She shot 66.7% from the arch which helped the Terriers stay in the game. The Huskies fell into foul trouble with under five minutes left in the third quarter. They had over five team fouls putting the Terriers into the bonus. That gave BU the opportunity to gain free points at the free-throw line.
Fans were still filing into the gym at the start of the fourth quarter. The game was tied at 48 points and chants rang in the entire gym, “Let’s go BU!” As the Huskies’ defense started to press, coaches on the bench screamed, “Shooters! Where are they!?”
The crowd jumped out of their seats as both Pina and Giannaros hit 3-pointers, putting BU in the lead. It ultimately came down to one shot with two seconds left on the clock. The Terriers couldn’t pull through and The Huskies got their first win of the season. Now, they are hoping for an on-the-road win against The Miami Hurricanes this Sunday.
