BOSTON – Senior Syd Johnson lost a season-high 20 points, junior Caitlin Weimar added her third straight double-double, and the Boston University women’s basketball program won its third straight game Wednesday afternoon at Case Gym with a 72-61 win over St. Francis Brooklyn.
BU (3-2) never fell behind and made nine of their 17 hat-tricks. St. Francis Brooklyn (1-5) came within two points early in the third quarter, but BU posted a season high with 23 points in the third quarter and pulled away in the second half.
Johnson also had six non-turnover assists and five steals. Weimar scored 12 points and 13 rebounds. second grader Lauren Davenport and newbie Sam Crispe each scored nine points.
Alyssa Fisher advanced St. Francis Brooklyn with 19 points on 18 shots. Ella Ogier chipped in with 10 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams made just one goal in the first three minutes, but BU continued on an extended 18-3 run that lasted 3:42. Johnson hit a pair of threes while he was older Maren Durant used a nostalgic three-point game from the right block.
- Sheridan Kavanagh and Angena Belloso converted layups from St. Francis Brooklyn in the paint to cap the first quarter and trimmed BU’s lead to 22-14 after the first quarter.
- Crispe found the bottom of the net after a pass from Durant for BU’s first field goal at the 8:55 mark of the second, but that was the last BU field goal until mid-stanza when St. Francis held Brooklyn within eight points stayed .
- Ogier’s three-pointer with 2:51 by half cut the BU lead to 30-26, but Johnson conceded a floater and then fed Senior Maggie Pine on the left wing for a threesome to 35:26. BU then led 35-30 at the break as Fisher scored the last four points of the quarter.
- St. Francis Brooklyn’s Tyra Myers opened the second half with a three to put the visitors on two points, but six BU free throws led to an 8-0 run to tie BU 5-23 in the third.
- Pina, Crispe and Senior Liz Shean then Dreier scored within a span of 1:56. The latter’s bucket was part of a 9-2 run to cap the third and replenish BU’s lead to 58-45.
- Both sides remained scoreless for over three minutes in the fourth quarter until the junior Sophie Beneventine nailed a three by 5:33 to play for a 63-45 lead.
- St. Francis Brooklyn made several trips to the charity strip, but its field goal drought continued as Johnson deflated several driver layups, with their last BU handing a 67-52 advantage.
- Junior Kelsi Mingo answered a Fisher three with her own from the right to push the Terriers into 70-point territory at 2:44 left.
- St. Francis Brooklyn put up a modest 6-0 run before freshman Anastassia Semenova sank a right-handed layup off a feed from Weimar.
STATISTICS
- BU shot over 38 percent from the field, the lowest percentage in a win.
- St. Francis Brooklyn shot 37 percent in the game, 37.5 percent of which was from beyond the arc.
- The rebound advantage went to BU, 46-33, BU’s third straight game over 40 boards.
- BU collected 19 assists in 24 baskets, just over 79 percent of their baskets.
- In addition to his nine threes, BU had a season-high 15 free throws.
- Durant also accumulated 13 rebounds and four assists.
- In the second competition in a row, every BU terrier that appeared in the game scored points.
GAME NOTES
- Johnson’s 20 points and five steals are a season high. The latter achieves her best career set in last season’s opener against UMass Lowell on November 9, 2021.
- In her career, Johnson now has 11 career games with 20+ points.
- With 13.2 points and 10.8 rebounds, Weimar achieved a double-double on average for the season. Her three consecutive games of 10+ points and carom equal her longest streak as a terrier.
- She also has the most rebounds per game of any college student basketball at any Massachusetts program.
- With two threes in the game, Pina now moves up to 10th all-time in career three-pointers at BU with 145.
- BU has scored 70 points in consecutive games for the first time since March 7-11, 2021.
- During the three-game winning streak, BU has averaged 69.3 points, 45.3 boards and 20.3 assists per game, with an average winning margin of just under 20 points.
- Wednesday was the first-ever meeting between BU and St. Francis Brooklyn, two programs that use terriers as mascots.
NEXT
- After the Thanksgiving holiday, BU meets New Hampshire on Sunday (Nov. 27). The opening tip is scheduled for 1 p.m