Senior Anete Adler scored 21 points as the Boston University women’s basketball team, seeded eighth, defeated ninth-seeded American University 69-58 in the opening round of the Patriot League Tournament at Case Gym on Saturday. The Terriers will move on to face top-seeded Navy in Annapolis, Maryland, on Monday.
Adler made 10 field goals and added four assists and four blocks. Sophomore Hildur Gunnsteinsdóttir contributed 13 points with three three-pointers. Freshman Kate Allard posted career highs with 12 points and six rebounds, including four offensive boards.
American’s Charlotte Tuhy led all players with 26 points and collected 15 rebounds. Madisyn Moore-Nicholson added 18 points for the Eagles.
Boston University trailed for less than three minutes during the game. They managed to keep American scoreless in the final three minutes and forty-seven seconds of regulation despite a late run from their opponents.
“Inés Monteagudo Pardo started the game with a corner three before American executed an 8-2 run. However, McLaughlin tied the game with her own three-point play 4:34 into the contest.
Tuhy canned a jumper for a 12-10 American advantage with 3:49 on the timer, but the Terriers closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run with layups from McLaughlin, Adler and sophomore Allison Schwertner.
After Gunnsteinsdóttir and Kayla Greyvensteyn traded three-pointers in the first two minutes of the second, the Terriers ripped off a 12-2 run. Allard ignited the spurt with a pair of layups, sophomore Taylor Williams buried a right-wing triple and Gunnsteinsdóttir ended the run with five straight points, putting BU in front 31-19.
Moore-Nicholson capped a 7-0 Eagle run with a three-pointer that made it a two-possession game, but McLaughlin skated down the left lane for a driving layup to put BU on top at halftime, 35-28.
Monteagudo started the third quarter with a jumper just inside the arc, but Moore-Nicholson and Tuhy combined for a 7-2 American run to slash BU’s lead to 39-35.
After Monteagudo’s three and Tuhy’s jumper as three minutes ticked by in the stanza, the Terriers held the Eagles without a field goal for the next 6:30. McLaughlin’s layup at the 3:14 mark handed BU its largest advantage of the day, 50-38.
BU once again led by 12, 60-48, after Williams dished to Adler for a hook shot then made one free throw with 6:29 left in regulation.
Tuhy then scored eight straight points and Moore-Nicholson drove in for a layup for a 10-0 American run across nearly three minutes, whittling the gap to 60-58.
Adler floated a second-chance basket into the net with 2:21 remaining to extend the lead to four. Nearly a minute later, she found Gunnsteinsdóttir for a three in front of BU’s bench to make it 65-58.
Allard capped the day with a steal at midcourt and banked in a left-handed layup with under 30 seconds on the clock.”
Boston University shot nearly fifty percent from both overall field goals and from beyond-the-arc while limiting turnovers to seven—their lowest total this season. Despite being outrebounded overall (35–34) and giving up more offensive boards (11–8), they managed fifteen second-chance points compared to eight by American.
The win marks head coach Melissa Graves’ sixth victory out of seven home games in Patriot League Tournament play since taking over five seasons ago. The Terriers also evened their postseason record against American at three wins each.
Boston University will now play Navy—this year’s regular season champion—in Monday’s quarterfinals.
