March 15, 2008

Box Score

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The Boston University women's basketball team (20-11) battled Vermont into double overtime in the semifinals of the America East tournament and claimed a 76-74 victory to advance to its fifth title game in six years. Senior Cheri Raffo led on the offensive front with 22 points and juniors Amarachi Umez-Eronini and Jesyka Burks-Wiley added 18 and 17, respectively, as BU picked up its first twenty-win season in twenty years. BU will face top-seeded Hartford in the championship game at 5:00 p.m. on CSN.

Raffo was 8-for-17 for 22 points and scored seven in the overtime period, while Burks-Wiley earned a game-high four steals. BU held the slight 34-32 edge in the paint, while UVM converted on 24 points off turnovers to BU's 15. Vermont owned the advantage in rebounding, 42-37.

After the Catamounts closed a nine-point first-half gap, BU and UVM went toe-to-toe over the final 50 minutes of the contest, never allowing either squad to go up by more than six points.

Umez-Eronini netted the Terriers first six points of the game, as the first half started low scoring with tough defense on both ends of the court. BU went up 10-6 at 13:57 when Burks-Wiley posted back-to-back jumpers and it held a 13-9 advantage by 12:55 when Devine nailed a jumper in the paint.

Junior Christine Kinneary drove to the basket at 8:28 for the layup to move the score to 18-10 and Raffo extended the lead to 10 points - its largest of the half - one minute later. After Vermont, drew to within six on a jumper by Courtnay Pilypaitis, junior Kristi Dini quickly responded with two points on the Terriers' next possession to stretch the lead back to eight at 3:41. Pilypaitis continued to find her shot and drew the Catamounts to within five, 27-22, at 1:23; however, Raffo kept UVM at bay with two jumpers within the final minute.

At the break, BU held a 31-22 advantage, shooting 41 percent from the field, while holding a 22-17 rebounding advantage. Raffo led all scorers with 10 points.

The Catamounts began the second half on an 8-2 spurt to cut the deficit to three points, 33-30, at 16:55 and Amy Rosenkrantz made it a one-point game with a layup at 15:37. UVM took its first lead of the game on the ensuing play when the Catamounts' May Kotsopoulos hit both free throws, as the Terriers' shooting went cold for eight minutes until Burks-Wiley went in for the layup at 11:19.

Burks-Wiley made it a one-point game at 8:48; however UVM's Sy Janousek's trey put the Catamounts back up by four, 45-41, at 8:21. UVM took its largest lead of the half at six points, 51-45, but, four straight made free throws by BU cut the deficit to two points with four minutes to go in regulation. Kinneary drew a foul shooting a three and hit two of her attempts to knot the score at 51 with 3:33 remaining.

Raffo nailed the Terriers' first three of the game with 1:40 left to put the Terriers up by two, 56-54. Pilypaitis tied the score at 56 left and with 29 seconds remaining BU regained possession of the ball. Vermont reclaimed possession on a jump ball and Pilypaitis heaved a last chance shot, which hit off the side of the backboard, sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, BU was clutch at the line, hitting four straight with under three minutes to go, however one made free throw from Vermont tied the score up at 65 and a missed jumper on BU's end sent the game into double overtime.

Raffo nailed a three and senior Kasey Devine made it a five-point lead with a jumper in the paint to move the score to 71-66 in the second overtime; however, UVM's Rosenkrantz nailed back-to-back treys to make it a one-point game with under a minute.

With one second left, the Terriers drew a charge in the paint, regaining the possession and then drew an additional foul to put Kinneary on the line. The junior point guard hit one and left no time for Vermont to get a shot off, taking the game 76-64.

BU will square off with top-seeded Hartford on Sunday, March 16 at 5:00 p.m. in the title game on CSN.