Women's Basketball Upended in Overtime, 76-67, in Regular-Season Finale at Boston U.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Boston, Mass. – Boston U.’s Cheri Raffo scored 15 points, including a three-pointer with 19 seconds remaining in regulation, to lead the Terriers to a 76-67 America East Conference women’s basketball overtime victory over UAlbany in the final game of the regular season for both teams on Saturday, March 8 at Case Gym. The Great Danes finished in fourth place in the conference standings, while the Terriers captured third place, entering next weekend’s postseason tournament.

UAlbany (12-17, AE 10-6) traded baskets with the Terriers throughout the first half, which featured 10 ties and four lead changes. After Boston U.’s Aly Hinton tied the game for the final time of the half at 24, the Great Danes went on a 12-2 run to jump out to a 10-point advantage. Guard TaNika Thrower scored six points in the streak, while senior Gia Sanders tallied four. Boston U. converted four free throws to deliver the 36-30 halftime score.

Boston U. (18-11, AE 11-5) scored 11 of the second half’s first 15 points to take a 41-40 lead with 15:54 remaining. Christine Kinneary converted on a jump shot to give the Terriers the advantage. The two teams traded baskets over the next five minutes, with UAlbany’s Amira Ford tying the game at 49 with a lay-up off a feed from senior Sherri Mikus.

The Terriers went on an 11-6 run over the next minutes to open up their largest lead of the half. Amarac Umez-Eronini scored five points in the streak, capped by a lay-up with 6:55 remaining.

UAlbany responded with a 12-0 run to take a 67-60 lead with 2:17 remaining in the stanza. Sanders converted a basket in the paint to ignite the run and sophomore Charity Iromuanya tallied consecutive lay-ups to give the Great Danes the lead. Thrower scored twice around a Sanders basket to cap the rally.

Following a 30-second timeout, Kinneary made a jumper to cut the UAlbany lead to five. Hinton narrowed the deficit to three with a pair of free throws at the 1:35 mark. After a UAlbany turnover with 50 seconds left, Raffo hit the game-tying three-pointer on an assist from Kinneary. Iromuanya misfired on a jumper with a four seconds remaining to force the extra session.

In the overtime period, the Terriers used seven foul shots and a put-back by Hinton off a missed free throw to seal the game. Kasey Devine converted her first free throw attempt of the period with 4:40 remaining for the only point the Terriers would need.

"We let one slip away,” said UAlbany head coach Trina Patterson, whose team finished the regular season with the most conference wins in the program’s history. “We had the opportunity to spoil Boston's undefeated home record. We played with heart, but we didn't make smart plays down the stretch. We had some uncharacteristic plays by our upperclassmen. Our mindset needs to move forward for the tournament."

Iromuanya scored a game-high 19 points to lead three Great Danes in double-figures. Sanders scored 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, while Thrower added 14 points off the bench. Raffo was one of five Terriers in double-digits. Hinton and Umez-Eronini added 12, with Devine and Kinneary each registering 11. Umez-Eronini and Devine both pulled down 10 rebounds.