Freshman guard Katie Meinhardt hit a game-winning jumper with 10 seconds remaining, capping a 19-3 run as Boston University (14-14) rallied past Northeastern University (8-20) 55-53 in the first round of the Friendship Cottage Cheese America East Championship.
The Terriers never led until hitting the game-winning shot, and trailed 50-36 with 5:56 remaining. However, four free throws by sophomore forward Adrienne Norris and a pair of jumpers by junior guard Katie Terhune sparked the Boston run, leading up to the last-minute heroics by Meindhardt.
The Terriers still trailed by nine, 53-44, following a Northeastern free throw with 3:31 remaining, but the Huskies would not score after that. A three-pointer by Meinhardt closed the margin to six just moments later, and sophomore forward Larissa Parr then scored on a fastbreak layup with 1:57 left to make the score 53-49. Meinhardt scored again on a jumper with 1:17 remaining, and Boston tied the game with 23 seconds left on a layup by Norris. A Huskies turnover returned the ball to the Terriers with the shot clock off, setting up the game-winning play.
Both teams struggled from the field throughout the game, as the Terriers shot just 30 percent for the game, while holding Northeastern to 27 percent shooting. The Huskies' 13 field goals were the fewest ever in the first round of the America East Championship.
Terhune led four Boston players in double figures with 18 points. Meinhardt scored 10 of her 14 points in the second half, including seven in the final three minutes. Norris finished with 11 points and Parr added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Junior guard Melissa Kowalski led Northeastern with 17 points, and sophomore forward Francesca Vanin added 11 points on the strength of 7-of-8 shooting from the free throw line.
The Terriers missed 18 of their first 20 shots in the first half and trailed 20-13 at halftime. It was the first time a team scored fewer than 20 points in the first half of an AE Championship game since Delaware scored just 16 points against Vermont on March 2, 1997.
Boston advances to the second round of the America East Championship and will meet #2 seed University of Vermont in the second semifinal game at 8:36 p.m. Friday. Vermont advanced with a 69-58 win over Binghamton University in the afternoon's first quarterfinal.
VISITORS: #6 Northeastern 8-20, 6-10 AE
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
No. N A M E FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
13 Williams, Aisha * 2-9 2-5 2-2 0 6 6 2 8 3 1 0 3 32
15 Kowalski, Melissa * 5-12 2-6 5-6 2 4 6 0 17 0 2 0 0 34
21 Vanin, Francesca * 2-8 0-0 7-8 3 5 8 4 11 1 4 1 3 34
33 Jefferson, Joi * 0-3 0-0 5-8 2 2 4 3 5 1 4 0 2 32
44 Decerbo, Michelle * 2-3 0-0 0-2 0 1 1 1 4 0 2 0 0 16
04 Demor, Lizzie 0-2 0-2 0-0 0 3 3 2 0 0 2 0 1 9
12 Zwarich, Maralene 0-4 0-1 4-4 0 4 4 4 4 3 3 0 1 22
14 Andersson, Katarina 2-7 0-0 0-0 4 2 6 2 4 0 0 3 0 18
23 Newsome, Lori 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 3
TEAM ........................................ 4 0 4
TOTALS 13-48 4-14 23-30 15 28 43 19 53 8 20 4 10 200
TOT-FG 1stH: 5-23 21.7% 2ndH: 8-25 32.0% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 27.1% Deadbl
3pt-FG 1stH: 1-9 11.1% 2ndH: 3-5 60.0% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 28.6% Rebs
FThrow 1stH: 9-11 81.8% 2ndH: 14-19 73.7% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 76.7% 3
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HOME TEAM: #3 Boston University 14-14, 10-6 AE
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
No. N A M E FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
10 Argentieri, Alison * 0-4 0-4 0-0 1 3 4 3 0 1 3 0 4 35
11 Lopez, Amparo * 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5
12 Moseley, Marisa * 1-4 0-0 0-0 1 5 6 4 2 2 2 0 1 27
15 Terhune, Katie * 6-20 2-6 4-4 4 1 5 1 18 2 4 0 0 33
42 Parr, Larissa * 4-12 0-2 2-3 3 6 9 4 10 0 1 2 0 33
13 Meinhardt, Katie 5-12 2-3 2-2 2 1 3 1 14 1 2 0 0 26
22 Vanderwal, Rachael 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 9
32 Norris, Adrienne 2-6 0-0 7-9 2 4 6 3 11 1 2 1 4 23
54 Werner, Rachel 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 9
TEAM ........................................ 3 3 6
TOTALS 18-60 4-15 15-18 17 24 41 20 55 7 15 3 9 200
TOT-FG 1stH: 5-28 17.9% 2ndH: 13-32 40.6% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 30.0% Deadbl
3pt-FG 1stH: 1-6 16.7% 2ndH: 3-9 33.3% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 26.7% Rebs
FThrow 1stH: 2-2 100.% 2ndH: 13-16 81.3% OT: 0-0 00.0% Game: 83.3% 0
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OFFICIALS: Kathy Lynch, Joanne Aldrich, Butch Discher
TECHNICAL FOULS:
#6 Northeastern - none
#3 Boston University - none
ATTENDANCE: 774
SCORE BY PERIODS: 1st 2nd OT1 OT2 OT3 OT4 TOTAL
#6 Northeastern 20 33 53
#3 Boston University 13 42 55
PTS IN THE PAINT: #6 Northeastern - 10 #3 Boston University - 14
PTS OFF TURNOVERS: #6 Northeastern - 13 #3 Boston University - 15
2ND CHANCE POINTS: #6 Northeastern - 09 #3 Boston University - 14
FAST BREAK POINTS: #6 Northeastern - 00 #3 Boston University - 02
2003 Friendship Cottage Cheese America East Championship
Quarterfinal #2...BU advances to second semifinal game vs. UVM, Friday 8:30