Courtesy of Boston University Athletic Communications
WEST HARTFORD, CT - Sophomore Cheri Raffo netted seven of her team-high 17 points in overtime to lead the No. 3 seeded Boston University Terriers to a 76-74 victory over No. 2 Stony Brook in the semifinals of the 2006 Friendship Cottage Cheese America East Women's Basketball Championship at Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion. The Terriers move on to their fourth-straight league title game and will take on the winner of the Hartford-Binghamton semifinal on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Freshman Jesyka Burks-Wiley recorded 16 points and 20 rebounds and sophomore Kasey Devine hit two free throws with seven seconds left to advance the Terriers to the conference title game for the fourth straight season.
Boston U. will face the top-seeded Hartford in Sunday's championshp game beginning at 2 p.m. The game is rematch of last year's title game, which was won by the Hawks, 52-50.
In a game that featured 10 ties and 15 lead changes, Boston U. appeared to take control with 4:21 left in regulation when a basket by Burks-Wiley created the largest lead of the game at 61-53.
However, after sitting for most of the second half with four fouls, junior Mykeema Ford helped Stony Brook make a wild comeback, scoring nine points in a 12-4 run to knot up the score at 65-65 with 39.5 seconds remaining on the clock.
After a turnover by the Terriers, the Seawolves held the ball for the last shot and had two 3-point attempts in the final five seconds. Both tries came up short, causing just the third overtime game in tournament history.
A free-throw by junior Jessica Smith opened the scoring in overtime and gave the Seawolves their first lead since the midpoint of the second half, but Raffo drove the lane on the other end and completed a three-point play to give Boston U. a 68-66 edge.
After two more ties, the Terriers broke a 70-70 deadlock with two free throws by Devine followed by a long 2-pointer by Raffo to take a four-point advantage with 2:34 left in the extra session.
On the ensuing possession, junior Kelly Watson scored the last of her game-high 21 points with her third 3-pointer of the contest to get her team within one at 74-73.
Keyed by two offensive rebounds by freshman Kristi Dini, who entered the game after classmate Christine Kinneary fouled out, Boston U. was able to maintain possession for the next minute despite not adding any points to its total.
Devine tried to keep the ball in Boston U.’s hands but committed a foul going up for a rebound to put Stony Brook’s Dana Ferraro on the free-throw line, where the sophomore made 1-of-2 to create the 10th tie of the game.
With the possession arrow in its favor, Stony Brook tied up the ball and ran down the shot clock before Raffo snuck in the post and got her hands on the ball to cause another tie ball, allowing the Terriers to take establish possession with 35 seconds left. Devine got fouled attempting to collect a missed shot, setting up her late heroics.
After the sophomore calmly sank the two free throws, Stony Brook hustled down the floor to call a timeout, leaving 2.8 ticks on the clock. The play went to Ford, whose attempt from three feet beyond the arc rattled off the rim and backboard to allow the Terriers to win their fourth straight conference semifinal contest.
Devine finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, while senior Rachael Vanderwal also netted 13 points before fouling out late in regulation.
Smith scored 15 points and collected a team-best 12 rebounds for the Seawolves, while Ford finished with 14 points and a game-high five assists.