BOSTON, Mass. - The Boston University women's basketball team earned its second postseason win in team history with a, 61-49, win over Sacred Heart at Case Gym on Thursday night in the first round of the WNIT.
The victory moved Boston U. into the second round for the second time in school history and is the seventh WNIT win for an America East team. The Terriers will take on Fordham, who defeated Army, 55-46, in its first round game Thursday. That game will be Saturday, March 23 at 2 p.m. in Bronx, N.Y.
Hartford lost a tough one, 61-57, to Harvard in West Hartford, Conn. in its WNIT first round game in a contest where neither team led by more than four points the entire game.
The Hawks closed their season 21-11 and qualified for postseason play for an America East record ninth-straight year.
Boston U. 61, Sacred Heart 49
Box Score
The Terriers showed no signs of rust despite a 26-day layoff since the last time they took the floor. Boston U. shot an incredible 51.7-percent from the field in the first half and just under 50-percent for the game.
Chantell Alford led the chard with 17 points, while Rashidat Agboola added 13 points and nine rebounds and Mo Moran had nine points five rebounds and four assists. The trio combined for 39 points on 17-of-34 shooting to go with 16 rebounds and 11 assists.
The Pioneers pulled within one point of the Terriers in the first half following a four-point play from Blair Koniszewski that made it 27-26 with 5:26 remaining in the first half.
The Terriers then closed the half with an 11-1 run, including six points from Agboola, taking a 38-27 advantage into the locker room.
The four-point play turned out to be a turning point for the Terriers, as the home side held Sacred Heart to just five points from the 5:26 mark of the first half until the 13:33 mark of the second half to take a 44-29 lead.
Sacred Heart worked its way back into the game, using an 8-0 stretch to come as close as five points at 46-41.
But the effort was not enough, as the Terriers went on another 11-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 57-41. Alford had seven points during that stretch, hitting back-to-back jumpers after a timeout.
The Terriers move to 2-4 in postseason play in program history.
Harvard 61, Hartford 57
Box Score
Christie Michals hit a clutch 3-pointer that put Hartford down two points with less than 40 seconds to go, but an offensive rebound and putback by Harvard's Elle Hagedorn put the Crimson up four with 5.2 seconds left to seal the win and end the Hawks' season.
Hartford finished the year 21-11 and qualified for its ninth-straight postseason.
The game was back-and-forth with neither team leading by more than eight points in a contest that featured seven ties and 12 lead changes.
The Hawks' Amber Bepko broke a 44-44 tie with a 3-pointer with 8:58 left in the game, but that would be the last time Hartford would hold a lead in the game.
Harvard regained the advantage on a Victoria Lippert jumper at the 7:50 mark and the Crimson led the rest of the way, however the lead would never grow to more than four points.
Michals led the Hawks with 11 points while Ruthanne Doherty had 10.
The Crimson outrebounded the Hawks 44-27, including 20 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points.