Career highs from Audrey Ericksen and Bella McLaughlin lead BU women's basketball past Rider
Ericksen had a career-high 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting and was a perfect 6 for 6 from 3. McLaughlin added a career-high 15 on 7-of-13 shooting.
BOSTON – From the game’s opening possession, Audrey Ericksen could not miss.
The Terriers’ sophomore forward exploded for 17 first-quarter points on a perfect 6 for 6 from the field and 5 for 5 from 3.
Ericksen’s hot shooting start gave the Boston University women’s basketball team a lead it would never relinquish, en route to a 64-59 wire-to-wire victory over Rider University (1-5) at Case Gym on Sunday.
Ericksen began her long-range barrage with a pick-and-pop contested corner 3 over an outstretched hand. The net hardly moved.
From there, she fell into a groove.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting to shoot it. I just felt good and went up with it,” said Ericksen. “I just kind of knew I was in the rhythm.”
Senior guard Alex Giannaros drove baseline on the ensuing possession and kicked out to Ericksen on the left wing. Ericksen’s 3 hit nothing but net.
Two minutes later, Ericksen drilled a corner 3 off a drive-and-kick from Bella McLaughlin.
She then caught Rider sleeping and cut backdoor for a reverse layup.
Three possessions later, sophomore guard Aoibhe Gormley corralled a defensive rebound and pushed in transition. She found Ericksen, who dished it back to Gormley. Gormley then drew a defender and passed it back once more. Ericksen, now left wide open, drilled the triple.
Gormley roared as she trotted back on defense. The Terrier bench exploded in celebration. In just over five minutes, BU (3-3) had taken an 18-6 lead off of 14 points from Ericksen.
“They’re constantly building me up,” said Ericksen. “When you make it and everyone points at you, high fives you, and is telling you to keep doing what you’re doing, it helps you play that way throughout the rest of the game.”
Rider responded with a 13-2 run over the next four minutes. All of a sudden BU only had a one-point lead.
But when BU needed it most, Ericksen canned another, this time as the first-quarter buzzer sounded.
Ericksen connected again early in the third quarter to finish with a career-high 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting and 6 for 6 from 3. Her only missed shot was a blocked layup after securing an offensive rebound amid a scrum of bodies.
“I thought Audrey was phenomenal today,” said BU head coach Melissa Graves.
Due to an injury to freshman forward Inez Gallegos that has kept her out of the lineup for the last three contests, BU has shifted Ericksen from the three to the four spot, a move BU’s staff was considering regardless of health.
She has found a rhythm at that four spot, scoring 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting against Georgetown on Wednesday, her highest mark of the season to that point, before following it with her 20-point outburst on Sunday.
“I think that’s really helped her get more shots at that spot,” said Graves. “It also fills a need that we have at the four where we have someone who can shoot the ball really well at a really high clip.”
McLaughlin has also stepped up since Gallegos’ injury. The sophomore transfer from Providence made her first start on Nov. 21 against Maine. She has finished in double figures in the three games since.
Against Rider, McLaughlin had her highest output yet, a career-high 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting. She also played a career-high 38 minutes and 36 seconds.
“Bella was great,” said Graves.
McLaughlin got to the rim with ease, scoring all seven of her field goals off layups. On the final play of the first half, she went coast-to-coast for a layup to beat the buzzer. It gave the Terriers a 35-28 advantage at halftime.
She was at it again after the break, exploding to the cup for the first score of the second half. She added three more layups after that, including an and-one with under three minutes remaining to snap a Broncs 8-2 run.
“We talk a lot about shifting the ball,” said McLaughlin. “We’re doing really good in our offense, moving the ball, getting it in a lot of people’s hands, and I’m just taking the opportunities as they come.”
McLaughlin also dished out four assists, tied for a team-high. She was able to penetrate and then kick out for open looks throughout the game.
“I go downhill, obviously with the intent to score first, but then getting on balance, and then [my teammates] make it so easy because all I have to do is find them and then I’m running back to play defense,” said McLaughlin.
Her aggression has provided a key spark for BU, especially in a game where senior guard Alex Giannaros (7 points, 3 of 12 from the field) struggled to get going.
Freshman forward Allison Schwertner added 11 points and 7 rebounds. It was her second game scoring in double figures.
Throughout the second half, BU held a lead between seven and 14 points until the waning moments.
Rider snagged 14 offensive rebounds — a mark Graves was not pleased with — but the Broncs never looked comfortable offensively as BU switched between a 2-3 zone and man-to-man defense.
Rider shot 40 percent from the field and turned it over 22 times as BU avenged a 58-55 loss to the Broncs from a season ago.
“This is a team that beat us last year at their place,” said Graves. “So we felt pretty motivated coming into [the game] and I think that’s why we had such a good start.”