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Third-Seeded Terriers Set to Face UMBC on Friday in AE Quarterfinals
March 12, 2008 Listen Live | Watch Live | Game Notes BOSTON - The third-seeded Boston University women's basketball team enters the 2008 America East Championship riding its longest win streak of the season - four games - as it takes on sixth-seeded UMBC on Friday, March 14 at 2:00 p.m. in West Hartford, Conn. The game will be streamed live as an America East PackCast and produced by the Pack Network. The live streaming can be accessed at the America East Zone at americaeast.com. 2008 Championship Schedule The Terriers' depth on the offensive front has been vital to their success this season. Junior Jesyka Burks-Wiley and senior Cheri Raffo lead with 12.9 and 10.7 ppg, respectively, followed by four players averaging at least eight points per game. Junior Christine Kinneary has reached double figures in seven of the last eight games and is one assist away from tying the BU single-season assist record of 203. Burks-Wiley is the team's leading rebounder with 6.0 per game, followed by senior Kasey Devine with 5.4. Devine has also blocked 56 shots this season, ranking third all-time in a single season at BU, to bring her career total to 151 - second all-time.
BU in the AE TOURNEY: The Terriers own a 23-20 all-time record in the America East Championships and have made appearances in four of the last five title games, including a Cinderella-run to the championship as an eight seed in 2003. Under head coach Kelly Greenberg, BU is 5-3 in post-season AE play. As a No. 3 seed, the Terriers are 10-4 all-time and 4-1 against sixth-seeded teams. In the quarterfinals, BU owns a 7-8 overall record. Last year, the Terriers were eliminated in the first round by fourth-seeded Binghamton, 63-58. Friday's game will mark the first post-season contest between the Terriers and Retrievers. SCOUTING THE RETRIEVERS: The No. 6 Retrievers enter the tourney with a 9-20 overall record and 5-11 AE mark. UMBC was the the Cinderella team of the 2007 tournament, upsetting top-ranked Hartford, 48-46, in the title game. Reigning AE Rookie of the Week, Meghan Colabella, averaged 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in UMBC's two games last week, while pouring in a career-high 19 points against BU. Carlee Cassidi is the team's scoring leader with 17.0 points per game, while Morgan Hatten leads the squad in rebounding (4.9 rpg). BU vs. UMBC: The history between the two schools is young with BU leading the all-time series 8-3, including the last three straight. The first meeting between BU and UMBC was a 76-64 BU victory on Dec. 27, 1991. However, the teams did not meet again until the Retrievers joined the America East conference in 2003-04. The Terriers won the first two league contests by 72-53 and 59-40 margins, respectively, before UMBC picked up its first win of the series, a 59-51 decision on Jan. 12, 2005. LAST TIME OUT VS. UMBC (March 5, 2008): BU drained a program-record 16 3-pointers and was led by junior Christine Kinneary with 19 points, as it defeated league foe UMBC, 79-60, at the RAC Arena. Kinneary was joined in double figures by seniors Cheri Raffo and Corinne Jean, as well as juniors Kristi Dini and Jesyka Burks-Wiley. The Terriers broke the school mark that was previously set on March 9, 2005 vs. Stony Brook. Kinneary had a career-high four 3-pointers and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field with seven assists and no turnovers to earn America East's Player of the Game honors. Raffo became the Terriers' all-time minutes leader during the game. BU was an impressive 16-for-24 from the arc and 30-for-63 from the field. The Terriers forced 20 Retrievers miscues and scored 19 off turnovers, while posting 14 in the paint and 26 off the bench. BU also held the slight 31-30 edge in rebounding. |
