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Brown University
10-1
Boston University
5-5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston University | 8 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 68 |
| Brown | 22 | 25 | 32 | 13 | 92 |
Women's Basketball Wins Eighth Straight with 92-68 Win over Boston U.
12/22/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sophomore guard Justine Gaziano scored a game-high 26 points, and Brown University women's basketball won its eighth straight game with a 92-68 victory over Boston University on Friday afternoon at the Pizzitola Sports Center.
Coming off a 12-day break, the Bears (10-1) held a 22-8 lead after the first quarter, gained a 47-30 edge at halftime, and built an advantage as large as 31 points early in the fourth quarter en route to the win over the visiting Terriers (5-5).
"We just go game-to-game and do the best we can to prepare," Behn said. "I'm so proud of our players. The maturity that we are showing every game with how we can play both sides of the ball has made me really happy."
Brown's eight-game win streak is its longest since a nine-game span in 2005-06, and the team's 10-1 start matches the best start in school history through 11 contests.
Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) tied her season high with 26 points, connecting on 9-of-14 shots from the field, 3-of-5 shots from 3-point distance, and 5-of-5 free throws. She scored over 20 points for the sixth time this season and for the 12th time in her career.
"We knew that if we followed our game plan and shared the ball like we did, we would be able to come out here and do what we do," Gaziano said.
Junior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) tallied 18 points, a career-high six assists, six rebounds, and four steals. She now has 1,024 career points, moving into 17th place on Brown's all-time scoring list.
Junior guard Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.) netted 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting and matched a career high with five steals. Junior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) posted 12 points, hit 3-of-5 shots from behind the arc, and grabbed six rebounds.
"The biggest thing was just following the game plan," Steeves said. "Coach Behn has really been emphasizing that this year. We limited their three's, keyed in on their top players, and our defense really picked it up for us."
Senior forward Janie White (Clarksville, Tenn.) corralled a team-high seven rebounds and blocked a game-high five shots. Freshman guard McKenna Dale (Storrs, Conn.) added seven points and made 2-of-3 treys for her first collegiate points.
Brown scored over 80 points for the fifth time this season and netted over 90 points for the second time. The Bears dished out 23 assists as a team for their fifth game this year and third in a row with 20 or more assists. Brown totaled 11 made 3-pointers for its third straight game with double-digit treys. The Bears limited the Terriers to 2-of-13 shooting from distance.
The Bears jumped out to a 15-4 lead to start the game with a 3-pointer from Erika Steeves capping a 9-0 run. The hosts led 22-8 at the end of the opening frame as Gaziano scored the team's last seven points of the quarter. The Bears shot 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) in the quarter, while holding the Terriers to 4-of-15 (26.7 percent) shooting in the frame.
A 3-point play from Will kept the Bears ahead 25-12, and a 3-pointer from Steeves made it 32-17 with 6:15 to go in the half. A Mehta triple helped the Bears gain their largest lead of the half, 39-20, at the 3:36 mark, and a trey from Gaziano aided the Bears in taking a 47-30 edge at the intermission.
The Bears opened the second half on a 13-2 run, claiming a 60-32 advantage with 7:06 left in the third quarter. Mehta knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during the run. The teams traded baskets over the rest of the stanza with an old-fashioned 3-point play from Gaziano and a trey from Dale helping the Bears maintain a 79-50 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
A basket from White gave Brown its largest lead of the game at 81-50 with 9:47 to play, and BU pulled no closer than 22 points in the fourth frame. A 3-pointer from Dale and layup from sophomore center Lames ElGammal (Baldwin, N.Y.) down the stretch allowed the Bears to keep a 20-point edge.
For Boston University, Nia Irving compiled a double-double on 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Naiyah Thompson contributed 13 points and seven rebounds.
Next, Brown plays at Howard University on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 2:00 p.m.
Game Notes:
Brown improved to 5-0 in the month of December … The Bears now have 10 non-conference wins, giving them their sixth season in school history with double-digit non-conference wins … Brown improved to 7-10 all-time vs. BU … Shayna Mehta passed both Sophie Bikofsky '15 and Jordin Alexander '16 on the Bears' all-time scoring list. The duo came into the game tied for 17th in program history with 1,018 points apiece … Brown has posted a 20-point scorer in all 11 games this season … Mehta scored in double figures for the 10th time this season and the 53rd time in her career. She now has 162 career made 3-pointers … Taylor Will scored in double figures for the 11th time this year and the 31st time in her career … Justine Gaziano scored in double figures for the ninth time in 10 games this year and for the 30th time in her career … Erika Steeves scored in double figures for the sixth time this year and 35th time in her career … Janie White now has 160 career blocks and moved into 13th place all-time in Ivy League history. She posted four or more blocks in each of seven games this year … Megan Reilly dished out three assists with no turnovers, Dominique Leonidas chipped in three assists, and Mary Butler added four points, four rebounds, and two assists.
Video of all Brown women's basketball home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on the Ivy League Network.
Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
