The American University women’s basketball team won two games straight for the fifth time this season after beating the Boston University Terriers by a final score of 70-57 inside Bender Arena.
AU started the game hot on offense with 3-5 shooting thanks to a junior Lauren Stack bucket down low, a senior Taylor Brown score outside and a senior Jade Edwards triple. A critical turnover from Edwards had the Eagles down just one at the 6:32 mark.
The Eagles looked to Edwards in the post, and she rewarded her teammates’ trust with two more buckets inside — including a spin layup — plus an assist to Brown in the corner for a wide-open three. Sophomore Karla Vreš then hit back-to-back shots to give AU a 25-16 lead.
Senior Maddie Doring replaced sophomore Ivy Bales and sophomore Riley DeRubbo checked in too. The bench gave the defense fresh legs, as Doring grabbed a steal, but the bench failed to score initially.
Brown matched Edwards’ offense while sophomore Emily Johns made a pair to continue AU’s hot shooting.
AU went into the break with a 40-24 lead shooting 16-27 from the floor, including 75 percent from three. BU, on the other hand, was just 8-24 from the floor and 2-4 from three.
AU continued to shoot the leather off of the ball in the second half. Edwards picked up right where she left off, sinking a fastbreak jumper and Brown had a layup inside to give the Eagles a commanding 20-point lead at the 7:57 mark.
From there, AU continued to look inside to Johns for mismatches down low. Senior Emily Fisher fed her on the roll and Johns finished the proceeds with one hand. On a switch, Edwards was trying to feed her with a defender fronting. The Bender Arena crowd screamed for Edwards to pass to Johns, and Edwards obliged. You know the rest: Johns scored.
With 8:06 left in the game, Edwards returned after a quick stint on the bench. As Edwards came in and replaced Doring, AU fans cheered loudly for the Chicago native who finished her day with 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
With 59 points, AU fans started chanting “We want 60!” and Fisher granted the crowd their wish, finishing a free throw to push the lead to 60-44. Fisher then hit her third jumper of the day as AU held the lead 62-46 with 6:58 to go.
Head coach Megan Gebbia decided to give her bench some extra run down the stretch as DeRubbo checked in at the 3:11 mark.
“We have a team full of talented players, and when they’re playing well together we’re a tough team to overcome,” Gebbia said postgame.
In the final stretch, DeRubbo had a steal and a layup and Edwards made two-of-two free throws. AU cruised to its second straight Patriot League win.
Final stats
Edwards led AU in scoring with 17 points. Fisher and Vreš each had 12 points. Brown had 9 points and two rebounds while Johns had 7 points and one steal.
AU shot 27-54 overall and 40 percent from three. The Eagles owned the points in the paint battle 36-34.
