Army Falls in Final Seconds to Terriers, 60-59

WEST POINT – The Army West Point women’s basketball team dropped a nail-biter to Boston U., 60-59, to open the Patriot League slate on Friday afternoon at Christl Arena.

The final two minutes of the game featured four lead changes, but it was the Terriers (6-5, 1-0 PL), who managed to edge out the Black Knights (7-5, 0-1 PL) at West Point in the closing seconds of the game.

Aliyah Murray led all Cadets in scoring with 14 points, one shy of her season high, while Madison Hovren added 13 to go along with a team-best 10 rebounds and career-high five assists. Daizjah Morris chipped in with nine points and three steals.

The Cadets came out to play at the start of their Patriot League opener against Boston U., grabbing a 13-4 advantage over the first 4:23 with Hovren and Murray responsible for eight of the team’s points. The Black Knights shot the ball over 50 percent in the opening quarter and despite the Terriers pulling within five after four unanswered points, took a nine-point advantage, 21-12, into the second frame.

Offensive woes settled in and plagued the Black Knights in the second as the team went 2-of-12 from the field and totaled six points, a season-low in a single quarter. Boston U. took advantage at that point and went on a 12-2 run to grab its first lead of the game, 24-23, after a Payton Hauck layup with 5:12 left in the half. Following a pair of Margaret Anne Hubbell foul shots and a Murray layup, Army retook the lead, but when the halftime horn sounded, Boston U. was back on top, 28-27.

The two sides battled back and forth through the opening five minutes of the third quarter, but a Kara Sheftic layup sparked a 10-0 Terrier run that lasted until the two-minute mark. Tacka ended the scoreless drought for the Black Knights by burying her second 3-pointer of the afternoon. Army trailed by five, but worked its way to the charity stripe and knocked down five foul shots to even the score up at 43 apiece heading into the final frame.

Right out of the gate, Boston U. went on a 10-2 run with all 10 points coming from down low. Army turned up the defensive pressure, looking to force some Terrier miscues and forced three turnovers while trimming the deficit to three, 53-50.

With 3:30 left to play, Murray received the ball from Tacka, stepped back, and knocked down her second career 3-pointer to bring the Cadets within one. It remained a one-point game until Morris knocked down a timely and-one to even the score up at 56-56. Morris would later put the Black Knights up by one after sinking a foul shot following a steal on the defensive end.

Boston U. looked to go back inside with time running out and Nia Irving delivered with a layup to put the Terriers back up by one, 58-57. Army came down the court and retook the lead off a Janae McNeal score from inside. However, with 11 seconds left in the game, Irving came through again with a low-post score that turned out to be the game-winner.