BU’s Durant clutch at charity stripe in win

Boston University forward Maren Durant was ice despite numerous attempts by the Lehigh bench to freeze her on the foul line.

BOSTON U. 48 LEHIGH 47

Over the course of three timeouts, Durant scored two free throws with less that a second on the clock to lift the Terriers to a 48-47 Patriot League slugfest on Wednesday night at Case Gym. The victory had huge implications in the Terriers postseason plans.

“I just tried to stay as focused as I could,” said Durant. “I’ve had been in this situation before at the end of the Colgate game and I knew I had done it before and I could do it again.

“I just tried to lock in.” BU improved to 16-11, 11-5 in the league, to secure its hold on third place, obtained a first round by and will host a tournament quarterfinal match with two games remaining. Lehigh fell to 16-11 and 8-8. BU second year coach Marisa Moseley said her young team, that plays five freshmen, is headed in the right direction.

“We talk to our kids all the time about making plays, not just running plays,” said Mosely. “They are growing up right before our eyes I’m really proud of them.

“To clinch for the second year in a row with a program that is perennially moving in the direction we want to be.”

Lehigh guard Megan Walker opened the fourth quarter with a corner trey and followed with a baseline drive to give the Hawks a 41-36 lead.

BU freshman guard Maggie Pina, a lead candidate for Patriot League rookie of the year, scored her first with a pull up jumper at 8:02. The lead changed hands three time down the stretch and Hannah Hedstrom put the Hawks up 4746 with 30 seconds to play.

Durant, a 6-3 freshman forward from Winchester, opened the third quarter with three power moves in the paint to put BU up 28-24 with 6:49 on the clock. Durant’s tenure was short lived when she picked up her third personal foul at 6:40.

“It’s something that I’m working on and I knew sitting on the bench in the first half I had to come out and make statement,” said Durant. “I tried to boost my team and I’m working on the fouls and to give a spark to the team.”

After Lehigh guard Mary Clougherty tied the game 28-28 with two from the line, guard Katie Nelson provided the Terriers with instant gratification.

Nelson beat the 30-second clock with a runner in the lane and topped that with a drive through traffic in consecutive possessions. Liz Shean followed with a 3-ball from off the key to give BU a 35-28 lead with 2:05 to play. BU lead 36-34 after three.

“Katie is our leader and I think she is one of the heart and souls of the team just being a fighter,” said Mosely. “She loves to compete and she wants the ball in her hands at the end of a game.”

BU opened the game with an 8-2 surge on an assortment of open short and medium range jump shots from a disciplined halfcourt offense.

The Hawks clamped down with ball pressure and strong defensive rebounding that spawned an 11-0 run and a 13-8 lead with 32.8 seconds to play in the first.

Walker started the run with a corner trey and forward Mariah Sexe followed with a pair of layups. BU forward Nia Irving made two from the line to cut Lehigh’s lead to 13-10 at the end of one.

Lehigh opened up an 18-12 lead on a jumper in the lane by Emma Grothaus at 7:55 to play in the second. BU recovered with a 10-2 run to take a 22-20 lead with 1:56 to play in the half on a baseline drive by freshman guard Sydney Johnson.

Hannah Hedstrom scored on a drive with 57 seconds remaining to tie the game 22-22 at the half.