What looked like a promising game quickly moved south for the Boston College women’s basketball team, as they lost to No. 16 University of North Carolina by a final score of 72-60.
The Tar Heels hosted the Eagles on Sunday afternoon in their Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Eagles came out strong against the Tar Heels, with a first half defined by back-and-forth play. They even held a two-point lead, 36-34 by the end of the first half. Only at the end of the game had tides completely turned in favor of UNC.
With the momentum of a lead at halftime, the Eagles began the second half with a similar energy. They played with the Tar Heels for the majority of the second half, securing a 53-46 lead at one point. It was generally a rather back-and-forth period of play, with oscillating one-to-two-point deficits on both sides.
That is, until six minutes were left, and the score was tied at 60 apiece. Sophomore guard Jessica Washington made a 3-pointer, giving the Tar Heels a three-point lead. Kelly Hughes missed from the three-point line to tie the game, and UNC used the opportunity to stretch its lead.
Stephanie Mavunga then hit two jumpers in a row, both in the paint. Suddenly, the Eagles were down by seven with a little more than two minutes left in the game.
A minute later, UNC bagged another two points off of a fast break, then two more from free throws. Allisha Gray ended the Tar Heel scoring run, and with it the game, with another two points.
In the last six minutes of play, BC missed 15 shots in a row. Nicole Boudreau, one of the top three-point shooters in the ACC, missed three total 3-pointers in that period of time.
Nonetheless, Boston College did have a 21.6 percent three-point shooting average by the end of the game, a statistic larger than that of UNC’s percentage. Boudreau made three of these, Emilee Daley had three, and Kelly Hughes made two.
The stats sheet also shows one statistic that BC has been struggling with for most of the season. The Eagles had 18 turnovers, as opposed to UNC’s 11. BC turnovers provided constant setbacks throughout the duration of the close matchup.
It is important to note Mavunga’s impact on the game. The six-foot-three forward proved to be too much for centers Katie Quandt and Karima Gabriel. Mavunga scored 25 points on the day, 12 more than any player on BC.
Featured Image by Evan Semones / The Daily Tar Heel
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