The Orange’s dominant second half drops BC to the bottom of the ACC, leaving the team winless in the conference.
A basketball game can change in 15 minutes. The momentum can shift, turning comfortable teams on their heels. But what if those 15 minutes involve no play whatsoever—just the respite of water and a few changes from the coaching staff?
The Boston College women’s basketball team felt the influence that 15 minutes can have upon a game, heading into halftime with a two-point deficit to the No. 25 Syracuse Orange but eventually falling behind by 18.
The Orange defeated the Eagles 64-46 on Sunday afternoon at Conte Forum. The Eagles continue to lack an ACC win following five in-conference games in a row.
Despite the final score, the first half was a competitive showing from both sides. Marti Mosetti, getting the start at guard over fellow freshman Ashley Kelsick, controlled passing well. Looks to Karima Gabriel near the basket and to fellow guards—including a couple jump shots herself—saw the BC offense operating smoothly.
Apart from a few wide open 3-pointers, the Eagles held Syracuse’s offense in check. Syracuse’s Maggie Morrison found herself unguarded on the 3-point line three times in a row, converting accurately for a quick nine points. Morrison helped the Orange to a 20-14 lead midway through the first half.
Substitutes Lauren Engeln, Ashley Kelsick, and Shayra Brown added some much needed energy to the BC lineup. The Eagles filled the gap, and even led the Orange 22-20 at one point, before Syracuse scored four points to end the half.
“We were able to be very disciplined in the first half, defensively, BC Head Coach Erik Johnson said. “I thought we got Syracuse back on their heels.”
Johnson was generally happy with how his team matched up against Syracuse, but pointed to the 13 turnovers as a detail that he wished could be different. He noted that in the manner that his team was stopping Syracuse’s offense, the Eagles should have had a lead at halftime. The slight errors of the first half came back to haunt the Eagles in the second half as Syracuse found a rhythm, and BC could not.
Syracuse quickly shot up to a sizeable lead at the start of the second half, gathering offensive momentum while BC failed to consistently make shots.
Nicole Boudreau, one of the key shooters in a BC team that ranks second in the ACC in 3-point field goal percentage, missed four 3-pointers in a row. She finished the game shooting 2-of-10 overall.
Kelly Hughes, another key shooter, went 1-of-7 at the 3-point line, and Emilee Daley was 0-of-6 for 3-pointers.
“We didn’t make shots,” Johnson said. “That’s got to change. We are a great shooting team—when you don’t make shots you better be disciplined. You better be able to take care of the ball—you can’t give them another 10 turnovers in the second half.”
The loss moves the Eagles to the bottom of the ACC, and an overall record of 8-10.
“This is part of the learning experience,” Johnson said. “As I am disappointed because I know this was a winnable game, I also know that this is part of what needs to happen for us to win.”
