Once again, Boston College women’s basketball came so close—but at the end of the day, head coach Erik Johnson’s squad just couldn’t finish the job.
Three days after a four-point loss to Georgia Tech, the Eagles traveled to Charlottesville, Va., to take on the University of Virginia. Both teams sought to snap three-game losing streaks with a hard-earned conference victory, but for most of the game, neither team managed to pull away. Only at the very end did the Hoos manage to pull away for a 62-55 victory over BC.
The Eagles (8-10, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) relied heavily on sophomore Mariella Fasoula. She finished with a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Fasoula also recorded one assist in the game. Georgia Pineau, meanwhile, scored five points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out four assists.
UVA (12-5, 1-3) enjoyed big games from Breyana Mason, who contributed four rebounds and two assists along with her 19 points, and Aliyah Huland El, who scored 12 points on the day.
The game was deadlocked through three quarters. BC claimed the first lead of the game when Fasoula made a layup to open up scoring. But throughout the first quarter, neither team built a lead of more than three points, with the period ending in a 12-12 tie.
The second quarter was a different story. Turnovers plagued the Eagles and aided the Cavaliers, forcing BC to play catch-up for much of the quarter. Jocelyn Willoughby scored several baskets off of the turnovers, including 3-pointers, to help the Hoos begin to pull away. With just over two minutes to go in the half, BC trailed by 11 points. But the Eagles refused to allow the Hoos to pull away for good. A fast and furious comeback sparked by a Taylor Ortlepp trey saw the Eagles contain UVA and chip away at its lead. At halftime, UVA’s lead had been reduced to 29-28.
BC started the third quarter on a strong note. Pineau made a layup to regain the lead for the Eagles, but they couldn’t keep the lead for long. Throughout the quarter, the teams exchanged baskets, sometimes pulling ahead by a basket, sometimes falling behind by a basket. Overall, there were six lead changes in the quarter as both teams battled hard to regain the advantage. Entering the fourth quarter, the score was tied at 40 apiece.
The start of the fourth quarter looked just like the third quarter. UVA took an early advantage, but could not break away by more than three points. With just under three minutes to go, BC regained the lead once again when Kelly Hughes found Kailey Edwards on the perimeter. Edwards sank a trey to give the Eagles a 49-48 advantage. The lead didn’t last long—Lauren Moses made a layup for the Cavaliers to regain the lead for good. In the final minutes, UVA broke away from the Eagles thanks to points from Mason, Willoughby, Moses, and Dominique Toussaint.
In the end, turnovers killed the Eagles’ chances of beating the Hoos. BC lost the ball 22 times compared to UVA’s nine, allowing the Cavaliers to capitalize on these mistakes. Looking ahead to more ACC play, BC must limit its turnovers to remain competitive and secure more conference victories.
Featured Image by Zoe Zhao / Heights Staff
