On Senior Day in Chestnut Hill, Boston College women’s basketball took on Virginia Tech. Both teams came into the game badly needing a win. After VT had a promising start to its season, it dropped its last 11 games. BC faced a similar situation, having gone 1-13 in its last 14 games. Both teams left everything they had on the court, but the Hokies sealed the win, 82-79, thanks to their dominant 3-point shooting.
The Eagles (9-19, 2-13 Atlantic Coast) started off slow against the visiting Hokies (16-12, 3-12) by allowing them to score three consecutive 3-pointers in the first few minutes. VT’s Regan Magarity, who had a stellar overall game, started off with a hot hand scoring 10 points in the first quarter. The Eagles couldn’t respond to the Hokies’ early shooting success, causing them to fall behind by 10 points at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Eagles responded with more tenacity by playing aggressively on both sides of the court. Taylor Ortlepp made a strong power move in the paint, scoring the basket drawing the foul. Her completion of the three point play cut VT’s lead to five and motivated the rest of the team. By continuing to play aggressively on defense, senior Kelly Hughes was able to get the ball and score two consecutive 3-pointers which tied the game shortly before halftime. Going into halftime, the Hokies led 40-38.
Coming out onto the court in the second half, BC continued to show hustle and determination. The Eagles grabbed offensive rebounds, but did not capitalize on them. BC’s shots kept falling short of the basket, while VT continued its streak of treys, allowing it to extend its lead back up to eight at the end of the third quarter.
In the final quarter of the game, it seemed as if the Eagles would let the game slip away. At the start of the fourth quarter, they forced up shots and turned the ball over, which caused them to fall behind by 16 points with 3:30 remaining. BC continued to fight and showed that they were not going to give up. Hughes demonstrated her senior leadership in the last few minutes by scoring three 3-pointers, cutting the the Hokies’ lead to one point in the final few seconds of the game. VT’s Samantha Hill was fouled and made two clutch free throws which secured the Hokies’ victory.
Head coach Erik Johnson lamented on the team’s inability to get going early offensively.
“We waited way too long for us to really get it going,” he said. “For us to make shots, to grab balls, and Virginia Tech did that for most of the game.”
Featured Image by Lizzy Barrett / Heights Editor
