After a two-game homestand, Boston College women’s basketball is making the trip out to Providence for its second-to-last non-conference game on Thursday. At the moment, the Eagles are on a high. Milan Bolden-Morris and Martina Mosetti are hot off career-best performances, and Georgia Pineau is quickly emerging as a double-double machine. Still, the Eagles have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the country thus far, having shot under 37 percent from the field four times and never won back-to-back games. Once again, they’ll try their hand at a win streak on Thursday.
Who is BC playing?
Providence
When is BC playing?
Thursday, Dec. 21, 12 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Alumni Hall, Providence, R.I.
How to Watch:
The game will be livestreamed on Providence Athletics’ website, Friars.com.
By the Numbers:
BC:
1) Following a win this season, the Eagles are losing contests by an average of 11.3 points.
2) Against New Hampshire, BC hit six 3-pointers over the course of the second half and overtime—three times as many as the team recorded in its previous loss to Seton Hall.
3) After outscoring the Wildcats, 44-26, in the back half of play on Sunday, the Eagles moved to 3-2 when putting up more points than their opponents in the second half this season.
Providence:
1) The Friars enter Thursday’s matchup having dropped three out of their last four games. The worst of the three losses came at Quinnipiac, where Providence was blown out by 26 points.
2) All-time, the Friars lead the series against BC, 30-23. But they have lost each of the last 14 meetings.
3) Providence currently ranks first in the Big East and seventh in the nation in 3-point percentage. Led by Jovana Nogic—the ninth-best marksman among active players in the NCAA—the Friars are shooting 41.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Last Meeting:
The New England rivals faced off against each other nearly a year ago to the date. In what was a narrow 57-53 victory, the Eagles stormed out of the gates on a 22-7 run. Mariella Fasoula delivered in the paint, time and time again, racking up nine points in the first quarter alone. But eventually, the Eagles’ offense came back down to Earth. Providence, on the other hand, found its rhythm, outscoring BC, 35-20, in the second and third quarters to tie the game before the start of the final frame. Yet, as soon as the Friars started to flirt with a one-point advantage in the fourth, the Eagles strung together a 10-2 run to reclaim the lead and seal the win.
BC Wins if…
It shoots above 45 percent from the floor. The Eagles have yet to win a game this season in which their field goal percentage has dipped below the 40 mark. In order to keep pace with Providence’s longe-range shooting, BC has to be firing on all cylinders, especially from downtown. Just like any undersized team, the Eagles are at their best when they get going from 3-point land. Part of the reason why they even forced overtime this past weekend was because Bolden-Morris drilled four 3-pointers in the final period of play. If she can lead the charge with at least three triples, BC has a chance to escape with a win on the road.
BC Loses if…
It falls apart in the second half. The Eagles blew a 15-point lead the last time these teams played, and had to eek out a fourth-quarter comeback to pull off the win. Without Fasoula or Kelly Hughes, those kind of victories are hard to come by. BC cannot afford to take the pedal off the gas after the break, no matter what the score is. When the shots stop falling, the Eagles tend to collapse on both ends of the court. If that’s the case, Providence will make them pay, simply putting the game out of reach with a few 3-pointers.
Featured Image by Zoe Zhao / Heights Staff
