After a disheartening loss to Miami on Sunday—one in which Boston College women’s basketball entered halftime down, 40-20, the Eagles (6-13, 1-5 Atlantic Coast) are looking to snap a four-game losing streak against Duke this Thursday, as they travel to Durham, N.C. to play in the hostile Cameron Indoor Stadium. On the other hand, No. 18 Duke (15-5, 4-3) is coming off of a tough overtime loss to in-state rival North Carolina on Sunday. All season, the Eagles have struggled to string together wins and gain any sense of momentum. BC has often had a difficult time finding an offensive rhythm, and when it does, it can’t seem to close out games down the stretch. Against Clemson last week, it looked as if the Eagles could finally record their second conference win, but instead they fell to the Tigers in double overtime. BC is in desperate need of a win here on the road to regain some confidence and salvage its season.
Who is BC playing?
Duke University
When is BC playing?
Thursday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, N.C.
How to Watch:
The game will be aired on ACC Network Extra and livestreamed on WatchESPN.
By the Numbers:
BC:
1) The Eagles have only won two out of their last 10 games. BC also has a disappointing record in conference play, as it’s just 1-5 against ACC opponents this year.
2) Freshman Milan Bolden-Morris is currently second among all ACC rookies in scoring, with an average of 13.5 points per game.
3) Head coach Erik Johnston is 1-5 against Duke in his six-year career at BC. The one win came in 2015, when the Eagles upset Duke, 60-56.
Duke:
1) In her three games against BC, Duke’s Rebecca Greenwell has put up some impressive numbers, averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.7 steals.
2) Haley Gorecki has hit 36 triples in her last 11 games, becoming the first Blue Devil to hit seven or more from beyond the arc in back-to-back games, playing against Virginia Tech and UNC.
3) Lexie Brown has knocked down at least one 3-pointer in 19-consecutive games. Brown just needs seven more of these performances to break Duke’s previous record, currently held by Georgia Schweitzer. Interestly enough, BC’s Bolden-Morris has also drilled a shot from downtown in each of her last 19 games.
Last Meeting:
The Eagles and Blue Devils met up in Chestnut Hill last season in a game that had similar implications, or lack thereof. Back in 2017, when these two faced off, BC had only mustered one conference win. Pulling away in the third quarter, Duke cruised to 67-44 road victory. Entering Thursday night’s game, the Eagles are once again a one-win ACC team, struggling to stay afloat.
BC Wins If…
It comes out of the gates strong. Last time out, the Eagles had a lot of ground to make up on Miami after trailing by 20 in the first half. BC’s loss to the Hurricanes wasn’t a fluke. Time and time again this season, particularly in conference play, the Eagles have let games get away early, only to see a late rally prove to be way too little, way too late. The Eagles cannot allow huge runs like they did last game, giving up successive perimeter shots to Miami—stretches that made it that much harder to stage a comeback and ultimately hand BC a loss.
BC Loses if…
Its turnover numbers get out of hand. Last game, the Eagles turned the ball over 20 times. Over the entire season, the Eagles have coughed up the rock over 319 times, while their opponents have only turned it over 247 times. BC’s poor ball security has allowed its opponents to score an average of 16.3 points per game off turnovers. Above all else, though, Eagles underclassmen Georgia Pineau and Bolden-Morris must step up, or else BC won’t have much of a chance to pick up its second conference win on Thursday.
Featured Image by Celine Lim / Heights Staff
