The offense of Boston College women’s basketball has been a force to be reckoned with all season long, but going into the first game in the Puerto Rico Clasico against Charlotte, the Eagles couldn’t get their offensive gears to turn.
Before today, BC (4-3) dominated the court with the No. 35 offense in the country by points per game, but facing No. 169 in that same category, the Eagles fell flat.
Though BC shot well from the field, hitting 44.3 percent from that distance, it struggled from 3-point range, shooting just over 25 percent from behind the arc. The Eagles even went 0-8 on 3-pointers in the first half. Usually, 3-pointers are the differentiating factor for the Eagles, as they averaged 10 percentage points higher than that through their first six games.
This is not to say that the Eagles didn’t put up a good fight. Charlotte’s (5-1) stifling defense held BC to its third lowest tally of the season, and the 49ers’ prolific offense put up the most of any team against BC this year.
In the first quarter, the Eagles looked much like their usual selves, putting the first points of the game on the board. From there, as they say, it went downhill. Though they fought to stay in the game from the first minute to the last, the Eagles gave up the lead quickly and only regained it for under a minute.
By the end of the first period, BC was already down by five. The Eagles fought back and outscored Charlotte by three before halftime, but they couldn’t seem to get the edge.
BC’s struggles in the first half came largely off second-chance points, as the Eagles allowed Charlotte to grab offensive rebound after offensive rebound. BC tried to follow suit, but it was less successful in second-chance points, even with more total rebounds.
Emma Guy led the team with three offensive rebounds and six defensive rebounds for a team total of 15 and 19, respectively. BC outplayed Charlotte on the offensive glass, as the 49ers only tallied 13 but had 21 on defense. BC also only had 10 second-chance points to Charlotte’s 22.
Guy finished the night leading the Eagles in points as well, with 19 to her name. Cameron Swartz followed close behind her with 18, and Taylor Soule rounded out the top three scorers with 11.
Charlotte’s top three scorers, on the other hand, put up a combined total of 70 points to rout the Eagles 84-68.
Charlotte really began to break away in the third quarter. The 49ers came out of halftime with a full head of steam, outscoring BC 26-14. As a result, by 10 minutes into the final period, Charlotte held its largest lead of the game at 17.
Even down by double digits, the resilient Eagles never gave up the fight. They fought to bring the game back within a reasonable distance but without enough time on the clock, and because Charlotte’s offense stayed hot throughout the final quarter, the Eagles never stood a chance.
This game comes as one of the Eagles’ most disappointing losses of the season, but against a non-conference opponent, they can use it as fuel for their fire. They play again tomorrow in the second round of the Puerto Rican round robin, and they are sure to be hungry for a win.
Featured Image by Keara Hanlon / Heights Staff
