In all aspects of the game for all four quarters, Boston College women’s basketball dominated Central Connecticut State to extend a three-game win streak to four before the holiday break.
The Eagles—in their final non-conference game of the season—closed out the year with an afternoon matchup against the Blue Devils, and they showcased lockdown defense. BC (11–4, 1–1 Atlantic Coast) led in points from start to finish, while holding Central Connecticut (3–8) to just three fourth-quarter points in a 86–35 victory.
“We kept on the pressure, we knew we could beat them by a lot,” freshman guard Taina Mair said. “We just had that mentality that we can put it on ‘em and keep it on ‘em to the end.”
BC showed no sign of early-game rust, and sustained pressure against the Blue Devils for the entirety of the first quarter, forcing eight turnovers on the visiting team.
Andrea Daley made the most of her scoring opportunities in the frame, landing layups while being unguarded by the opposing team. Daley found double-digit points for the ninth time this year, finishing with 11 points in the game.
After going scoreless in the opening three minutes of the game, the Blue Devils finally got on the board with a jump shot, but the score was already 9–2 in BC’s favor.
Central Connecticut’s Dejah Jenkins’ layup gave the team some stride, but it was quickly answered by Daley to make the score 14–4.
JoJo Lacey notched her fifth point of the game with a jumper to close out the quarter, and BC led 23–9.
“We wanted to play as a consistent team, even if the team was in the ACC or non-conference games,” Lacey said. “We just wanted to stay consistent, so we started out from the beginning doing that.”
For the opening three minutes of the second quarter, BC held the Blue Devils scoreless, but Central Connecticut’s Ciera Pearson finally drained a 3-pointer to move her team’s total points into the double digits.
Dontavia Waggoner landed two shots from the foul line just halfway through the frame to put BC 20 points ahead of the visiting team, 34–14.
Struggling to make points in the paint, Meghan Kenefick landed a jumper 24 seconds before the first half ended, cutting Central Connecticut’s deficit to 42–19.
Lacey set the tone in the third quarter by landing the first points of the half after securing a rebound in the paint.
Mair sank her first 3-pointer at the 4:14 mark before a pair of Maria Gakdeng free throws put BC 30 points ahead of the visitors, 58–28.
“Today was [about] not losing our confidence,” Lacey said. “Staying confident no matter if we were hitting our shots or not, and just finding another way to score and also just pass the ball and see where the game goes.”
Mair dropped a 3-pointer to open the final quarter. On the very next play, Mair registered an assist for Lacey that brought the scoreboard to 69–32 and gave the freshman a double-double.
“If I have a shot I’ll take it, but I’m not really pushing on that,” Mair said. “[I’m] Just trying to make the right play, make the right read.”
The Blue Devils were visibly exhausted on the final stretch, and BC held Central Connecticut without points until Lara Rohkol landed a free throw with 4:46 left in the game.
In the final two minutes of the game, BC’s Kayla Lezama and Ally Carman both tallied points off the bench—allowing every player on the team to register a point in the victory.
“I love that everybody’s going home for the holiday break having scored a basket on the court,” BC head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. “That’s really exciting to have everybody score in the game and get playing time and play together as one.”
