NC State’s persistent transition offense was too much for Boston College women’s basketball to handle early.
“We really wanted to counter [NC State] with matching their intensity,” BC head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. “That’s the kind of team we are. We just haven’t been playing to that level of urgency right now.”
A first-quarter showing of 4 of 28 from the field kicked off the game for the Eagles—the Wolfpack’s 66.8 percent shooting rubbed salt in the wound.
After quickly falling to a 19-point deficit at the end of the first frame, BC (10–7, 1–3 Atlantic Coast) could only watch as No. 22 NC State (11–3, 3–0) stomped its way to a 91–52 rout.
“To beat these really athletic and talented ACC teams,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “We have to match not just athleticism, but talent, with everybody showing up on the same night and playing together.”
The Eagles had another afternoon of dominating the glass on the offensive end, though, topping NC State 19–11 on offensive rebounds.
But that didn’t stop the Wolfpack from overwhelming the Eagles with quick, up-and-down ball movement in transition, resulting in 33 fast break points to BC’s lowly five.
NC State’s Saniya Rivers showed up big for her team, tossing around flashy passes on odd-man rushes to complement her 23 points and 11 boards.
Although picking it up slightly in the second quarter, BC sat at a first-half shooting percentage of 23.7, as the offensive woes from its last game versus No. 14 Duke carried over.
“We had to have a lot of stop-score-stop opportunities to make up the difference,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “And they’re just too good of a team to get down that much and think they’ll just give us those opportunities.”
Entering the second half, the Eagles resorted to chucking up shot after shot and hoping they fell—but things didn’t change much.
BC finished 17 of 74 from the field and 5 of 27 from behind the arc.
Throughout the duration of the matchup, the Wolfpack controlled possession, while the Eagles could not keep up with their aggressiveness.
Zoe Brooks proved to be a solid backcourt duo with her razzle-dazzle on offensive transitions and a double-double in points and rebounds to match Rivers.
Only one Eagle managed more than one bucket in the third quarter: T’Yana Todd, who put in seven points in the third and led BC in scoring with 20 points.
“I think the big thing we’re trying to figure out is how do we get more people to show up on the same night,” Bernabei-McNamee said.
As the final 10 minutes of regulation dwindled off the clock, the Eagles failed to compete with NC State.
“You got to be able to play on the road in the ACC,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “So we have to find a way to be a good road team.”
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