Boston College Athletics
No. 18 Women's Hoops Set To Battle Massachusetts
November 27, 1999 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 27, 1999
#18 BOSTON COLLEGE (3-2)
vs.
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS (0-3)
DATE: Saturday, November 27, 1999
TIME: 2:00 p.m.
SITE: Amherst, Massachusetts
ARENA (Capacity): William D. Mullins Center (9,493)
RECORDS: Boston College enters Saturday's game with a 3-2 record and is currently ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and #18 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The University of Massachusetts enters the game with an 0-3 record.
The Eagles won their first two games in the Preseason WNIT on the road, defeating Maine (83-56) and No. 22 Duke (77-70), and defeated Davidson (86-54) on November 19 at Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Boston College currently has a two game losing streak. The Eagles lost to No. 3 Georgia (78-70) in the semifinals of the WNIT, and No. 13 Illinois (73-42) in the consolation game of the tournament. UMASS has lost all three of its games at Clemson (67-52), UNC-Charlotte (65-54), and Holy Cross (78-55).
SERIES RECORD: Massachusetts and Boston College have met five times, and the Eagles lead the series, 3-2. A year ago, Boston College defeated Massachusetts, 72-66, in the season opener at Chestnut Hill on November 16. The last victory in the series for the Minutewomen was on December 30, 1995 (73-63).
SERIES RECORD: BC leads, 3-2 (BC in Series: Home: 2-1, Away: 1-0, Neutral: 0-1)
| Dec. 11, 1982 | W | H | 74-66 | ||
| Feb. 14, 1984 | L | H | 52-53 | ||
| Nov. 24, 1984 | W | A | 66-58 | ||
| Dec. 30, 1995 | L | N | 63-73 | ||
| Nov. 16, 1998 | W | H | 72-66 |
LAST MEETING (11/16/98): Boston College opened the 1998-99 season with a 72-66 victory over the University of Massachusetts on November 16, at Conte Forum. Four players scored in double figures to lead the Eagles to victory. Cal Bouchard was the team's leading scorer with 17 points, including four three-point field goals, and seven rebounds. Senior center Whitney Steele and Alissa Murphy each netted 15 points for the Eagles, and Danielle O'Banion provided a spark off the bench scoring 10 points. Brianne Stepherson started at point guard for Boston College and finished with nine points and two assists. The Minutewomen were led by Tez Kraft and Kelly Van Huisen's 18 point-efforts.
The Eagles had a six-point lead in the final minute of the first half, but Van Huisen's three-point field goal in the closing seconds narrowed the score to 33-30 at halftime. Massachusetts opened the second half with a 9-2 run, and the Minutewomen extended their lead to seven points with 13 minutes remaining in the game. Boston College rallied and Murphy's three-point field goal gave the Eagles a 51-49 lead with 8:56 left. Massachusetts narrowed the Eagles' five point lead to 69-66, but Boston College connected on three-of-four free throws in the final 12 seconds to secure the Boston College win.
PROBABLE BOSTON COLLEGE STARTERS
| F | #54 | Becky Gottstein (6-1, So., 12.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg) |
| F | #12 | Alissa Murphy (5-10, Sr., 12.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg) |
| C | #20 | Jamie Cournoyer (6-3, Jr., 11.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg) |
| G | #11 | Brianne Stepherson (5-8, So., 11.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg) |
| G | #5 | Cal Bouchard (5-7, Sr., 14.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg) |
OFF THE EAGLES' BENCH
| F | #50 | Kim Mackie (6-3, So., 4.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg) |
| G | #24 | Nicole Conway (5-11, So., 2.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg) |
| G | #34 | Alicia Shields (5-9, Fr., 2.0 ppg, 0.8 rpg) |
| F | #35 | Adriana Spears (6-1, Fr., 0.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg) |
| F | #42 | Maureen Magarity (6-2, Fr., 1.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg) |
| F | #22 | Tish Few (5-10, Sr., 0.0 ppg, 0.5 rpg) |
PRESEASON WNIT: The Eagles finished fourth in the Preseason WNIT after defeating Maine (83-56) and No. 22 Duke (77-70) in the first two rounds, but losing in the semifinals to No. 3 Georgia (78-70) and the consolation game to No. 13 Illinois (73-42). Boston College played all four games on the road.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Becky Gottstein was named to the Preseason WNIT All-Tournament team after averaging 12.5 points and 10.3 rebounds in the four games. The sophomore forward recorded two double-doubles, registering 14 points and 11 rebounds against Georgia, and 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to Illinois. She netted a season-high 18 points in the victory over Maine.
1,000 POINT CLUB: Seniors Cal Bouchard and Alissa Murphy are both on track to finish their careers among the top scorers in Boston College history. Bouchard became the 11th Boston College player to score 1,000 career points, when she netted 11 on November 19 in the 86-54 victory over Davidson. The senior captain currently has 1,020 career points. Murphy is also on pace to reach the 1,000-point plateau. The senior guard currently has 949 career points and needs 51 to join the elite club.
BALANCED SCORING: All five of the Boston College starters are currently averaging double figures in scoring. Senior Cal Bouchard leads the team with 14.0 points per game, followed by Becky Gottstein (12.8), and Alissa Murphy (12.4). Jamie Cournoyer is currently averaging 11.4 points and point guard Brianne Stepherson has scored 11.2 points per game.
BIG EAST CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Becky Gottstein was named BIG EAST Co-Player of the Week on November 22 after averaging 13 points and 9.3 rebounds in three games for the Eagles. The sophomore forward scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the victory over Maine on November 15. Gottstein registered her first double-double of the season in the loss to No. 3 Georgia, netting 14 points and adding 11 rebounds.
EAGLE CAPTAIN: Senior Cal Bouchard will serve as the captain for the Boston College women's basketball team during the 1999-2000 season.
EAGLES vs. RANKED TEAMS: Boston College is currently 1-2 against ranked teams this season after playing three teams in the Top 25 during the Preseason WNIT. The Eagles defeated No. 22 Duke (77-70) on November 17, but lost in the semifinals to No. 3 Georgia (78-70) and to No. 13 Illinois (73-42) in the consolation game. The Eagles have only registered five wins ever over teams ranked in the Top 25. A year ago, Boston College defeated two teams in the Top 10 for the first time in school history. The Eagles upset No. 2 Connecticut (78-66) on January 23 and No. 7 Notre Dame (78-65) on December 30, 1998, at Chestnut Hill.
STREAK SNAPPED: Alissa Murphy's streak of 37 consecutive games scoring in double figures was snapped on November 22 in the loss at Illinois. The senior guard netted only six points in the loss. The streak had dated back to February 24, 1998, and included all 30 games from the 1998-99 season.
BENCH CONTRIBUTES IN DAVIDSON WIN: The players off of the bench accounted for 24 points and 17 rebounds in the 86-54 win over Davidson on November 19. Nicole Conway scored a season-high 10 points in the win over the Wildcats. All three freshmen made a strong contribution in the Eagles' third victory of the season. Alicia Shields played 21 minutes and registered five points, three rebounds, and two steals. Adriana Spears pulled down six rebounds, scored three points, and added two blocks in 18 minutes. Maureen Magarity played nine minutes and scored two points.
COURNOYER'S CAREER NIGHT: Jamie Cournoyer scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Eagles to a 77-70 victory at Duke on November 17. The junior center hit seven-of-11 shots from the field and was a perfect seven-of-seven from the line. Cournoyer also registered six rebounds and three blocked shots in her second start of the season.
CHARITY STRIPE: In five games Boston College has shot 79.2 percent (80-101) from the free throw line. The Eagles entered the semifinal game against Georgia on November 21 shooting 86.8 percent (66-76), but could only connect on 41.2 percent (7-17) against the Bulldogs. Alissa Murphy leads the team in free throw percentage (96.0), followed by Cal Bouchard (90.9) and Jamie Cournoyer (88.2). Murphy was perfect from the line in the victory at Maine on November 15, connecting on all 12 free throw attempts. A year ago, she led the BIG EAST, and was third in the nation in free throw percentage (89.0). Murphy was also perfect from the line in 14 games last season.
BOUCHARD'S BACK: Cal Bouchard has made an immediate impact in the Eagles' backcourt this season. She missed the final 16 contests a year ago following a season-ending knee injury on January 10. The senior captain scored 20 points in each of the wins over Maine and Duke, and netted 11 points in 15 minutes against Davidson. Bouchard currently leads the team in scoring with an average of 14.0 points per game. She has been the team's top perimeter shooter connecting on 16-of-32 (50.0 percent) three-point field goals. Bouchard also led Boston College in its exhibition game with 28 points and seven three-pointers.
MISC. NOTES FROM DUKE WIN: Alissa Murphy played all 40 minutes in the win at Duke. The senior guard played 39 minutes against Maine on November 15. Last season, she averaged 37.7 minutes and played all 40 in 14 games...Becky Gottstein led the Eagles in rebounding with a season-high 11 in the victory over the Blue Devils...Boston College's victory over Duke marked the first loss for the Blue Devils in Cameron Indoor Stadium in one year. Duke had not lost at home since November 17, 1998, when Virginia Tech defeated the Blue Devils, 72-70.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Alissa Murphy and Becky Gottstein have accounted for three double-doubles this season. Murphy registered the first double-double of the season for Boston College on November 15 at Maine. The senior guard scored 16 points and tied her career-high of 10 rebounds in the victory over the Black Bears. Gottstein has recorded double-doubles in the last two games. The sophomore forward had 14 points and 11 rebounds against Georgia, and registered 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to Illinois.
| CAREER SCORING | CAREER REBOUNDING | ||
| Cal Bouchard | 1020 points | Cal Bouchard | 209 rebounds |
| Nicole Conway | 206 points | Nicole Conway | 107 rebounds |
| Jamie Cournoyer | 266 points | Jamie Cournoyer | 166 rebounds |
| Tish Few | 5 points | Tish Few | 6 rebounds |
| Becky Gottstein | 365 points | Becky Gottstein | 254 rebounds |
| Kim Mackie | 50 points | Kim Mackie | 56 rebounds |
| Alissa Murphy | 949 points | Alissa Murphy | 405 rebounds |
| Danielle O'Banion | 125 points | Danielle O'Banion | 51 rebounds |
| Brianne Stepherson | 303 points | Brianne Stepherson 123 rebounds | |
EAGLES IN THE POLLS: The Eagles are currently ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and No.18 in the ESPN/USA Today poll, marking the highest ranking in school history. A year ago, the Eagles climbed to their highest ranking of the season on February 1 when the team moved to No. 20. This season Boston College was ranked in both the preseason Associated Press (No. 19) and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls (No. 21) for the first time in school history.
EAGLES IN THE POLLS
| Week | Associated Press | ESPN/USA Today | ||
| Preseason | No. 19 | No. 21 | ||
| Nov. 15 | No. 20 | --------- | ||
| Nov. 22 | No. 18 | No. 18 |
SEASON OPENERS: Boston College is 18-10 in season openers (home openers: 12-5, away openers: 6-3, neutral openers: 0-2). The Eagles have won the first game of the season the past three years. On November 15, Boston College topped Maine in Orono, 83-56, in the first round of the Preseason WNIT. The last time that Boston College lost a season-opener was at the Reebok Classic on November 24, 1996, when the Eagles lost to Connecticut, 76-38, at the FleetCenter.
EXHIBITION ACTION: The Eagles lost their exhibition game to the Australian Institute of Sport, 91-86, on November 6. Four players scored in double figures for the Australian team that shot 52.5 percent and outrebounded the Eagles, 39-30. Guard Jessica Mahony led AIS with 18 points, as the squad outscored Boston College, 47-39, in the second half for the victory.
The Eagles shot 60 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range, to lead the Australian team, 47-44, at halftime. Boston College added to its lead in the opening minutes of the second half and led AIS, 52-46, with 18:24 left in the game. Mahoney scored 10 points in the 19-11 AIS run and her layup at the 10:48 mark gave Australia a 65-63 lead. The visiting team built their lead to 14 points, before Boston College rallied with 1:58 left in the game. The Eagles scored 13 points in the closing minute to narrow the AIS margin of victory to 91-86.
Four Eagles scored in double figures, led by captain Cal Bouchard's 28 points. The senior guard connected on 10-of-15 shots from the field, including seven three-pointers in her first collegiate game since suffering a season-ending knee injury on January 10. Alissa Murphy scored 21 points and led the team with six assists. The senior guard was perfect from the line, connecting on all 10 free throw attempts. Junior center Jamie Cournoyer netted 13 points and sophomore Becky Gottstein added 10 points and led the Eagles with nine rebounds.
HEAD COACH CATHY INGLESE: Head coach Cathy Inglese is currently in her seventh season at the helm of the Boston College women's basketball program. Inglese arrived at Boston College in 1993 after serving as the head coach at the University of Vermont for seven seasons. In seven seasons at BC she has registered a record of 89-83, and has a career record of 209-157. Inglese led the 1998-99 team to a 22-8 record, the most successful in school history, and was voted BIG EAST Conference Coach of the Year. During her stint at Vermont, she became the winningest college basketball coach in the nation over the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons. Inglese's teams were undefeated in regular-season play in both 1991-92 (29-0) and 1992-93 (28-0), and became the only Division I men's or women's team to have back-to-back perfect records. She earned District I Coach of the Year and North Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, and was a National Coach of the Year finalist all three years. A 1980 magna cum laude graduate of Southern Connecticut State College, Inglese was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.
Inglese's Record
| Boston College Record (7 Years) | 89-83 |
| Career Record (14 Years) | 209-157 |
| BIG EAST Regular Season Record (6 Years) | 55-53 |
| BIG EAST Tournament Record (6 Years) | 3-6 |
| BIG EAST Overall Record (6 Years) | 58-59 |
| NCAA Record (3 appearances) | 1-3 |
PRESEASON ACCOLADES: Boston College was ranked in both the preseason Associated Press (No. 19) and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls (No. 21) for the first time in school history. The Eagles were also recognized among the national leaders in a number of preseason publications. Listed below is a list of the national preseason polls:
| Street & Smith's: | No. 15 | |
| Lindy's College Basketball Annual: | No. 15 | |
| Basketball News: | No. 17 | |
| Athlon Sports: | No. 20 | |
| Women's Basketball News Service: | No. 22 |
LEAGUE POLL: Boston College was selected to finish fourth in the BIG EAST Conference in a preseason poll of the league's head coaches. The University of Connecticut was selected to win the 1999-2000 BIG EAST regular season title, followed by Rutgers and Notre Dame. Rounding out the top five were the Eagles and Georgetown. Connecticut received 10 first-place votes and Rutgers earned the remaining three first-place votes.
1999-2000 BIG EAST Coaches' Preseason Poll
| 1. Connecticut (10) | 142 | |
| 2. Rutgers (3) | 135 | |
| 3. Notre Dame | 121 | |
| 4. Boston College | 112 | |
| 5. Georgetown | 90 | |
| 6. Villanova | 86 | |
| 7. Miami | 79 | |
| 8. Syracuse | 59 | |
| 9. St. John's | 46 | |
| 10. Pittsburgh | 44 | |
| 11. Seton Hall | 39 | |
| 12. Providence | 38 | |
| 13. West Virginia | 23 | |
| ( ) First Place votes |
CAREER CHARTS: Cal Bouchard is currently second on the Boston College career list for three-point field goals made (128) and third on the career list for three-point field goals attempted (318). The senior guard is also eighth in career free throws made (231) and eighth in free throws attempted (306). Alissa Murphy is currently eighth on the three-point field goals made list (61) and three-point field goals attempted list (162). She is third in free throws (308) and sixth in free throws attempted (360).
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR: A number of Eagles gained international playing experience this past summer. Cal Bouchard competed as a member of the Canadian team at the Pan Am games and was voted team captain of the squad that won the silver medal. The senior guard competed as a member of the Canadian National Team during the summers following her freshman and sophomore seasons. Sophomore forward Kim Mackie also competed for Canada during the summer, playing at the World University games. Jamie Cournoyer represented Boston College on the 1999 BIG EAST/Nike All-Star Team that toured Belgium and Germany (May 29-June 8). The junior center averaged 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in the five games.
SUMMER TOUR: Cathy Inglese led the 1999 BIG EAST/Nike All-Star Team on a five-game tour of Belgium and Germany, May 29-June 8. In addition to Inglese, Boston College assistant coaches Kelly Cole and Bill Gould, and trainer Donna Bennett accompanied the team. The team finished with a 4-1 overall record.
Women's Basketball Polls Associated Press (Media) (November 22, 1999)
| 1. | Connecticut | (votes) 1085 | |
| 2. | Louisiana Tech | 1037 | |
| 3. | Georgia | 1015 | |
| 4. | UCLA | 954 | |
| 5. | Tennessee | 944 | |
| 6. | Notre Dame | 812 | |
| 7. | N.C. State | 801 | |
| 8. | Rutgers | 698 | |
| 9. | Penn State | 692 | |
| 10. | North Carolina | 668 | |
| 11. | Auburn | 625 | |
| 12. | Santa Barbara | 620 | |
| 13. | Iowa State | 611 | |
| 14. | Old Dominion | 396 | |
| 15. | Illinois | 381 | |
| 16. | Oregon | 372 | |
| 17. | Texas Tech | 344 | |
| 18. | BOSTON COLLEGE | 326 | |
| 19. | Kansas | 281 | |
| 20. | Purdue | 258 | |
| 21. | Virginia Tech | 249 | |
| 22. | LSU | 241 | |
| 23. | Stanford | 239 | |
| 24. | Arizona | 184 | |
| 25. | Wisconsin | 113 | |
ESPN/USA Today (Coaches) (November 23, 1999)
| 1. | Connecticut | (votes) 980 | |||
| 2. | Louisiana Tech | 945 | |||
| 3. | Georgia | 891 | |||
| 4. | UCLA | 875 | |||
| 5. | Tennessee | 856 | |||
| 6. | Notre Dame | 649 | |||
| 7. | Rutgers | 646 | |||
| 8. | Penn State | 639 | |||
| 9. | N.C. State | 589 | |||
| 10. | UC-Santa Barbara | 570 | |||
| 11. | North Carolina | 562 | |||
| 12. | Auburn | 546 | |||
| 13. | Iowa State | 508 | |||
| 14. | Oregon | 381 | |||
| 15. | Illinois | 377 | |||
| 16. | Old Dominion | 370 | |||
| 17. | Texas Tech | 298 | |||
| 18. | BOSTON COLLEGE | 297 | |||
| 19. | Purdue | 266 | |||
| 20. | Virginia Tech | 249 | |||
| 21. | Kansas | 217 | |||
| 22. | Stanford | 212 | |||
| 23. | Arizona | 202 | |||
| 24. | LSU | 189 | |||
| 25. | Duke | 103 |
RECORD OF BC STARTING LINEUPS:
Bouchard, Stepherson, Murphy, Cournoyer, Gottstein 3-2
CONSECUTIVE STARTS
| Alissa Murphy | 35 games | ||
| Brianne Stepherson | 20 games | ||
| Becky Gottstein | 6 games | ||
| Jamie Cournoyer | 5 games | ||
| Cal Bouchard | 5 games |
EAGLES RECORD WHEN...
| Leading at the half: | 3-0 |
| Trailing at the half: | 0-1 |
| Tied at the half: | 0-1 |
| BC leads with 5:00 remaining: | 3-1 |
| BC trails with 5:00 remaining: | 0-1 |
| Score tied with 5:00 remaining: | 0-0 |
| BC outrebounds opponent: | 2-1 |
| Opponent outrebounds BC: | 1-1 |
| BC FG% is 50.0 or higher: | 1-0 |
| BC FG% is below 50.0: | 2-2 |
| BC has more FT attempts than opponent: | 2-1 |
| BC has fewer FT attempts than opponent: | 1-1 |
| BC has equal FT attempts as opponent: | 0-0 |
| BC has more turnovers than opponent: | 0-2 |
| BC has fewer turnovers than opponent: | 2-0 |
| BC has equal turnovers as opponent: | 1-0 |
| BC has more fouls than opponent | 1-1 |
| BC has fewer fouls than opponent | 2-1 |
| BC has equal fouls as opponent | 0-0 |
| BC scores more than 80 points: | 2-0 |
| BC scores 70-79 points: | 1-1 |
| BC scores 60-69 points: | 0-0 |
| BC scores fewer than 60 points: | 0-1 |
| BC allows more than 80 points: | 0-0 |
| BC allows 70-79 points: | 1-2 |
| BC allows 60-69 points: | 0-0 |
| BC allows fewer than 60 points: | 2-0 |
EAGLES BY THE NUMBERS...
| Overall: | 3-2 | |
| Home Games: | 1-0 | |
| Road Games: | 2-1 | |
| Neutral Games: | 0-1 | |
| Tournament Games: | 2-2 | |
| vs. a Top 5 Opponent: | 0-1 | |
| vs. a Top 10 Opponent: | 0-0 | |
| vs. a Top 25 Opponent: | 1-1 | |
| BIG EAST Games: | 0-0 | |
| BIG EAST Home Games: | 0-0 | |
| BIG EAST Road Games: | 0-0 | |
| BIG EAST Neutral Games: | 0-0 | |
| Non BIG EAST Games: | 3-2 | |
| Non BIG EAST Home Games: | 1-0 | |
| Non BIG EAST Away Games: | 2-1 | |
| Non BIG EAST Neutral Games: | 0-1 | |
| Day Games: | 0-1 | |
| Night Games: | 3-1 | |
| November Games: | 3-2 | |
| December Games: | 0-0 | |
| January Games: | 0-0 | |
| February Games: | 0-0 | |
| Overtime Games: | 0-0 | |
| Television Games: | 0-0 | |
| vs. Ranked Teams: | 1-2 |
INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS
Led Team In Scoring
Cal Bouchard (1 game )
Jamie Cournoyer (1 game, 1 tie for the lead)
Becky Gottstein (1 game, 1 tie for the lead)
Brianne Stepherson (1 game)
Led Team In Rebounding
Becky Gottstein (3 games, 1 tie for the lead)
Alissa Murphy (1 game)
Adriana Spears (1 tie for lead)
Led Team In Assists
Becky Gottstein (1 tie for the lead)
Alissa Murphy (1 game, 1 tie for the lead)
Brianne Stepherson (3 games, 1 tie for the lead)
Led Team In Steals
Cal Bouchard (1 tie for the lead)
Nicole Conway (1 tie for the lead)
Kim Mackie (1 game)
Alissa Murphy (2 games, 1 tie for the lead)
Alicia Shields (1 tie for the lead)
20+ Games
Cal Bouchard (2 games)
Jamie Cournoyer (1 game)
PRODUCTION BREAKDOWN
| Points | Rebounds | |
| Opponent (Date) | Starters/Reserves | Starters/Reserves |
| Maine (11/15/99) | 75/8 | 30/8 |
| Duke (11/17/99) | 73/4 | 30/6 |
| Davidson (11/19/99) | 62/24 | 20/17 |
| Georgia (11/21/99) | 60/10 | 24/10 |
| Illinois (11/22/99) | 39/3 | 28/10 |
