Boston College Athletics
Women's Basketball Stays Home To Take On LaSalle
December 22, 1999 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 22, 1999
BOSTON COLLEGE (8-3, 1-0 BIG EAST)
vs. LASALLE (5-4, 0-1 Atlantic 10)
Wednesday, December 22, 1999
1:00 p.m.
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Silvio O. Conte Forum (8,606)
RECORDS: Boston College enters Wednesday's game with an 8-3 overall record and is currently ranked No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The Eagles received 27 votes in the Associated Press poll, marking the third week out of the Top 25 after being ranked for four weeks. Boston College is 1-0 in BIG EAST Conference action after defeating Villanova (65-55) on December 8. LaSalle enters the game with a 5-4 record. The Explorers defeated Fairleigh Dickinson (69-59) on Monday night, breaking a four-game losing streak.
The Eagles are 5-0 in games at Conte Forum, after defeating Northwestern (86-55) on December 19. Boston College played six of its first seven games on the road, faced three teams ranked among the Top 25, and registered a 3-3 record. LaSalle opened the season with four consecutive wins, but lost its next four games. The teams have one common opponent this season. LaSalle defeated Villanova (75-65) on December 1.
EAGLES vs. EXPLORERS: Wednesday's game will mark the first meeting in the series between LaSalle and Boston College.
EAGLES vs. ATLANTIC 10: Boston College has an 8-4 record against teams in the Atlantic 10, including a 1-0 mark this season. The Eagles defeated the University of Massachusetts (60-45) on November 27 and have a 4-2 overall record against the Minutewomen. Boston College is undefeated against Dayton (1-0), Rhode Island (2-0), and St. Joseph's (1-0). The Eagles have a losing record against George Washington (0-1) and Virginia Tech (0-1).
SCOUTING LASALLE: The Explorers enter Wednesday's game with a 5-4 record, and an 0-1 mark in the Atlantic 10. LaSalle opened the season with four wins, but dropped to 4-4 following a four-game losing streak. The Explorers defeated Fairleigh Dickinson (69-59) on Monday. Four players are averaging double figures in scoring for LaSalle, led by sophomore guard Suzanne Keilty's 13.1 points per game. Junior guard Jen Zenzer is averaging 12.0 points per game, followed by juniors Shannon McDade (11.3) and Marjorie Rhoads (10.0.) McDade leads the team in rebounding with 7.9 per game.
PROBABLE BOSTON COLLEGE STARTERS
F #54 Becky Gottstein (6-1, So., 13.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg) F #12 Alissa Murphy (5-10, Sr., 12.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg) C #20 Jamie Cournoyer (6-3, Jr., 9.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) G #11 Brianne Stepherson (5-8, So., 7.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) G #5 Cal Bouchard (5-7, Sr., 15.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg)OFF THE EAGLES' BENCH F #50 Kim Mackie (6-3, So., 6.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg) G #24 Nicole Conway (5-11, So., 3.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg) G #04 Danielle O'Banion (5-7, Jr., 3.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg) G #34 Alicia Shields (5-9, Fr., 1.7 ppg, 0.4 rpg) F #35 Adriana Spears (6-1, Fr., 1.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg) F #42 Maureen Magarity (6-2, Fr., 1.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg) F #22 Tish Few (5-10, Sr., 0.0 ppg, 0.8 rpg)
BOSTON COLLEGE vs. LASALLE
Statistical Comparison
Boston College LaSalle Points Per Game 73.5 67.9 Opponents Points Per Game 62.5 66.8 Field Goals 45.4 (294-647) 42.8 (197-460) Opponents Field Goals 38.6 (243-630) 38.6 (194-502) Free Throws 77.4 (168-217) 65.5 (114-174) Opponents Free Throws 70.0 (152-217) 67.9 (65-113) 3-pt. Field Goals 38.0 (52-137) 35.4 (35-99) Opp. 3-pt. Field Goals 31.2 (49-157) 27.6 (40-145) Rebounds 39.4 37.0 Opponents Rebounds 33.1 41.4 Assists 14.2 13.0 Opponents Assists 11.6 15.0 Turnovers 18.6 18.1 Opponents Turnovers 18.6 19.1
LAST GAME: Cal Bouchard scored a season-high 25 points to lead Boston College to a 86-55 victory over Northwestern University at Conte Forum. Five Eagles scored in double figures in the win as Boston College improved to 8-3 overall.
Northwestern jumped out to an early 7-4 lead, but the Eagles went on a 14-4 run, and Bouchard's three-point field goal with 8:34 remaining in the first half gave Boston College an 18-11 advantage. The Eagles extended their lead to 11-points with 6:12 remaining in the first half. Northwestern rallied and cut the Boston College lead to 30-27 on a three-pointer by Emily Butler with 14 seconds left in the half. Kim Mackie's layup in the closing seconds gave Boston College a 32-27 lead at halftime. Bouchard connected on four-of-five attempts from the field, including all three from three-point range, to lead the Eagles with 11 points in the first half.
Boston College opened the second half with an 11-4 run in the first five minutes, and Becky Gottstein's jumper at the 15:44 mark gave the Eagles a 43-31 lead. The Eagles held Northwestern scoreless for three minutes while increasing the lead to 20 points with 12:30 left in the game. Boston College shot 61.5 percent from the field in the second half as the Eagles outscored Northwestern, 54-28, for the victory. Sophomore Nicole Conway scored a season-high 12 points and pulled down five rebounds for the Eagles, and guards Alissa Murphy and Brianne Stepherson each added 11 points. Sophomore center Jamie Cournoyer netted 10 points and led Boston College with seven rebounds. Northwestern was led by Leslie Schock's 15 points.
WEEKLY HONORS ONCE AGAIN: Boston College has produced a BIG EAST Player of the Week three of the five times this season that the honor has been awarded. Cal Bouchard was named BIG EAST Co-Player of the Week on December 20 after scoring a season-high 25 points in the 86-55 win over Northwestern on December 19. The senior captain connected on seven-of-10 attempts from the field, including all five three-point field goal attempts, and was perfect from the line, connecting on all six attempts. In 28 minutes of play, Bouchard did not commit any turnovers.
MISC. NOTES FROM NORTHWESTERN WIN: Nicole Conway scored a season-high 12 points...Jamie Cournoyer led the Eagles in rebounding as she tied her season-high of seven in the victory...Cal Bouchard's 25-point performance marked her sixth consecutive game scoring in double figures ...Brianne Stepherson netted 11 points, marking the first time that she had scored in double figures since Nov. 19 against Davidson.
CHARITY STRIPE: Boston College is currently leading the BIG EAST Conference in free throw percentage (77.4), and is fourth in the nation, after connecting on 168-of-217 attempts from the line. Cal Bouchard leads the team in free throw percentage (92.9), followed by Alissa Murphy (87.8) and Jamie Cournoyer (82.1).
Bouchard has been perfect from the line in seven games, including the last three contests. Murphy has been perfect from the line in six games, including 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.
NCAA STAT LEADERS: Alissa Murphy was listed among the nation's statistical leaders through games of December 13. The senior guard was 14th in free throw percentage (92.7), after connecting on 38-of-41. Boston College was fourth in the nation in free throw percentage (78.2).
HOME SWEET HOME: The Eagles are 5-0 in games played at Conte Forum this season after defeating Davidson (86-54), Kent State (83-70), Villanova (65-55), Dartmouth (88-52), and Northwestern (86-55), and currently have a seven-game home winning streak. Boston College's streak dates back to February 17, 1999, when the Eagles defeated Villanova (64-39). Wednesday's game marks Boston College's fifth consecutive game at home after playing six of its first seven games on the road.
A year ago, Boston College finished the season with an 11-2 record in games played at home. The Eagles had a 10-game home winning streak snapped with the 66-53 loss to Miami on January 16, 1999. Boston College's other loss at home was on February 6, 1999 to No. 12 Rutgers (71-52). The 10-game winning streak included the final three home contests of the 1997-98 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.
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 94-84, and has a career record of 214-158. 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) 94-84 Career Record (14 Years) 214-158 BIG EAST Regular Season Record (6 Years) 56-53 BIG EAST Tournament Record (6 Years) 3-6 BIG EAST Overall Record (6 Years) 59-59 NCAA Record (3 appearances) 1-3
GOTTSTEIN HOT IN DECEMBER: Becky Gottstein averaged 22.0 points and 13.3 rebounds in the first three games of December. The junior forward pumped in a career-high 26 points and tied her career-high of 16 rebounds in the win over Kent State on December 4. Gottstein followed that performance with 23 points and 15 rebounds against Villanova on December 8. In the victory over Villanova, she shot 72.7 percent (8-11) from the field and was a perfect seven-of-seven from the line. Gottstein registered 17 points and nine rebounds in 32 minutes against Dartmouth.
BALANCED SCORING: Three of the Boston College starters are currently averaging double figures in scoring. Senior Cal Bouchard leads the team with 15.7 points per game, followed by Becky Gottstein (13.6) and Alissa Murphy (12.9).
EAGLES IN THE POLLS: The Eagles are currently ranked No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today poll, but are not ranked in the Associated Press poll. Boston College received 27 votes in this week's AP poll.
On November 22, the Eagles were ranked No. 18 in both polls, 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 No Poll Nov. 22 No. 18 No. 18 Nov. 29 No. 24 No. 22 Dec. 6 26 votes No. 25 Dec. 12 30 votes No. 24 Dec. 20 27 votes No. 25
BIG EAST STAT LEADERS: A number of Eagles are listed among the statistical leaders in the BIG EAST Conference. Three starters were among the top 14 in scoring in the league through games of December 20. Cal Bouchard was fifth (15.7) in scoring, followed by Becky Gottstein (11th -13.6), and Alissa Murphy (14th- 12.9). Gottstein was second in rebounding with an average of 9.6. Bouchard leads the league in three-point field goal percentage (50.0) and three-point field goals made (2.82).
Eagles In the BIG EAST Statistics
(Through games of December 20)
TEAMScoring Offense 4th- 73.5 ppg Scoring Defense 7th- 62.5 ppg Scoring Margin 4th- +11.0 (73.5 off., 62.5 def.) FT Percentage 1st- 77.4 (168-217) FG Percentage 4th- 45.4 (294-647) FG Percentage Defense 7th- 38.6 (243-630) 3-pt. FG Percentage 4th- 38.0 (52-137) Rebounding Offense 7th- 39.4 rpg Rebounding Defense 2nd- 33.1 rpg Rebounding Margin 4th- +6.3 (BC Avg.- 39.4, Opp. Avg.- 33.1)
INDIVIDUAL
Scoring 5th- Cal Bouchard- 15.7 ppg 11th- Becky Gottstein- 13.6 ppg
Rebounding 2nd- Becky Gottstein- 9.6 rpg
Free Throw Percentage 3rd- Cal Bouchard- 92.9 (26-28) 4th- Alissa Murphy- 87.8 (43-49) 9th- Jamie Cournoyer- 82.1(23-28)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage 1st- Cal Bouchard- 50.0(31-62) 9th- Alissa Murphy- 40.5 (15-37)
3-Point FG Made 1st- Cal Bouchard- 2.82 avg.
Blocked Shots 5th- Jamie Cournoyer- 1.55 avg.
Offensive Rebounds 6th- Becky Gottstein- 3.0
Defensive Rebounds 3rd- Becky Gottstein- 6.64 avg.
EAGLES ON THE ROAD: The Eagles played six of their first seven games on the road, and faced three teams ranked among the Top 25. In a span of 15 days, Boston College traveled to Maine, North Carolina, Illinois, and Arkansas, and returned with a road record of 3-3. A year ago, the Eagles finished with a 9-5 record on the road.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Alissa Murphy, Becky Gottstein, and Kim Mackie have accounted for seven 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 added 10 rebounds in the victory over the Black Bears. Murphy recorded her second of the season against Dartmouth on December 12, with 23 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
Gottstein has recorded double-doubles in four games. The sophomore forward had 14 points and 11 rebounds against Georgia on November 21, and registered 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to Illinois on November 22. Gottstein registered consecutive double-doubles against Kent State on December 4 (26 pts. and 16 rebs) and Villanova (23 pts., 15 rebs) on December 8.
Mackie registered the first double-double of her career against Kent State with a career-high 17 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
1,000 POINTS: Alissa Murphy joined Cal Bouchard as a member of the 1,000-point club, after scoring a season-high 23 points in the victory over Dartmouth on December 12. Both seniors reached the 1,000-point plateau this season. Bouchard netted 11 points on November 19 against Davidson and became the 11th Boston College player to score 1,000 points.
FRONTCOURT DOMINATES: The trio of Becky Gottstein, Kim Mackie, and Alissa Murphy combined to score 32 of Boston College's 38 points in the first half of the 83-70 victory over Kent State on December 4. Both Gottstein and Mackie finished the game with double-doubles. Gottstein scored a career-high 26 points and tied her career-high of 16 rebounds to record her third double-double of the season and 10th of her career. Mackie netted a career-high 17 points and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds. Murphy tied her career-high of eight assists.
EAGLE CAPTAIN: Senior Cal Bouchard will serve as the captain for the Boston College women's basketball team during the 1999-2000 season.
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 18 points in the victory over Maine.
WEEKLY HONORS: Becky Gottstein has been named BIG EAST Co-Player of the Week twice this season. She earned her first award 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.
Gottstein was named BIG EAST Conference Co-Player of the Week on December 13. The sophomore forward averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds in Boston College's victories over Villanova and Dartmouth. Gottstein scored 23 points (8-11 FG, 7-7 FT) and grabbed 15 rebounds in the victory over Villanova and netted 17 points (8-14 FG, 1-1 FT) and pulled down nine rebounds in the win over Dartmouth.
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 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.
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.
1999-2000 BIG EAST Coaches' Preseason Poll
1. Connecticut 142 2. Rutgers 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
PRESEASON HONORS: Senior Alissa Murphy was selected to the 1999-2000 Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team in a vote of the league's head coaches. She was also recognized in a number of preseason publications. The senior guard was selected as a Second Team All-American by the Women's Basketball News Service and an Honorable Mention All-American by Street & Smith's College Basketball. Murphy led Boston College in scoring a year ago with an average of 16.0 points per game and earned the BIG EAST Most Improved Player Award.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team
Name Cl. Pos. Team Niele Ivey Sr. G Notre Dame Alissa Murphy Sr. G/F Boston College Katie Smrcka-Duffy Jr. G Georgetown Tammy Sutton-Brown Jr. C Rutgers Tamika Williams So. F Connecticut
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR: Two players 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. 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.
