Boston College Athletics
Boston College Hosts Seton Hall
June 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
January 7, 1999
DATE: Thursday, January 7, 1999
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
SITE: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
ARENA: Silvio O. Conte Forum (8,606)
RECORDS: Boston College enters Thursday's game with an 11-1 overall record and a 3-1 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. The Eagles currently have a five-game winning streak and are ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press poll and No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN poll. Boston College opened the season with six consecutive victories, marking the best start in school history. The Eagles' only loss was on December 5 at Miami, when the Hurricanes defeated the Eagles, 65-57, in the conference opener. Seton Hall enters Thursday's game with a 4-8 overall record and a 1-3 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. The last victory for the Pirates was on December 30 when Seton Hall defeated Syracuse, 83-76. Seton Hall currently has a two-game losing streak.
COACHES: Cathy Inglese (Southern Connecticut '80), currently in her sixth season at Boston College, has a record of 75-74 with the Eagles. Inglese's overall coaching record is 195-148 in 13 years. She is assisted by Pam Borton, Kelly Cole, and Bill Gould. Phyllis Mangina (Seton Hall '81) is currently in her 14th season as the head coach at Seton Hall, where she has led the Pirates to a 201-186 record. She is assisted by Rhonda Singleton and Lori Gear.
EAGLES vs. PIRATES: Thursday's game will mark the 30th meeting between Boston College and Seton Hall. The Pirates lead the series, 17-12. The Eagles defeated the Pirates, 65-42, on February 11, 1998 at Chestnut Hill, in their only meeting last year. The last victory for Seton Hall in the series was on February 8, 1997, when the Pirates defeated Boston College, 74-60, in Chestnut Hill.
LAST MEETING (2/11/98): Junior center Whitney Steele scored 19 points to lead Boston College to a 65-42 victory over Seton Hall on February 11, 1998 at Conte Forum.
Boston College was in control from the beginning, running up a 10-2 lead in the first five minutes. Junior forward Paula Bacso scored all of her 15 points in the first half, and Steele added 10 in the first 20 minutes. The Eagles took their largest lead of the first half, 36-12, on a jumper by Kim Beezer at 4:33, en route to a 38-19 halftime lead.
Seton Hall made a run at the start of the second half, outscoring the Eagles, 8-2, with six points from Danielle Golay, and cut the deficit to 43-27 with 14:59 left. Boston College increased its lead to 50-29 at 11:08 as sophomore guard Cal Bouchard hit the first of her three three-point field goals in the half. Boston College maintained control the rest of the game, holding a margin of 20 or more points.
Bouchard finished with 11 points for Boston College and senior guard Aimee McGuire added five points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Boston College outrebounded the Pirates, 47-23.
PROBABLE BOSTON COLLEGE STARTERS
F #54 Becky Gottstein (6-1, Fr., 7.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg)
F #44 Paula Bacso (6-1, Sr., 7.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
C #32 Whitney Steele (6-4, Sr., 14.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
G # 5 Cal Bouchard (5-7, Jr., 13.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
G #12 Alissa Murphy (5-10, Jr., 14.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
OFF THE EAGLES' BENCH
G #11 Brianne Stepherson (5-8, Fr., 9.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
G # 4 Danielle O'Banion (5-7, So., 2.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg)
C #20 Jamie Cournoyer (6-3, So., 3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
G #24 Nicole Conway (5-11, Fr., 4.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
F #50 Kim Mackie (6-3, Fr., 2.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
LAST GAME: In its first appearance as a nationally ranked team, No. 25 Boston College used a career-high 20 points from junior Alissa Murphy to capture a 76-62 win over Syracuse on January 5. The Eagles improved their winning streak to five games. Freshman Becky Gottstein tallied her second consecutive double-double, scoring 16 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Junior guard Cal Bouchard and senior center Whitney Steele each added 14 points for the Eagles. Syracuse played a tough first half, matching the Eagles shot for shot. The Orangewomen led 19-18 with 8:30 left in the first half. Their final lead of the game came at the 6:30 mark in the first period, as Jamie James' three-pointer gave Syracuse a 25-24 lead. Steele's layup gave Boston College a 26-25 advantage, and the Eagles never trailed in the contest again. The Eagles increased their lead to as much as 11, leading 43-32 with 1:11 left in the first half. The two teams entered the locker room with Boston College leading, 43-34. In the second half, Syracuse scored the first five points to cut the Eagle lead to 43-39. But Boston College went on a 14-4 run to take a 57-43 advantage with 9:42 left in the game. Syracuse cut the deficit to 61-56 with 5:01 left, but were never able to overtake Boston College, as Bouchard nailed two three pointers and two free throws within the final four minutes to seal the victory. The win marked the second victory for the Eagles on their four game homestand.
WINNING STREAK: The Eagles currently have a five-game winning streak that started on December 8 with an 81-72 victory at West Virginia. Boston College's longest winning streak this season was six games that marked the best start in school history. Miami snapped that streak with a 65-57 win over the Eagles on December 5.
EAGLES BREAK INTO TOP 25: Boston College enters Thursday's game ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press poll and No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. The national ranking marks the first time in school history that the Eagles have appeared among the Top 25 in the polls. Boston College received votes earlier in the season in both polls, but finally moved into the Top 25 following the 78-65 victory over No. 7 Notre Dame.
Eagles In The 1998-99 Polls
AP USA Today/ESPN
Preseason ----- 4 votes
Nov. 29 1 vote 21 votes
Dec. 21 ----- 8 votes
Dec. 28 ----- 17 votes
Jan. 4 No. 25 No. 24
EAGLES VS. RANKED OPPONENTS: This season the Eagles are 1-0 against ranked teams. The victory over No. 7 Notre Dame on December 30 marked only the third time in school history that the women's basketball program defeated a ranked team. The victory also marked the first ever for the Eagles over an opponent ranked in the top 10. Boston College's first win ever over a ranked opponent was on January 4, 1995, when the Eagles defeated No. 20 Seton Hall, 53-49. A year ago, the Eagles defeated No. 25 Texas, 82-68, at the Reebok Classic on November 23, 1997.
GOTTSTEIN NAMED ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Becky Gottstein was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on January 4, marking the second time she has won the honor since making her first career start on December 19. The freshman forward registered the second double-double of her career in the 78-65 win over No. 7 Notre Dame on December 30. Gottstein netted 12 points and pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds in 27 minutes against the Fighting Irish.
Gottstein was also named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on December 21, after scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the 73-68 victory over the University of San Diego. In her first collegiate start, the freshman forward connected on nine-of-11 field goals to record her first career double-double.
BALANCED SCORING: Boston College has had at least four players score in double figures in each of the last seven games. Three players are averaging double figures in scoring, led by Alissa Murphy's 14.8 points per game. Senior Whitney Steele is second in scoring with 14.7 points per game and Cal Bouchard is averaging 13.0 points.
STEPHERSON MISSES SYRACUSE GAME: Brianne Stepherson was sidelined for the game against Syracuse on January 5 with a virus. The freshman point guard had started all 11 games before missing Tuesday's contest, and her status for the Seton Hall game is doubtful.
GOTTSTEIN'S THIRD DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Becky Gottstein registered her third double-double of the season in the 76-62 victory over Syracuse on January 5. The freshman forward scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in the victory over the Orangewomen. Gottstein has recorded three double-doubles in the four games that she has started. Tuesday's performance marked her second consecutive double-double.
BACSO RETURNS FROM INJURY: Paula Bacso missed the games at the University of San Diego and San Diego State due to an injury to her right foot. The senior forward injured her foot in the practice prior to the trip to California, but returned against Notre Dame on December 30. Bacso scored 10 points (3-4 FG, 4-5 FT) and added two assists, one steal, and one rebound in 15 minutes against the Fighting Irish.
HOME SWEET HOME: Boston College has won eight consecutive games at Silvio O. Conte Forum, including the final three home games of the 1997-98 season. The Eagles have defeated the University of Massachusetts (72-66), Toledo (72-69), St. Joseph's (72-68), Notre Dame (78-65), and Syracuse (76-62) in the games at Conte Forum this season. The last time that the Eagles lost in Chestnut Hill was to Villanova (48-35) on January 31, 1998.
EAGLE CAPTAINS: Senior Paula Bacso and junior Cal Bouchard will serve as the captains for the Boston College women's basketball team during the 1998-99 campaign.
MURPHY'S JERSEY RETIRED: Boston College's trip to San Diego on December 17 marked junior Alissa Murphy's return to her hometown and was also the scene for a ceremony at Scripps Ranch High School. The school recognized Murphy's basketball accomplishments with the retirement of her No. 24 jersey in a ceremony on December 18. Murphy scored 2,826 points during her high school career at Scripps Ranch, and is second all-time in scoring in San Diego county.
BEST START: The Eagles opened the season with six consecutive victories, marking the best start in school history. Boston College had never opened the season with six consecutive wins, but started 3-0 three times (1984-85, 1985-86, 1997-98). A year ago, Boston College opened the season with a 5-1 record in the first six games and finished 17-11 overall.
LONGEST WINNING STREAK: The Eagles' six consecutive victories at the beginning of the season tied the longest winning streak in school history. Boston College also won six consecutive games during the month of January 1997. That streak began with a 79-66 win at Seton Hall on January 9, 1997 and came to an end on January 30, when No. 1 Connecticut defeated Boston College, 60-39, in Storrs.
PERFECT NON-CONFERENCE RECORD: The Eagles registered a perfect 8-0 record against non-league opponents this season. A year ago, Boston College finished with a 5-3 record against non-conference opponents.
BIG EAST ACTION: The Eagles currently have a 3-1 record in BIG EAST Conference play. Boston College opened the 1998-99 conference schedule with a 65-57 loss at Miami on December 5, marking the first time that the Eagles had lost their league opener since the 1996-97 season. Boston College was selected to finish fourth in a pre-season poll of the league's head coaches. A year ago, the Eagles opened conference play with three consecutive victories before losing at Villanova, 50-49, on January 3.
BOOTH OUT FOR SEASON: Allison Booth played in the first exhibition game on November 4, but will miss the remainder of the season due to continued knee problems. The senior center's collegiate career has been limited due to a number of knee injuries.
Booth had knee surgery following her freshman year, and missed the first 11 games of her sophomore season. She returned for only seven games that season before she was sidelined for the rest of the year once against with a knee injury.
Last year, she played in 27 games and averaged 6.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
HEAD COACH CATHY INGLESE: Head coach Cathy Inglese is currently in her sixth 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 six seasons she has registered a record of 75-74, and has a career record of 195-148. 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 (6 Years) 75-74 Career Record (13 Years) 195-148 BIG EAST Regular Season Record (5 Years) 46-48 BIG EAST Tournament Record (5 Years) 2-5 BIG EAST Overall Record (5 Years) 48-53 NCAA Record (2 appearances) 0-2
BACKCOURT: The backcourt tandem of junior co-captain Cal Bouchard and freshman point guard Brianne Stepherson have started 10 of the 12 games for the Eagles this season. Bouchard, who is third on the team in scoring with 13.0 points per game, did not play at Holy Cross on November 19 due to a concussion suffered prior to the game. The junior has scored in double figures in eight games, and netted a season-high 18 points in the victory over Toledo on November 27. Bouchard was named to the pre-season All-BIG EAST First Team. Stepherson did not play against Syracuse on January 5 because she was sidelined with a virus. She started the first 11 games and is fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 9.5 points per game. The freshman point guard's top performance of the season was at Holy Cross when she netted 14 points, including eight-of-11 from the line, and handed out six assists.
FRONTCOURT: Seniors Paula Bacso and Whitney Steele, and junior Alissa Murphy have started nine of the 12 games for the Eagles. Bacso missed the games against the University of San Diego and San Diego State with an injury to her right foot, and freshman Becky Gottstein replaced the senior forward in the Eagles' frontcourt. Gottstein has started in the frontcourt in the last four games. Steele is second on the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game and is averaging 5.6 rebounds. The senior center registered the fourth double-double of her career at Holy Cross on November 19, scoring 23 points and grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds. Bacso is sixth on the team in scoring with 7.9 points and fifth in rebounding with 4.1 rebounds per game. The senior forward tied her career-high of 18 points, and grabbed seven rebounds in the win over Michigan State at the Reebok Classic.
Murphy leads Boston College in scoring with 14.8 points per game. The junior forward also leads the Eagles in three-point field goal percentage (36.7), connecting on 11-of-30 attempts. Murphy is the only Eagle to score in double figures in all 12 games. Gottstein has registered three double-doubles in the four games that she has started for the Eagles and has been named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week twice. In the victory over Syracuse on January 5, Gottstein scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to register her second consecutive double-double. The freshman forward netted 12 points and pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds in the victory over Notre Dame on December 30. Her first double-double was on December 19 against the University of San Diego when she scored 20 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. The freshman forward is currently leading Boston College in rebounding with an average of 7.4, and is averaging 7.7 points per game.
OFF THE BENCH: Four players off the bench have played key roles in the Eagles' success this season. Jamie Cournoyer has played in 11 games, and started the second contest at Holy Cross on November 19. The sophomore center is averaging 3.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 10.4 minutes in the Eagles' frontcourt. Freshman Nicole Conway has made an immediate impact in her first season at Boston College. Conway has played in 10 games and is averaging 11.2 minutes, 4.0 points, and 1.5 rebounds per game. The freshman guard netted a season-high 10 points and pulled down a season-high six rebounds in 17 minutes at Miami on December 5. Danielle O'Banion has played in all 12 games and is averaging 12.1 minutes. The sophomore guard is averaging 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds. Freshman Kim Mackie has played in three games and is averaging 2.0 points and 2.7 rebounds. The freshman forward played 21 minutes at San Diego State and scored four points and pulled down seven rebounds.
EAGLE EXPERIENCE: The Eagles have three returning starters (Cal Bouchard, Paula Bacso, and Whitney Steele), including two All-BIG EAST Conference selections, from last year's team that finished with a 17-11 overall record and an 11-7 league mark. The Eagles lost only two players from a team that led the nation in three-point field goal percentage (41 percent, 119-290) and finished sixth in free throw percentage (75.2 percent, 466-620) a year ago. Bouchard was named to the All-BIG EAST First-Team and Steele earned All-BIG EAST Third-Team honors.
OVERTIME: The victory over Michigan State in the Reebok Classic was the first overtime game for the Eagles since losing to Alabama, 79-70, on December 28, 1997 at the Corestates Hawk Classic in Philadelphia. Boston College has an all-time record of 5-5 in overtime games.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Senior Whitney Steele and freshman Becky Gottstein have each registered double figures in both scoring and rebounding in a single game this season. Gottstein has registered three double-doubles in the four games that she has started for the Eagles. In the victory over Syracuse on January 5, she scored 16 points and recorded 12 rebounds. The freshman forward netted 12 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds in the victory over Notre Dame on December 30. Her first double-double was on December 19 against the University of San Diego when she scored a career-high 20 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. Steele led the Eagles to a victory against Holy Cross on November 19, grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds and scoring 23 points. The senior center pulled down 13 defensive rebounds and also had two blocked shots in the victory. Steele's double-double was the fourth of her career.
UP NEXT: Following the game against Seton Hall, Boston College will host Georgetown on January 10 at 2:00 p.m.
CAREER CHARTS: Cal Bouchard is currently second on the Boston College career list for three-point field goals made (112) and third on the career list for three-point field goals attempted (291). The junior guard is also eighth in career free throws made (222) and seventh in free throws attempted (296).
Boston College Career Records
3-PT Field Goals Made 1. 133 Ann Odoy (1984-88) 2. 112 Cal Bouchard (1996-) 3. 103 Sarah Behn (1989-93) 4. 100 Kerry Curran (1990-94) 5. 99 Joanie Gallagher (1991-95) 6. 86 Aimee McGuire (1994-1998) 7. 76 Mandy West (1995-97) 8. 50 Amy LaComb (1986-90)3-PT Field Goals Attempted 1. 342 Ann Odoy (1984-88) 2. 321 Joanie Gallagher (1991-95) 3. 291 Cal Bouchard (1996-) 4. 248 Sarah Behn (1989-93) 5. 229 Aimee McGuire (1994-98) 6. 226 Mandy West (1995-97) 7. 186 Kerry Curran (1990-94) 8. 138 Amy LaComb (1986-90)
FOURTH IN BIG EAST POLL: The Boston College women's basketball team was selected to finish fourth in the BIG EAST in a preseason poll of the league's head coaches. The University of Connecticut was selected to finish first in the league, followed by Rutgers University, Notre Dame, and the Eagles.
1998-99 BIG EAST Coaches' Preseason Poll
1. Connecticut (9) 141
2. Rutgers (4) 136
3. Notre Dame 120
4. Boston College 108
5. Villanova 95
6. Miami 83
7. Georgetown 68
8. Syracuse 63
West Virginia 63
10. Providence 48
11. St. John's 32
12. Seton Hall 30
13. Pittsburgh 26
( ) First Place votes
PRE-SEASON HONORS: Cal Bouchard was named to the preseason All-BIG EAST First Team and Whitney Steele earned preseason All-BIG EAST second team honors in a vote of the league's head coaches. An All-BIG EAST First Team selection a year ago, Bouchard led the team in scoring with an average of 16.0 points per game. The junior guard earned BIG EAST Player of the Week honors twice last season. Bouchard led the BIG EAST in three-point field goal percentage and finished 11th in the nation (45.1), connecting on 55-of-122 attempts. Steele earned All-BIG EAST Third Team honors a year ago. The senior center led the Eagles in rebounding with an average of 6.0, and was second on the team in scoring with 14.1 points per game. Steele scored in double figures in 23 games and was sixth in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage, connecting on 48.1 percent (164-341) from the field.
