Boston College Athletics
Women's Basketball Hosts Miami
June 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
January 15, 1999
# 21 AP/22 USA-ESPN BOSTON COLLEGE (13-2, 5-2 BIG EAST)
vs.
MIAMI (9-6, 4-3 BIG EAST)
DATE: Saturday, January 16, 1999
TIME: 2:00 p.m.
SITE: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
ARENA: Silvio O. Conte Forum (8,606)
RECORDS: Boston College enters Saturday's game with a 13-2 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. The Eagles had a seven-game winning streak snapped on January 13, with a 73-70 loss at Syracuse. Boston College is currently ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press poll and No. 22 in the USA Today/ESPN poll. The seven-game winning streak was the longest in school history. Boston College opened the season with six consecutive victories, marking the best start in school history. Both of Boston College's losses were to conference opponents. The Eagles first loss was on December 5 at Miami, when the Hurricanes defeated the Eagles, 65-57, in the conference opener. Miami enters Saturday's game with a 9-6 overall record and a 4-3 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. The Hurricanes defeated Providence, 85-63, this past Wednesday in Coral Gables to snap a three-game losing streak. Miami has a 1-5 record in road games this season.
COACHES: Cathy Inglese (Southern Connecticut '80), currently in her sixth season at Boston College, has a record of 77-75 with the Eagles. Inglese's overall coaching record is 197-149 in 13 years. She is assisted by Pam Borton, Kelly Cole, and Bill Gould. Ferne Labati (East Stroudsburg '67) is currently in her 11th season as the head coach at Miami, where she has led the Hurricanes to a 198-109 record. She is assisted by Robin Harmony, Geneva Morgan, and Nina Wagner.
EAGLES vs. HURRICANES: Boston College and Miami have played 15 times, and the Hurricanes lead the series, 11-3. In the first meeting this season, the Hurricanes defeated Boston College, 65-57, on December 5 at Coral Gables. Miami has won seven of the last nine games in the series, including the last three contests. Boston College's last win in the series was on February 19, 1997 when the Eagles defeated the Hurricanes, 67-55, in Chestnut Hill.
SERIES RECORD: Miami leads, 11-3
BC in series:
Home: 2-4
Away: 1-6
Neutral: 0-1
1/3/92 L H 59-78
2/1/92 L A 60-79
1/31/93 L H 67-80
2/16/93 L A 55-84
1/25/94 W H 80-71
2/26/94 L A 72-75
1/2/95 L A 45-80
1/28/95 L H 67-73
1/22/96 L H 59-60
1/2/97 W A 66-48
2/19/97 W H 67-55
3/2/97 L N 48-63
1/10/98 L A 79-85
12/5/98 L A 57-65
LAST MEETING (12/5/98): Boston College had its six-game winning streak snapped when the Eagles lost their BIG EAST Conference opener at the University of Miami, 65-57, on December 5. Senior forward Kym Hope led Miami with 20 points and 12 rebounds and helped the Hurricanes extend their home winning streak to 12 games. Jennifer Jordan finished the game with 14 points and nine rebounds for Miami. Four players scored in double figures for the Eagles, led by junior forward Alissa Murphy and senior center Whitney Steele, who each scored 15 points. Senior forward Paula Bacso netted 10 points and freshman Nicole Conway came off the bench to register 10 points and six rebounds. After a first half that featured six lead changes, Conway's layup with 19 seconds remaining gave the Eagles a 30-27 halftime advantage. Boston College extended its lead to five points in the opening minutes of the second half, but Miami rallied and took control of the game when Jordan scored on a short jumper with 11:55 remaining in regulation. The Hurricanes led the Eagles, 59-49, with 5:45 left in the game, but Boston College narrowed the score to 59-57 on a Steele layup with 1:59 left in the game. The Eagles failed to score again in the game.
PROBABLE BOSTON COLLEGE STARTERS
F #44 Paula Bacso (6-1, Sr., 7.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg) F #24 Nicole Conway (5-11, Fr., 5.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg) C #32 Whitney Steele (6-4, Sr., 13.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) G #4 Danielle O'Banion (5-7, So., 2.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg) G #12 Alissa Murphy (5-10, Jr., 14.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg)OFF THE EAGLES' BENCH
F #54 Becky Gottstein (6-1, Fr., 8.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg) G #11 Brianne Stepherson (5-8, Fr., 9.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg) C #20 Jamie Cournoyer (6-3, So., 3.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg) F #50 Kim Mackie (6-3, Fr., 1.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg) F #35 Shawna Rainer (6-0, Sr., 2.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg)LINEUP CHANGES: Boston College has featured six different starting lineups in 15 games this season as the team has played with a number of Eagles sidelined with injuries. Despite the starting lineup changes, the Eagles are 13-2 and ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in school history. The original starting lineup of guards Cal Bouchard and Brianne Stepherson, forwards Alissa Murphy and Paula Bacso, and center Whitney Steele started seven games this season. Junior guard Bouchard missed the second contest of the season at Holy Cross after suffering a concussion prior to the game. The original lineup remained intact upon her return until the ninth game at the University of San Diego. Senior co-captain Bacso did not play in the games at San Diego and San Diego State due to an injury to her right foot. Freshman Becky Gottstein replaced Bacso in the lineup and started four consecutive games in the frontcourt. Bacso returned to the starting frontcourt with Gottstein and Steele against Syracuse on January 5, as Stepherson was sidelined with a virus. As Stepherson missed the three home games against Syracuse, Seton Hall, and Georgetown, Murphy moved to the backcourt with Bouchard. The fifth starting lineup appeared on January 7 against Seton Hall and January 10 against Georgetown, and it featured freshman Nicole Conway in the frontcourt with Bacso and Steele. Boston College featured its sixth starting lineup at Syracuse with Bouchard sidelined with an injury to her left knee. Sophomore Danielle O'Banion joined Murphy in the backcourt, and Steele, Conway, and Bacso completed the starting lineup.
RECORD OF BC STARTING LINEUPS (Games):
Murphy, Bacso, Steele, Bouchard, Stepherson (1,3,4,5,6,7,8) 6-1
Cournoyer, Bacso, Steele, Murphy, Stepherson (2) 1-0
Murphy, Gottstein, Steele, Bouchard, Stepherson (9, 10, 11) 3-0
Bacso, Gottstein, Steele, Murphy, Bouchard (12) 1-0
Conway, Bacso, Steele, Bouchard, Murphy (13, 14) 2-0
Conway, Bacso, Steele, O'Banion, Murphy (15) 0-1
BOSTON COLLEGE vs. MIAMI
Statistical Comparison
Boston College Miami
Points Per Game 73.1 71.1
Opponents Points Per Game 63.8 64.3
Field Goals 47.8 (410-858) 42.7 (370-867)
Opponents Field Goals 39.2 (349-890) 38.3 (358-835)
Free Throws 69.6 (227-326) 73.6 (282-383)
Opponents Free Throws 71.8 (168-234) 66.7 (186-279)
3-pt. Field Goals 29.6 (50-169) 28.7 (45-157)
Opp. 3-pt. Field Goals 34.6 (91-263) 29.1 (62-213)
Rebounds 38.6 39.1
Opponents Rebounds 34.1 40.0
Assists 14.9 14.3
Opponents Assists 12.2 13.7
Turnovers 15.4 20.7
Opponents Turnovers 16.4 21.0
O'BANION'S FIRST START: Danielle O'Banion started in the backcourt with junior Alissa Murphy in the game at Syracuse on January 13. The sophomore guard played 13 minutes and registered four rebounds and one assist in her first career start. O'Banion has played in 14 games this season and is currently averaging 12.8 minutes, 2.9 points, and 1.3 rebounds. She has scored in double figures in two games, netting a career-high 11 points in the 69-49 win over Seton Hall on January 7.
LAST GAME: Paula Moore scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Ernestine Austin hit two key free throws down the stretch as Syracuse upset No. 21 Boston College 73-70 Wednesday night. The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for Boston College, which entered the rankings last week for the first time in school history. Syracuse led by eight points with a little over a minute remaining before Boston College began to close the gap. Brianne Stepherson made a layup at 1:04 and Nicole Conway hit a 3-pointer with 53 seconds left, then added a jumper 32 seconds later as the Eagles pulled within two points. Austin hit one of two free throws during the Boston College run, and then connected on another free throw to make it a three-point game with seconds remaining. Conway's tying 3-point attempt hit the rim as the buzzer sounded. Syracuse was 16-of-27 from the free-throw line, while Boston College hit just 33 percent of their free throw attempts, going 5-of-15. Becky Gottstein scored 19 points and Alissa Murphy had 16 for the Eagles. Austin added 13 points and Beth Record 11 for Syracuse.
EAGLES IN THE POLLS: Boston College enters Saturday's game ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press poll and No. 22 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. The Eagles first appeared in the polls on January 4, marking the first time in school history that the Eagles were ranked among the Top 25. 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
Jan. 11 No. 21 No. 22
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.
BOUCHARD SIDELINED WITH KNEE INJURY: Co-captain Cal Bouchard was evaluated by team physician Diane English and will be sidelined for approximately three weeks with an isolated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear of her left knee. The junior guard injured her left knee midway through the second half of the game against Georgetown on January 10. A pre-season all-BIG EAST selection, Bouchard was third on the team in scoring with an average of 13.3 points in 13 games.
CONWAY'S DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Nicole Conway registered the first double-double of her career at Syracuse on January 15. The freshman forward registered a career-high for points (13) and rebounds (10) in her third career start. Conway is currently averaging 5.5 points and 3.2 rebounds.
GOTTSTEIN'S THIRD ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AWARD: Becky Gottstein was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on January 11, marking the third time this season that she has won the honor. The freshman forward registered two double-doubles in the three games during the week. Gottstein scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the win over Syracuse. Her second double-double of the week was against Georgetown when the 6-1 freshman netted 14 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Gottstein is currently leading the Eagles in rebounding with an average of 7.5, and is fourth in scoring with 8.0 points per game.
The second time she won the award was the week of January 4. Gottstein 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 11 of the 15 games this season. In the victory over Notre Dame on December 30, five Eagles scored in double figures. The Eagles had a streak of seven consecutive games of at least four players scoring in double figures, starting with the win at St. Joseph's (Nov. 29). Boston College's streak was snapped with only three players in double figures in the win over Seton Hall (Jan. 7). Three players are averaging double figures in scoring, led by Alissa Murphy's 14.6 points per game. Senior Whitney Steele is second in scoring with 13.1 points per game and Cal Bouchard was averaging 12.7 points before being sidelined with the knee injury.
STEPHERSON RETURNS AFTER MISSING THREE GAMES: Brianne Stepherson was sidelined for the games against Syracuse (Jan. 5), Seton Hall (Jan. 7), and Georgetown (Jan. 10) with a virus, but returned at Syracuse (Jan. 13) and played 21 minutes. The freshman point guard had started all 11 games before being sidelined with the virus. Stepherson did not start against the Orangewomen, but she scored six points and handed out four assists in 21 minutes.
HOME SWEET HOME: Boston College has won 10 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), Syracuse (76-62), Seton Hall (69-49), and Georgetown (75-66) 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. EAGLES ON THE ROAD: Boston College is currently 5-2 in games played on the road this season. The Eagles' two losses of the season were at the University of Miami (65-57) on December 5 and at Syracuse (73-70) on January 13.
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: Boston College's seven-game winning streak earlier this season was the longest in school history. The streak started with an 81-72 victory at West Virginia on December 8 and was snapped on January 13 with a 73-70 loss at Syracuse.
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 5-2 record in BIG EAST Conference play. Boston College had a five-game winning streak in league contests before losing at Syracuse, 73-70, on January 13. The Eagles opened the 1998-99 conference schedule with a 65-57 loss at Miami on December 5, marking the first time that Boston College 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 77-75, and has a career record of 197-149. 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) 77-75 Career Record (13 Years) 197-149 BIG EAST Regular Season Record (5 Years) 48-49 BIG EAST Tournament Record (5 Years) 2-5 BIG EAST Overall Record (5 Years) 50-54 NCAA Record (2 appearances) 0-2OFF THE BENCH: A number of players off the bench have played key roles in the Eagles' success this season. Jamie Cournoyer has played in 14 games, and started the second contest at Holy Cross on November 19. The sophomore center is averaging 3.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 10.9 minutes in the Eagles' frontcourt. Freshman Kim Mackie has played in four games and is averaging 1.5 points and 2.3 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.
UP NEXT: Following the game against Miami, Boston College will travel to host Providence on January 19 at 7:00 p.m.
CAREER CHARTS: Cal Bouchard is currently second on the Boston College career list for three-point field goals made (116) and third on the career list for three-point field goals attempted (300). The junior guard is also eighth in career free throws made (224) and seventh in free throws attempted (298).
Boston College Career Records
3-PT Field Goals Made
1. 133 Ann Odoy (1984-88) 2. 116 Cal Bouchard (1996-) 3. 103 Sarah Behn (1989-93) 4. 100 Kerry Curran (1990-94) 5. 99 Joanie Gallagher (1991-95)3-PT Field Goals Attempted
1. 342 Ann Odoy (1984-88) 2. 321 Joanie Gallagher (1991-95) 3. 300 Cal Bouchard (1996-) 4. 248 Sarah Behn (1989-93) 5. 229 Aimee McGuire (1994-98)
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
9. 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.
1998-99 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team
Name Cl. Pos. Team Svetlana Abrosimova So. F Connecticut Cal Bouchard Jr. G Boston College Kym Hope Sr. F/C Miami Tasha Pointer So. G Rutgers Tomora Young Sr. G Rutgers1998-99 Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team
Name Cl. Pos. Team Sheila McMillen Sr. G Notre Dame Ruth Riley So. C Notre Dame Paige Sauer Jr. C Connecticut Whitney Steele Sr. C Boston College Sylita Thomas Sr. F Georgetown
Women's Basketball Polls
Associated Press (Media) (January 11, 1999)
1. Tennessee 1023
2. Connecticut 967
3. Purdue 945
4. Georgia 906
5. Louisiana Tech 861
6. Texas Tech 790
7. North Carolina 719
8. Colorado State 711
9. Notre Dame 684
10. UCLA 647
11. Old Dominion 587
12. Duke 555
13. Virginia Tech 552
14. Iowa State 490
15. Rutgers 469
16. Clemson 460
17. Ohio State 288
18. Florida 217
19. Alabama 199
20. Penn State 189
21. BOSTON COLLEGE 171
22. Virginia 162
23. Kansas 157
24. Nebraska 152
25. Auburn 112
USA Today/ESPN (Coaches) (January 11, 1999)
1. Tennessee 999
2. Connecticut 947
3. Purdue 914
4. Georgia 889
5. Louisiana Tech 823
6. North Carolina 742
7. Texas Tech 735
8. Colorado State 726
9. Notre Dame 685
10. UCLA 612
11. Old Dominion 549
12. Clemson 540
13. Rutgers 519
14. Virginia Tech 479
15. Iowa State 475
16. Duke 422
17. Alabama 303
18. Florida 257
19. Nebraska 213
20. Penn State 203
21. Kansas 174
22. BOSTON COLLEGE 172
23. Virginia 104
24. Ohio State 99
25. Santa Barbara 92
PRODUCTION BREAKDOWN
Points Rebounds
Opponent (Date) Starters/Reserves Starters/Reserves
Massachusetts (11/16/98) 58/14 19/9
Holy Cross (11/19/98) 64/1 37/5
Michigan State (11/22/98) 69/11 27/11
Hartford (11/24/98) 54/17 19/10
Toledo (11/27/98) 66/6 28/9
St. Joseph's (11/29/98) 57/15 22/15
Miami (12/5/98) 47/10 18/6
West Virginia (12/8/98) 61/20 20/11
San Diego (12/19/98) 65/8 28/2
San Diego State (12/21/98) 63/23 22/13
Notre Dame (12/30/98) 68/10 31/1
Syracuse (1/5/99) 66/10 28/4
Seton Hall (1/7/99) 50/19 21/10
Georgetown (1/10/99) 44/31 19/16
Syracuse (1/13/99) 41/29 30/11
CAREER SCORING CAREER REBOUNDING
Paula Bacso 567 points Paula Bacso 362 rebounds Allison Booth 335 points Allison Booth 195 rebounds Cal Bouchard 950 points Cal Bouchard 202 rebounds Nicole Conway 72 points Nicole Conway 41 rebounds Jamie Cournoyer 123 points Jamie Cournoyer 84 rebounds Tish Few 5 points Tish Few 4 rebounds Becky Gottstein 131 points Becky Gottstein 111 rebounds Kim Mackie 7 points Kim Mackie 8 rebounds Alissa Murphy 626 points Alissa Murphy 308 rebounds Danielle O'Banion 89 points Danielle O'Banion 32 rebounds Shawna Rainer 32 points Shawna Rainer 26 rebounds Whitney Steele 864 points Whitney Steele 384 rebounds Brianne Stepherson 110 points Brianne Stepherson 33 rebounds
