Boston College Athletics
Women's Basketball Season Preview
June 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
July 30, 1998
BOSTON, Mass. - Head coach Cathy Inglese is optimistic about the outlook for the 1998-99 Boston College women's basketball team that will feature three returning starters, including two All-BIG EAST Conference selections. The Eagles return 10 letterwinners from last year's team that finished with a 17-11 overall record and an 11-7 BIG EAST mark. A talented recruiting class will complement the returning veteran players that will look to challenge the top teams in the BIG EAST Conference and gain a berth in the 1999 NCAA Tournament.
The Eagles lost only two players from last year's team that led the nation in three-point field goal percentage and finished sixth in free throw percentage. The Eagles connected on 41 percent (119-290) of their three-point field goal attempts, and shot 75.2 percent (466-620) from the free throw line. Two players earned all-conference honors as Cal Bouchard was named to the All-BIG EAST First-Team and Whitney Steele earned All-BIG EAST Third-Team honors.
Frontcourt
Two starters return in the Eagles' frontcourt, including All-BIG EAST Third-Team selection Steele. The 6-4 center developed into a major force at center last season, leading the team in rebounding with an average of 6.0 per game, and finishing second in scoring with an average of 14.1 points. Steele started all 28 games and was sixth in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage, connecting on 48.1 percent (164-341) from the field. An All-Tournament selection at the Comfort Inn Downtown Classic, she scored in double figures in 23 games and was the team's top rebounder in 11 contests. The native of Harrington Park, New Jersey, also contributed 28 blocks and 22 steals.
Joining Steele as the other returning starter in the frontcourt is Paula Bacso. The senior forward started 27 games a year ago, and finished third on the team in rebounding with an average of 5.1 per game. Bacso led the team in free throw percentage (85.2), connecting on 46-of-54 attempts from the line, and was fourth in scoring with an average of 8.4 points per game. The native of Farmingdale, New York, scored a career-high 18 points and pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds in the victory at Georgetown on December 2. A valuable member of the frontcourt, she has natural scoring ability and will provide strong leadership as the team's co-captain.
One of the starting positions in the frontcourt is vacant with the graduation of forward Kim Beezer. The senior provided a spark for the Eagles with her intense style of play and averaged 4.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 28 games. Coach Inglese will have a number of options available in searching for the Eagles' starting frontcourt combination.
Senior Allison Booth will provide valuable experience for the Eagles in the frontcourt. The 6-4 center played in 27 games last season and averaged 6.3 points and 3.6 rebounds. Booth scored in double figures in eight games and was the team's leading rebounder in four contests. She connected on 15 of 19 attempts from the line (78.9 percent) in the victory over Providence on February 28, one short of the BIG EAST tournament record for free throws in a single game. The native of Kennebunk, Maine, registered double figures in both scoring and rebounding in two games last season.
Sophomore Jamie Cournoyer has a good scoring touch and will be expected to contribute to the Eagles' frontcourt. The 6-3 center played in 23 games in her first collegiate season, and averaged 3.0 points and 2.0. Cournoyer netted a season-high 12 points and grabbed six rebounds against Towson on November 28. The native of North Attleboro, Massachusetts, shot 51 percent (26-51) from the field, and 71.4 percent (15-21) from the line as a freshman.
Adding depth in the frontcourt will be senior Shawna Rainer and juniors Tish Few and Aisha Bain. Rainer averaged 2.3 points and 1.9 rebounds for the Eagles last season. The 6-0 forward played in 12 games and started in the frontcourt against Georgetown on February 7. A native of Spokane, Washington, she transferred to Boston College from North Idaho Junior College prior to the 1997-98 season. Few played in seven games last season and scored a season-high five points and added three assists in the victory over Marist on November 20. The native of Stafford, Virginia, was red-shirted for the 1996-97 season after recovering from knee surgery. Bain also played her first collegiate basketball season a year ago, after competing on the volleyball and track teams at Boston College as a freshman. The native of Trumbull, Connecticut, added valuable depth in the frontcourt, playing in five games during the 1997-98 season.
Freshmen Becky Gottstein and Nicole Conway will contend for playing time. Gottstein earned Player of the Year honors from the Times Union, Troy Record, and Schenectady Gazette as a member of the basketball team at Albany High School. The native of Albany, New York, averaged 26 points and 16 rebounds as a senior. Conway earned all-league honors four times as a member of the Bethlehem Central High School basketball team. The native of Glenmont, New York, was a pre-season Street & Smith All-America honorable mention selection in 1997. A 5-11 guard/forward, Conway earned All-Area honors from the Times Union and Troy Record.
Backcourt
Boston College's backcourt will be led by co-captain and All-BIG EAST First-Team selection Bouchard. The junior guard led the team in scoring, and was fifth in the BIG EAST, averaging 16 points per game. Bouchard led the BIG EAST in three-point field goal percentage (45.1 percent), and finished 11th in the nation, connecting on 55-of-122 attempts. This past summer, the native of Aurora, Ontario, competed internationally as a member of the Canadian National Team for the second consecutive year. Bouchard earned BIG EAST Player of the Week honors twice during the 1997-98 season and was named to the All-Tournament teams at both the Comfort Inn Downtown Classic and the Corestates Hawk Classic.
The Eagles will have to fill the starting backcourt position left vacant with the graduation of Aimee McGuire. A year ago, the backcourt tandem of Bouchard and McGuire started 27 of the 28 games. Both players finished the 1997-98 season among the top 10 on the Boston College career charts in three-point field goals made and three-point field goals attempted. A talented group of guards will give coach Inglese a number of options to fill the vacant starting position.
A valuable member of the backcourt expected to play a key role this season is junior Alissa Murphy. The junior guard started 27 games as a freshman, but last season she contributed off the bench, averaging 24.6 minutes in 28 games. Murphy was third on the team in scoring with an average of 9.1 points per game, and finished third in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage, connecting on 81.6 percent (84-103) from the line. The native of San Diego, California, registered a career-high 19 points and added seven rebounds, against Providence in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament. This past summer, Murphy represented Boston College on the BIG EAST/Nike All-Star team that toured Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic (May 28-June 7).
Danielle O'Banion played in 18 games during her first collegiate season, and averaged 2.7 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. The sophomore guard is a strong perimeter shooter that connected on 47.1 percent (8-17) of her three-point field goal attempts last season. The native of Arlington, Virginia, scored a season-high 11 points in the victory at St. John's on December 31.
Talented freshman guard Brianne Stepherson will make an immediate impact for the Eagles. Rated as one of the nation's top 50 high school players, Stepherson was named to the WBCA/Nike All-America team. The native of Topsfield, Massachusetts, was named to the Parade All-America Fourth Team and was selected as the Gatorade New England Regional Player of the Year in 1998. As the starting point guard for Masconomet High School, she scored over 2,000 points and recorded 1,200 assists during her high school career.
