Boston College Athletics
Women's Basketball Prepared To Face Holy Cross
November 28, 2000 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2000
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The Game -
Boston College enters Wednesday's game at Holy Cross with a 2-1 record after dropping its home opener to third-ranked Duke on Nov. 22, 67-49. The team opened the season by winning the Chevrolet Classic in East Lansing, Mich. with victories over Tennessee Tech (80-64) and Michigan State (63-61). Junior Rachel Byars is the Eagles' leading scorer, averaging 16.0 points per game, while freshman Amber Jacobs is posting 10.0 points per contest. Byars is also the team's leading rebounder with a 7.7 boards per game average while junior Becky Gottstein is second with a 5.5 average. The Eagles are ranked 19th in the most recent coaches' poll and 25th in the AP poll.
Holy Cross enters the game with a 1-3 overall record after coming off a 62-57 loss at Massachusetts on Sunday. The Crusaders dropped their first two games of the season to Fairfield (63-58) and Sienna (82-62) before winning their first of the season against New Hampshire (87-60). Jeanette Paukert leads Holy Cross with a 15.8 points per game average, while Monika Rothemich leads in rebounds with a 7.0 boards per game average.
Against Holy Cross -
The Eagles and Crusaders have met 21 times with the Eagles holding the series advantage, 13-8. The two teams have met every season since the 1978-79 season, except the 1980-81 campaign. The longest winning streak for either team is four games which the Eagle accomplished during the 1992-93 and 1995-96 seasons.
Last season, the two teams met on Jan. 3 at Conte Fourm with the Eagles taking the game, 66-42. Nicole Conway came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points to lead Boston College.
The last Holy Cross win came in the 1997-98 season when the Crusaders took a 80-68 win in Chestnut Hill on Dec. 9. Amy O'Brien led Holy Cross with 23 points and 15 rebounds and gave the Eagles their first home loss of the season.
Against the Patriot League - Boston College has a 15-9 record against teams currently in the Patriot League. Besides the Eagles' 13-8 mark against the Crusaders, they are also 2-0 against Colgate and 0-1 vs. Army.
Last Time Out -
In the Eagles' last game, 19th-ranked Boston College fell to No. 3 Duke in a non-conference game at Conte Forum, 67-49.
After the Eagles mounted a 24-16 lead with 6:30 left in the first half, Duke took over with a 9-2 run over the last minutes before the intermission to take a 27-26 lead at the break.
A Becky Gottstein jumper gave the Eagles a one-point advantage to open the second half, but the Blue Devils picked up where they left off the first half and allowed the Eagles only another six points over the first 11:37 of the second half while building a 54-34 advantage.
The Eagles went on a mini-run of their own, breaking the Blue Devil advantage down to just 13 points with 5:10 left to play capped by a three-pointer by freshman Amber Jacobs. But, Duke, showing why it was the number three team in the nation, allowed BC to get no closer and extended its lead to 18 to close the game.
The loss snapped the Eagles' 16-game home winning streak at Conte Forum and handed them their first loss of the season.
The Coach -
Head coach Cathy Inglese is in her eighth 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 her tenure at BC, she has registered a record of 114-91, and has a career record of 234-165. She recorded her 100th victory at Boston College on January 12, 2000, with a 67-50 win over St. John's. In 1999-2000, Inglese led the Eagles to the best-ever season in school history with a 26-9 record and a second-straight appearance in the NCAA tournament. Inglese led the 1998-99 team to a 22-8 record 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 and 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 Coaching Record
Boston College Record (8 Years) 114-91
Career Record (15 Years) 234-165
BIG EAST Regular Season Record (6 Years) 67-57
BIG EAST Tournament Record (6 Years) 5-7
BIG EAST Overall Record (6 Years) 72-64
NCAA Record (4 appearances) 2-4
Last Season Against Holy Cross -
Nicole Conway came off the bench to score 16 points and record five rebounds to lead Boston College to a 66-42 victory over Holy Cross at Conte Forum on Jan. 3. Boston College held Holy Cross to just six field goals and 26.1 percent shooting in the first half. Cal Bouchard opened the Eagle scoring with a three point basket, but Holy Cross scored six unanswered points and held a 6-3 lead with 14:50 remaining in the first half. Alissa Murphy scored a basket at 14:03 to pull Boston College within one point. Boston College regained the lead when Conway's basket at the 11:58 mark gave the Eagles a 9-8 advantage. The Eagles went on a 13-0 run and held the Crusaders scoreless for eight minutes. Murphy extended the lead to 13 points on a jumper with :33 remaining in the half. Boston College led Holy Cross, 28-15, at intermission.
Boston College opened the second half with a 26-6 run and led Holy Cross, 57-21, with 8:59 remaining in the game. Holy Cross mounted a 13-1 run to bring the score to 58-34, but the Eagles held off the Crusaders' rally in the final minutes. Boston College improved to 7-0 at home with the 24-point victory.
Boston College was led by Conway's 16 points (5-7 FG, 6-6 FT) and Murphy's 12 points and six assists. Becky Gottstein led the Eagles with 12 rebounds. Jeanette Paukert led Holy Cross in scoring with 13 points followed by Monika Rothemich with 10. Mary Rose Campbell was the leading rebounder for the Crusaders with six.
Double Delight -
Several players have opened the 2000-2001 season with double doubles. Juniors Rachel Byars and Nicole Conway each put up double figures in both points an rebounds against Tennessee Tech in the first round of the Chevrolet Classic, while classmate Becky Gottstein notched her first double-double of the season against Duke.
Byars notched her first-career double with a then career-high 21-point, 11-rebound effort while Conway had a career-high 12 rebounds and 16 points off the bench for her second career double-double. Byars followed up her opening performance with her second career double-double against host Michigan State with a new career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds.
Gottstein's feat came in her first full game action of the season. In 37 minutes of play, she posted 15 points and 11 rebounds marking her 15th double-double of her career.
The Tennessee Tech game marked the first time since Dec. 4, 1999 - against Kent State - that two Eagles have notched double-doubles in the same game.
Most Valuable Player - Junior Rachel Byars was named the most valuable player of the Chevrolet Classic as she averaged a double-double in the two games of the season-opening tournament. In the first game against Tennessee Tech, she netted 21 points (on six-for-nine shooting, eight-for-nine free throws) and grabbed 11 rebounds. She also two steals. In the finals against Michigan State, she netted a career-high 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. She had a career-high six steals in the game, playing all 40 minutes for the second night in a row.
All-Tournament Team - Freshman Amber Jacobs was selected to the all-tournament team at the Chevrolet Classic after she she scored a career-high 14 points in the finals against Michigan State. She also added three assists in 33 minutes of the final game.
1999-2000 Season Recap -
Last season, the Eagles registered the best season in school history with their 26-9 overall record. To start the season, the team advance to the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT before falling to third-ranked Georgia in the semifinals. A 12-game win streak highlighted the midseason, which included a championship at the State Farm Classic at the University of Florida. BC advanced to the semifinals of the BIG EAST tournament for the first time since 1990 before falling to eventual league and national champion Connecticut. The team advanced to its second NCAA tournament in two years before falling to Virginia in the second round of the annual event.
Senior Cal Bouchard was named to the all-BIG EAST First Team while junior Jamie Cournoyer was named the league's most improved player. Cournoyer joined senior Alissa Murphy on the all-BIG EAST third team. After the conclusion of the season, Bouchard was named BIG EAST Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete and also earned a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. She was also the first Boston College player to play in the Olympics when she was named to the Canadian Olympic team that played in Sydney, Australia.
Captains Named - The two seniors, Jamie Cournoyer and Danielle O'Banion, will serve as team captains this season. Cournoyer, a center, was named BIG EAST most improved payer last season while O'Banion was one of the team's most potent long-distance threats in the backcourt.
National Polls -
Several polls have the Eagles ranked in the top 25 this season. The ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll has Boston College 19th in the lastest poll after earning a preseason rank of 22.
In the Associated Press poll, the Eagles have slipped to 25th place after their loss to third-ranked Duke last Wednesday. They were an also receiving votes team in the preseason poll.
Five other polls had Boston College ranked in their preseason top 25 polls. Basketball News put the Eagles at 18th in the nation, Lindy's has them listed in 25th, Preview Sports has BC ranked 22, as does Women's Basketball Journal. Full Court Press has Boston College 21st.
Eagles Chosen Fourth in BIG EAST - In the second toughest women's basketball conference in America according to the RPI ratings for the 1999-2000 season, Boston College was selected fourth in the BIG EAST in the annual preseason coaches' poll. National champion Connecticut was chosen first followed by 2000 Final Four participant Rutgers and Notre Dame. Last season, the Eagles were chosen fourth, but finished tied with Rutgers for third in the league with a 12-4 record.
BIG EAST Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Connecticut (13) 169 points
2. Rutgers (1) 152 points
3. Notre Dame 150 points
4. Boston College 129 points
5. Georgetown 100 points
Virginia Tech 100 points
7. Villanova 94 points
8. Pittsburgh 92 points
9. Miami 88 points
10. Syracuse 53 points
11. St. John's 49 points
12. Providence 44 points
13. Seton Hall 39 points
14. West Virginia 15 points
(First-place votes in parentheses.)
Gottstein's Preseason Honors - Junior Becky Gottstein was named to the preseason all-BIG EAST second team, voted on by the league's 14 head coaches. She was one of two juniors named to the preseason first and second teams. She and UConn's Sue Bird are the only two juniors on a BIG EAST presseason team. Notre Dame's Alicia Ratay, the 2000 BIG EAST rookie of the year, is the only sophomore selected. Seven seniors were chosen between the first and second teams. Gottstein was also a preseason Street & Smith Honorable Mention Pick All-America pick.
Three Point Threats -
Once again in 2000-2001, the Eagles are a three-point threat. As a team, Boston College is shooting 45.0 percent from behind the arch and is ranked secnd in the BIG EAST behind Notre Dame (55.8 percent).
Leading the way is freshman Janelle McManus who has netted six-of-12 attempts (50.0 percent). Classmate Amber Jacobs has recorded five three pointers on five-of-11 shooting (45.5 pecent). Sophomore Alicia Shields has scored three times from behind the line, one in each of the Eagles' three games this season. She leads BC with a 60.0 average on three-of-five shooting. Junior Rachel Byars has also scored two three pointers and has a 33.3 percent shot (two-of-six). Classmate Nicole Conway has also added two baskets and is shooting 66.7from three-point land.
During the 1999-2000 season, the Eagles were one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation, averaging 38.1 percent over the season, good for 14th nationally.
Charity Stripe -
Some aspects of the Eagle program do not change from year to year, including excellent free throw shooting for Boston College. This year, the Eagles are averaging 84.2 percent shooting from the free throw line, connecting on 48-of-57 shots in three games. Currently, the team ranks first in the BIG EAST.
Four players are perfect from teh line this season. Freshman Janelle McManus (six-for-six), junior Nicole Conway (four-for-four), sophomore Maureen Magarity (four-for-four) and senior Jamie Cournoyer (two-for-two) all have 1.00 averages from the charity stripe. Junior Rachel Byars is 16-for18 from the line, including a eight-for-nine perfomances in the Chevrolet Classic.
Last season, the Eagles were ranked 15th nationally making 514-of-685 free throws for a 75.0 percent average.
Byars Welcomed -
Junior Rachel Byars, a transfer from Western Kentucky, had a career day in her first outing in an Eagle uniform. Against the National Women's Basketball League in the team's first exhibition match, Byars came off the bench to score 17 points and pull down 14 rebounds. She was seven-for-16 from the floor and three-of-six from the line in 32 minutes. The guard/forward also copped a team-high six steals in the game. In the second exhibition against EOS Malbas Sweden, she netted nine points on four-for-five shooting and also included a three-point basket. She also pulled down six rebounds in 25 minutes in the game.
As the Eagles kicked off the regular season in the Chevrolet Classic, Byars led the Eagles, averaging 24.0 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game. She was named MVP of the tournament and was also honored as the BIG EAST's co-player of the week with Syracuse's Beth Record.
Changing of the Guards -
With the graduation of all-BIG EAST senior guards Cal Bouchard and Alissa Murphy, two new faces have joined the Eagle backcourt and usher in a new era of top guard play.
Freshman Amber Jacobs has already made her mark on the backcourt. Starting in both of the Eagles' games so far this year, Jacobs has averaged 16 points, including 14 points in the final of the Chevrolet Classic against Michigan State, while adding three assists. She was named to the all-tournament team for her play.
In the non-conference tilt against Duke, she was teh team's second-leading scorer with 12 points, including two three pointers.
Classmate Janelle McManus showed why she broke former Tennessee star Chamique Holdsclaw's conference scoring record in high school.
In Boston College's first two games, she averaged 13 points per game and two assists per game. Playing 24 minutes against Tennessee Tech and 23 minutes against Michigan State, she came off the bench in both games to be one of the Eagle leaders.
In exhibition action, she pumped in 19 points off the bench and was the game's second-leading scorer behind Jacobs in the EOS Malbas Exhibition game. She also dished out four assists and pulled down three rebounds.
Breezy' Back - Junior point guard Brianne Stepherson has returned to the Eagle lineup after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee in a off-season pickup game. She has started each of Boston College's first three games at the point and is averaging 3.0 points per game 1.3 rebounds per game while recording five assists and three steals in 24.0 minutes per game.
Sparks off the Bench -
Several Eagles have provided an added jump off the bench in the Eagles' opening games this season.
Sophomore Alicia Shields has come into two games from the bench to average 8.7 points per game and is tied for third on the team in scoing. She has grabbed 2.0 rebounds per game, while notching five assists. She also has two assists in three games this season. She was inserted into the starting lineup against Michigan State after registering 15 points in the team's opening game of the season against Tennessee Tech.
Freshman Janelle McManus has come into the game in all three contests this season and is tied with Shields for third in team scoring with an 8.7 points per game average and is a perfect six-for-six from the free throw line. She also has a team-high six three point baskets this season, while adding five assists.
In the Tennessee Tech game, junior Nicole Conway came off the bench to score 14 points and pull down a career-high 12 rebounds in 29 minutes.
Records Watch -
Two BC players will have the opportunity to crack the all-time records lists at BC this season. Juniors Becky Gottstein and Brianne Stepherson will soon move among the leaders in several categories.
Gottstein already holds the single-season record for field goal percentage with a 57.5 percent performance in her freshman campaign and is ninth in the single-season rebounding records with last season's 9.6 rebounds per game average.
Gottstein should also break into the career marks this season in both scoring and rebounding. She is 61 rebounds shy of the all-time top 10, having 438 boards. On the points list, she needs just 434 points to move into 10th place in the record books with her 641 points. Last season, she scored 325 points despite missing twelve games with a stress fracture in her ankle.
Stepherson could position herself among the leaders in two categories: steals and assists. In assists, Stepherson is already 8th all-time with 247. Last year, she had 130 assists. Stepherson has 74 career steals through her first two years of play and only needs 34 more to crack the top 10. Joanie Gallagher `95 is 10th with 108 steals. Last season, Stepherson stole 47 balls from the opponents.
Ranked Opponents -
Six of the Eagles' 2000-2001 opponets are ranked in the top six spots of the ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press polls.
Connecticut occupies the top spot in both polls, followed by Tennessee. Duke and Notre Dame are three and four. Rutges is fifth in the AP poll and sixth on the Coaches' ballot. Purdue is sixth in the AP poll and fifth in the Coaches' poll.
Last season, the Eagles were 1-7 against ranked opponets with the lone win coming against No. 22 Duke in the second round of the Preseason WNIT. In that same tournament, Boston College faced No. 3 Georgia in the semifinals, falling 78-70, and No. 15 Illinois in the consolation game, falling 73-42. Later in the season, No. 1 Connecticut topped BC, 84-77, and No. 5 Notre Dame defeated the Eagles 72-59. Boston College also fell to No. 8 Rutgers, 73-51. In the BIG EAST tournament, the Eagles faced top-ranked UConn again, dropping a 79-54 decision. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, No. 19 Virginia downed BC, 74-70.
Sister Act - Boston College boasts two sisters on the roster this year. No. 54, Becky Gottstein returns for her junior year, while she is joined by her sister, freshman Carolyn, who will wear number 55 this season.
Home Court Advantage - Until Duke defeated the Eagles at Conte Forum on Nov. 22, Boston College had a 16-game winning streak on their home court. The streak began on Feb. 17, 1999 with a win over Villanova and lasted through the last game of the 1999-2000 season against Syracuse on Feb. 29, 2000. Over last season, the Eagles were a perfect 14-0 at home and defeated their opponents by an average of 21.8 points.
New Look Eagles -
Boston College underwent an image makeover during the summer of 2000, resulting in a fresh, new look for the athletic department. A new set of logos was introduced in July, including an updated version of the interlocking BC logo.
In conjunction with the retooling of the look, the athletic teams, including the women's basketball team, have new uniforms with the new designs. Also, the basketball teams have a new parquet flor to play on with the new logo at center court.
Summer Tour -
Junior Nicole Conway was a member of the 2000 BIG EAST Women's Basketball All-Star Team this summer that toured Canada at the beginning of June. The team, comprised of one member from each of the league's 13 teams last season, went 5-1 on the goodwill tour. Conway averaged 8.2 points per game in the six contests and 2.7 rebounds per game. She scored a game-high 16 points in the BIG EAST's first win of the tour, a 64-46 victory over Simon Fraser in the second game on the road.
During the summer of 1999, head coach Cathy Inglese, assistants Kelly Cole and Bill Gould, center Jamie Cournoyer and trainer Donna Bennett all represented Boston College on the trip through Europe with a 4-1 record.
Future Eagles -
Head Coach Cathy Inglese has announced that two players have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at BC starting next season. Clare Droesch and Jessalyn Deveny will enter Boston College as freshmen in the fall fo 2001.
Droesch, a 5-11 small forward from Belle Harbor, N.Y., was named USA Today New York Player of the Year as a junior at Christ the King High School last season. She averaged 24 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, 7.6 assists per game and 6.1 steals per game in her junior season. She was selected by Street & Smith as a fourth team All-American and was also named the Brooklyn/Queens Player of the Year, as well as the New York City Player of the Year. Droesch also received first team all-state and tri-state first team honors.
Deveny, a 5-8 guard from Westford, Mass., was named Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year after her junior season at Westford Academy. She also received USA Today All-America honorable mention accolades. The Boston Herald named her to its scholastic Dream Team and she was selected to the All-Massachusetts first team. She averaged 21 points per game and eight rebounds per game last season.
Injury Report - Two players will be unavailable for the Holy Cross game: sophomore Maureen Magarity and junior Kim Mackie. Magarity has a stress fracture in her left foot, an injury she had earlier this season and from which had returned to the lineup. Mackie will miss the whole season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee suffered in a preseason game on Oct. 5.
Eagles on the Air - All Boston College women's basketball home games and several road games will be carried over the Internet by www.bceagles.com, the athletic department's official Web site. Listeners can connect to the broadcast by entering the URL into their browsers and clicking on the link on the right side of the school's front page. Ricky Doyle will handle the play-by-play duties.
Up Next - The Eagles will face fourth-ranked Purdue at the FleetCenter on Sunday, Nov. 3, in a 4 p.m. contest.
On the Horizon -
Boston College is in the midst of a four-game stretch that will see the Eagles play three of the nations' best teams within two weeks of each other.
BC will face No. 6 Purdue on Sunday then travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to face No. 2 Tennessee on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in a gam eaired on Fox Sports Net South.
The Eagles will face five more non-conference foes after the Lady Vols before the New Year when BC will then break into its BIG EAST Conference schedule.
