Boston College Athletics
Houston-Boston College AP Preview
March 19, 2005 | Women's Basketball
GAME: No. 10 Houston (21-8) vs. No. 7 Boston College (19-9).
REGIONAL: Chattanooga, first round.
TIME: Sunday, 2:30 p.m. EST.
SITE: The Dean E. Smith Center; Chapel Hill, N.C.
The way Boston College played down the stretch, it should feel fortunate to be a No. 7 seed.
The Eagles will look to shake off a disappointing final 10 games of the regular season and an early exit from the Big East tournament when they take on Houston in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Boston College began the season 12-1 and was among the best shooting teams in the country. The Eagles, though, lost eight of their final 15 games, including six of 10 after leading scorer Jessalyn Deveny was lost for the season with a right Achilles' injury.
Though the Eagles managed to stay in the AP Top 25 poll all season, they weren't considered a threat in the Big East tournament. After scoring just nine first-half points in the quarterfinals against Villanova, Boston College made a run before falling short in a 41-37 loss.
Averaging just 54.5 points over its last 10 games, BC's best chance to defeat Houston and make a run in this tournament is with defense. The Eagles were third in the Big East in field-goal defense, limiting opponents to just 37 percent. They were also fifth in scoring defense, allowing just 56 points per game.
Boston College will need that kind of intensity and maybe more to contain Houston's Sancho Lyttle. The 6-foot-4 senior was the Cougars' best offensive player, averaging 19.5 points on 49-percent shooting from the floor. Lyttle, a first-team all-Conference USA selection, comes into the tournament second in the nation in rebounding at 12.4 per game.
Daphne Andre is the only other Houston player scoring in double figures at 10.5 points per game. Point guard Joann Overstreet, a third-team all-C-USA selection, runs the offense, averaging a team-high 6.0 assists.
Houston won four straight before falling to Louisville, 56-48 in the C-USA tournament semifinals on March 5. Lyttle, who has 22 double-doubles this season, shot 9-of-17 and finished with 22 points, while the rest of the Cougars shot a collective 18.4 percent (9-for-49).
Boston College will be counting heavily on 6-4 junior Kathrin Ress and 6-2 sophomore Brooke Queenan to control Lyttle and provide offense. With Deveny sidelined, Ress and Queenan are the Eagles' most reliable scoring options, averaging 10.6 and 10.5 points, respectively.
Clare Droesch, a third-team all-Big East pick, will also be looked to for offense. The 5-11 senior guard is averaging 9.1 points.
Boston College and Houston have never met.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Houston - F Lyttle (19.1 ppg, 12.4 rpg), F Cynecia Robinson (2.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg), C Kiemona Harris (8.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg), G Overstreet (8.9 ppg, 6.0 apg), G Crystal Simpson (6.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg). Boston College - F Queenan (10.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg), F Ress (10.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg), G Sarah Marshall (4.8 ppg, 4.3 apg), G Droesch (9.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg), G Aja Parham (8.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Houston - At-large berth. Boston College - At-large berth.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Houston - 1-3, 4 years. Boston College - 6-5, 6 years.
