Soule Opens Season With Fire-Hot Performance

Taylor Soule couldn't wait to get out on the court. Her uniform felt crisp on her shoulders, and as she walked down the tunnel to warm up for Boston College's first game against UMass Lowell, there was both a familiar and new anticipation for basketball season's imminent start.

"It still feels good," she said, audibly smiling. "It's a new jersey, and we were in the white ones at home, which I personally really like. But it's just a great honor to pull on that Boston College jersey. The coaches like to tell us that we represent way more than just ourselves or even Boston College when we pull those jerseys on. It's ACC basketball, and everyone's watching us."

She owned a good reason for that giddiness because she simply wanted to display her evolved skill set, and it didn't take long to show anything off. The sophomore shot a perfect 3-for-3 in the second half of BC's first game, knocking down 12 points in 23 minutes as her Eagles cruised past the River Hawks, 89-46.

"It was good to get on the court and play against someone other than our teammates," Soule said. "You want to see where your baseline is at. We wanted to see how this group unfolded against a different opponent. I still had jitters because it's the first game, and even though people underestimate us, we have some higher expectations (internally). It creates those same feelings because you just don't know how basketball games will go."

This week's inaugural game provided the first glimpse into a potential breakout star in 2019-2020. It built on last year's occasionally-masterful freshman campaign during which her hot hand blazed but fell prone to youthful inexperience.

She opened last year with double-figures scoring against both Rhode Island and Saint Peter's, then kept her shooting numbers high with a favorable percentage against Holy Cross as she began developing all-around skills. She recorded five rebounds against Houston and four against Rider after registering three offensive boards in each game, then had arguably her best all-around game when she had six points, four rebounds and four assists against Bryant.

It all continued to evolve in conference play, and Soule became a key cog in the team's win over Pitt when she hit four free throws in the final 18 seconds. Later in the season, she dominated the defending national runners-up for stretches of game time, scoring 18 points on 5-of-6 shooting with eight free throws against Notre Dame.

"Not everyone can say they started as a freshman," Soule said. "But then I hurt my ankle in January and had to sit on the bench for a bit. That gave me a new perspective. It taught me that the team isn't about me, and I can still be a good teammate by sitting on the bench, doing what I have to do. Realizing all of that applies to everything in basketball. Everything can become a great opportunity."

It contributed to a solid rookie season. She played in 29 games and started 20, averaging just under 22 minutes per game. She gutted out an ankle injury to average 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, and the numbers jumped to 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in ACC play, setting the tone for her summer training and practice sessions.

"I stayed up here at BC for the whole summer," Soule said. "It let me have numerous conversations with the coaches about how to grow up as a person and as a player. I kept meeting with the coaches to work out a plan over periods that focused on specific aspects of my game. There would be one period where I worked on on-ball screens, then another where I worked on footwork. It narrowed onto certain aspects of my game that, transitionally, honed in on making me better and giving me more confidence."

On Tuesday, Soule put that next stage on full display early. Offseason rust plagued her shooting in the first half when she only hit one of her first three shots, but she helped BC race out to a 19-4 lead in the first quarter by grabbing three rebounds with an assist. It buoyed her, and she opened up her shot in the second half by knocking down all three attempts in eight minutes as the Eagles salted the River Hawks away in three quarters. Her early-fourth quarter steal helped push the lead well over 30 points before the team began substituting depth players for minutes.

"(Assistant coach George Porcha) told me before the game to dominate by having confidence in myself," she said. "In the first half, I wanted to get my teammates open, so I hit Milan (Bolden-Morris) for a couple of threes right at the start. In the second half, I wanted to do my part because even though Coach tells me to rebound, I need to remain aggressive when we know we need to score more than the other team. So I went into the second half trying to do more of my part on the offensive end."

It produced early momentum for BC, and the team is hoping it carries through Game No. 2 on Sunday against Saint Francis College of Brooklyn. Last year's record nearly cleared the .500 mark, but it all began with a hearty run through the non-conference schedule. Knowing each game is individually important, the Eagles remain at home for a second straight game before beginning road games during the mid-week.

"We have to lock in a couple of more times before our second game," Soule said. "Coach always tells us not to take any plays off. My job is to become a rebounding machine, and I know I need to work on that before Sunday. I want to get as many boards as I can (against the Terriers)."
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Boston College will tip-off with St. Francis College at 2 p.m. on Sunday from Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill. The game can be seen on the ACC Network Extra on ESPN's online streaming platform and can be heard via the TuneIn app on mobile devices.

Soule Opens Season With Fire-Hot Performance

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