Boston College Athletics
Puerto Rico Provides Necessary Team Building Before BC Heads to Northwestern
December 02, 2019 | Women's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
Cameron Swartz led four Eagles in double figures against Tulane last week.
A long road trip is always a precious, delicate time for a college sports team. The isolation is a break and distraction from the normal routine, resulting in critical team bonding time. The tunnel vision focus is a necessary component of annual team building, and it can become the backdrop for team-building exercises both on and off a team's chosen arena.
It's why road trips retain points of emphasis. This past week, the Boston College women's basketball team traveled to Puerto Rico for a pair of non-conference games on the hardwood. The Eagles went 1-1, but the truth is that the experience went deeper into the team's woven fabric, continuing to thread the roster's collective spirit for the remainder of the season.
On the court, BC's week produced games on consecutive days for the first time this season. On Wednesday, the team dropped an 84-68 decision to Charlotte, but after a quick turnaround, the Eagles defeated Tulane, 89-76.
It was a breakout week littered with strong individual performances, even despite the one loss. Emma Guy went for 19 points and nine rebounds in the first game against Charlotte, and Cameron Swartz added 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Five Eagles had at least three rebounds, including Marnelle Garraud and Georgia Pineau, who added four alongside Guy.
"Charlotte just shot (well)," McNamee said. "But we had a quick turnaround to (Tulane), so we were able to move past it pretty quickly. This was the first time playing consecutive games, so we didn't have the time to (dwell on the first game)."
The short break proved incredibly helpful because BC didn't necessarily play poorly against Charlotte. The Eagles had a measure of momentum, and it carried into its Thanksgiving afternoon game against Tulane. They jumped ahead of the Green Wave in the first quarter, exploding to an 18 point lead, then polished the game off with a strong second quarter to lead, 53-28, at halftime.
The team's hot-handed shooting continued, and four players scored in double figures. Swartz dominated with a career-high 27 points after shooting a perfect 10-for-10 inside the arc. Emma Guy added 17 points and five rebounds, including three on the offensive window, and Marnelle Garraud scored 15 points with five boards of her own. Taylor Soule matched her 11-point output from the Charlotte game, while Garraud tied her career-high of six steals in the win.
"I thought the game against Tulane was one of our most complete games of the season," McNamee said. "Cam had a big game shooting, but it was because everyone did their job to get her the ball. Emma really started playing with confidence. The focus was definitely there."
The win helped boost the core message of the trip, but the whole experience was a landmark for the Eagles growth. The majority of the team's extended family made the trek to Puerto Rico for the game, and the players were able to soak in exercises as a collective unit. Moving about the island gave them a cultural appreciation of the commonwealth, though the ability to do everything together extended well beyond any personal barriers from the start of the season.
"It was a really important trip," McNamee said. "We played at a gorgeous facility (at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez), and everything we did helped with team building and connecting our players (to each other). On the court, we had (four players) in double figures against Tulane, and that really just emphasized everything we've been stressing in everything that we do."
It ultimately can turn into more for the Eagles, who improved to 5-3 on the season with the win over the Green Wave. This week marks the team's entry into the Big Ten-ACC Challenge when BC travels to Northwestern to play an underrated roster.
Already this season, the Wildcats are 5-1 after beating Marquette and Duke earlier this season. Their only loss came in their last game against DePaul, a two-point defeat to a team holding a win over nationally-ranked Miami. Last season, Northwestern won 21 games and advanced to the Women's NIT Championship, where it lost to Arizona.
"They have size inside, but (their bigs) can step outside for shots," McNamee said. "Everyone produces. Lindsay Pulliam is an All-America type of guard that can shoot threes, and Veronica Burton is a local kid from (Newton, Massachusetts) who can set up plays. On defense, they do a really good job of playing man-to-man, but they can also switch to zone. That's a similar profile to us in how they push tempo for more scoring through discipline."
It is part of a five-game road swing as BC opens up ACC play at Duke on Sunday. The Eagles are then off for a week before returning home to Massachusetts to play cross-town rival Boston University at Case Gym.
It's why road trips retain points of emphasis. This past week, the Boston College women's basketball team traveled to Puerto Rico for a pair of non-conference games on the hardwood. The Eagles went 1-1, but the truth is that the experience went deeper into the team's woven fabric, continuing to thread the roster's collective spirit for the remainder of the season.
On the court, BC's week produced games on consecutive days for the first time this season. On Wednesday, the team dropped an 84-68 decision to Charlotte, but after a quick turnaround, the Eagles defeated Tulane, 89-76.
It was a breakout week littered with strong individual performances, even despite the one loss. Emma Guy went for 19 points and nine rebounds in the first game against Charlotte, and Cameron Swartz added 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Five Eagles had at least three rebounds, including Marnelle Garraud and Georgia Pineau, who added four alongside Guy.
"Charlotte just shot (well)," McNamee said. "But we had a quick turnaround to (Tulane), so we were able to move past it pretty quickly. This was the first time playing consecutive games, so we didn't have the time to (dwell on the first game)."
The short break proved incredibly helpful because BC didn't necessarily play poorly against Charlotte. The Eagles had a measure of momentum, and it carried into its Thanksgiving afternoon game against Tulane. They jumped ahead of the Green Wave in the first quarter, exploding to an 18 point lead, then polished the game off with a strong second quarter to lead, 53-28, at halftime.
The team's hot-handed shooting continued, and four players scored in double figures. Swartz dominated with a career-high 27 points after shooting a perfect 10-for-10 inside the arc. Emma Guy added 17 points and five rebounds, including three on the offensive window, and Marnelle Garraud scored 15 points with five boards of her own. Taylor Soule matched her 11-point output from the Charlotte game, while Garraud tied her career-high of six steals in the win.
"I thought the game against Tulane was one of our most complete games of the season," McNamee said. "Cam had a big game shooting, but it was because everyone did their job to get her the ball. Emma really started playing with confidence. The focus was definitely there."
The win helped boost the core message of the trip, but the whole experience was a landmark for the Eagles growth. The majority of the team's extended family made the trek to Puerto Rico for the game, and the players were able to soak in exercises as a collective unit. Moving about the island gave them a cultural appreciation of the commonwealth, though the ability to do everything together extended well beyond any personal barriers from the start of the season.
"It was a really important trip," McNamee said. "We played at a gorgeous facility (at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez), and everything we did helped with team building and connecting our players (to each other). On the court, we had (four players) in double figures against Tulane, and that really just emphasized everything we've been stressing in everything that we do."
It ultimately can turn into more for the Eagles, who improved to 5-3 on the season with the win over the Green Wave. This week marks the team's entry into the Big Ten-ACC Challenge when BC travels to Northwestern to play an underrated roster.
Already this season, the Wildcats are 5-1 after beating Marquette and Duke earlier this season. Their only loss came in their last game against DePaul, a two-point defeat to a team holding a win over nationally-ranked Miami. Last season, Northwestern won 21 games and advanced to the Women's NIT Championship, where it lost to Arizona.
"They have size inside, but (their bigs) can step outside for shots," McNamee said. "Everyone produces. Lindsay Pulliam is an All-America type of guard that can shoot threes, and Veronica Burton is a local kid from (Newton, Massachusetts) who can set up plays. On defense, they do a really good job of playing man-to-man, but they can also switch to zone. That's a similar profile to us in how they push tempo for more scoring through discipline."
It is part of a five-game road swing as BC opens up ACC play at Duke on Sunday. The Eagles are then off for a week before returning home to Massachusetts to play cross-town rival Boston University at Case Gym.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballNo. 24 Baseball Defeats Duke (April 18, 2026) - Game 2
Sunday, April 19
No. 24 Baseball Defeats Duke - April 18, 2026 Game 1
Saturday, April 18
No. 24 Baseball Defeats Duke (April 17, 2026)
Friday, April 17
#24 Baseball Defeats UConn (April 15, 2026)
Wednesday, April 15
