Fighting Through The Cold

Sometimes the difference between winning and losing is as easy as looking at a box score.

Boston College entered Sunday's game against Virginia as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's most prolific offensive teams. One of five teams averaging 70 points per game in league games, the Eagles topped the overall scoring numbers as the only team over 78 points per game. Three of their prior ACC games averaged 76 points with a remarkable consistency, and the number only dropped because of an outlier performance against NC State.

So when Virginia came to Conte Forum and won, 69-52, one number stood out as the main reason. BC only hit 12 shots after going 7-of-18 from the floor in the first quarter. The team hit one three pointer in the last three frames and ultimately lost because of a mystical hand swatting every shot at whichever basket the Eagles used.

"I thought our team played hard," head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. "We just didn't play smart or as gritty as we needed to be."

It was ironic given BC's scoring clip at the start of the game. The Eagles bombed Virginia by hitting their first four shots and opened a 12-5 lead in the first three minutes. A media break ensued, and the Cavaliers, who didn't necessarily adjust their scheme, simply took a deep breath and went to work to tie the game at 17-17 before the end of the first quarter.

It frosted the Eagle shooting and carried over into the second quarter. Makayla Dickens splashed a three-pointer in the first minute, and Taylor Ortlepp converted a layup two minutes later. BC took a three-point lead after Taylor Soule hit a couple of free throws, but the team failed to hit a field goal before the half.

"I'm not sure (what happened)," McNamee said. "We were still getting good looks, but I think (Virginia) turned its heat up a little bit. Our younger guards didn't respond as well as they should have. We rushed and didn't use some of our on-ball screens like we normally do."

It cracked the door for Virginia, which seized momentum and never looked back. Senior Emma Guy kept BC in the pace with a 3-for-4 third quarter, but Jocelyn Willoughby matched her output and drove a stake into the proverbial heart of the Eagles in the fourth. Willoughby finished with 23 points, her eighth game of the season over the 20-point mark. She was also nearly flawless in the fourth quarter as BC pressed more aggressively to regain its stroke.

"We made up for (the offense) in the third quarter," McNamee said. "But we already had Virginia feeling hot. When you give a team that little bit of confidence, it's hard to get back. And I think we missed (Cameron Swartz) out there. When we get her back in the lineup, it's going to help us out."

"It was a tough game," McNamee said. "We couldn't put a run in there. We needed to shut out Jocelyn Willoughby, but we can look like a woman amongst girls. We didn't have a lot of answers for her. Then (Shemera) Williams stepped up and had a really nice game (for Virginia)."

Swartz suffered a late-game injury against Notre Dame and missed Sunday's Virginia game. It hollowed out a piece of the team's offense and cost the Eagles despite an otherwise equal game. Virginia outrebounded BC but only by four, and the Eagles tallied three more offensive boards than the Cavaliers. The teams were also virtually equal in turnovers and steals, and BC shot substantially better than its opponent at the free throw line, going 11-of-15 to Virginia's 7-of-14.

"We're going to learn from this," McNamee assured. "We talk (in our locker room) about not having a 'loser mentality,' which would mean we would get down from a game like that. I tell (the team) all the time that we're growers and learners, that we don't have a single loser on this team. We're going to get better from (the loss)."

The only aberration came on BC's shooting percentage, an increasing rarity given the Eagles' propensity for knocking down shots in bunches. Two of the first four games resulted in losses because the shooting sagged below 35 percent, but Sunday was the first time below 40 percent since the NC State game. The two games are the only two games in the team's last six, and the Wolfpack are a top-ranked, defensive wizard of a team.

The icy streak was quizzical, but the team took solace in its lack of occurrence. It was a one-way ticket to defeat, but the prior successes exuded optimism over the disappointment of Sunday's performance. That's going to be a big asset for BC, which entertains Louisville on Thursday. The Cardinals are currently ranked No. 5 in the nation with two first place votes, meaning BC will need to focus entirely on the tall task at hand when the team rolls into town.

"We aren't a team that makes blame (on anyone)," McNamee said. "We're going to get better because we know it's going to take our best effort, with our hustle and our grit and execution, to give Louisville a great game. That's what we're going to work on."

Boston College will host Louisville on Thursday at 7 p.m. The game, which is the team's Gold Rush Game, can be seen via the ACC Network Extra on the WatchESPN platform of media streaming.

Players Mentioned

Makayla Dickens

Emma Guy

Taylor Ortlepp

Taylor Soule

Cameron Swartz

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