Learning Experiences Lead To FSU

Boston College walked into Virginia Tech's Cassell Coliseum on Thursday night with a little bit more air under its umbrella. Unmistakable stride graced the maroon and gold after the Eagles' victory over Georgia Tech, and undeniable optimism rooted itself firmly into the talons of a program seemingly ready for a second half breakout. BC was 1-1 in its last two games, but even the loss to Louisville felt like it was a sharp U-turn in the positive direction.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, that optimism doesn't always resonate with the basketball gods. Facing a third consecutive NCAA Tournament contender, BC's offense went silent and enabled the host Hokies to race out to an early, 11-point lead. It extended to 16 points at the half, and though the offense finally righted itself in the third quarter, a 70-49 final score forced the Eagles to return home with a bitter defeat.

"We just have to learn and grow from those games," BC Head Coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. "It's hard to win on the road, and we just couldn't hit shots. We didn't crash boards."

The game provided a reality check to a team hitting its stride after the previous two games. Louisville is currently an automatic No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, and three possessions stood out as the difference in an 11-point loss.

Three days later, BC wiped Georgia Tech straight out of its own gym, a victory resonating and resounding through women's college basketball. Prior to the game, the Yellow Jackets sought a potential matchup against a mid-major automatic qualifier, but the loss dropped them in ESPN's Bracketology to a No. 8 seed, and the prediction slotted them into a bracket with both Texas and South Carolina.

So there is still cause for optimism, even though disappointment seeped into the ride home from Blacksburg. Even in defeat, BC fought the Hokies hard on the defensive end. Virginia Tech shot 15-for-33 in the first half and nearly went over 50 percent on three point field goals. That drastically changed in the third quarter when the shooting percentage dipped to 33 percent, and it dipped further in the fourth when the hosts only went 5-for-17 from the floor.

"We held Virginia Tech under their average and changed what they were doing (on offense)," McNamee said. "They were exhausted, so they were forced to hold the ball. We had their number at times defensively, and we worked really hard on the defensive end. That's a good maturity thing for us. Makayla (Dickens) and Marnelle (Garraud) played really hard, and Cameron (Swartz) showed heart on defense, even though we had trouble making shots."

It revealed that the scoreboard, while lopsided against BC, wasn't all that far off from being a different story. The Eagles attempted 59 shots from the floor and only hit 17, a significant drop-off from the team's 25 field goal average per game in conference play. A team averaging over six made three-pointers per game only hit two. It quickly became apparent how Virginia Tech transformed into one of "those games," where the offense just wasn't there against an opponent all too familiar with holding down home court.

"Every one of our players really saw how that game could have gone our way," McNamee said. "But that's just part of the process. We need to make sure that these players believe in themselves. We want to figure out what to do differently so it doesn't happen again. We're going to focus on not being down because everyone is part of something bigger than themselves. Our players aren't satisfied with where they are, but they love their roles and can do everything in our capabilities to get wins."

Part of that is fully understanding the full court game. This was the second straight game in which the Eagles held a team with stingy defense, but unlike the Georgia Tech game, they couldn't translate it back the other way into points. The next step, which is part of the program's development process, is to conceptualize how to make it a regular occurrence.

"Everyone's understanding the scout and sticking to a game plan," McNamee said. "We watched the film, and there were opportunities that stuck out to run a more efficient offense (against Virginia Tech). Part of it came from expending energy on defense, but now we have to grow and mature into a team that can play both ends. I thought it was something we did against Georgia Tech, but we it just has to become more consistent."

There is help on the horizon. BC is on the back end of a three-game road trip highlighted by games against teams currently inside the bubble. The final opponent, Florida State, is ranked No. 14 in the most recent national poll with a 17-3 record (6-3 ACC), but the Seminoles sagged in the last month with a 3-3 record in their last six games after starting the year with a perfect 13-0 record.

Their overtime loss to Syracuse on the road touched something off within the team, and even after rebounding with a win over a nationally-ranked Miami squad, it still hasn't gotten right. The team struggled in its two other losses, especially in the second half, and was outscored in six of the eight quarters between the two games.

There's also the promise of a break from the grueling road warrior mentality. BC had a bye on Sunday, and that should enable much-needed rest prior to the trip to Tallahassee. It will precede a home stand for six of the seven games, beginning with Wake Forest's visit at the start of February (Sunday at 1 p.m. at Conte Forum).

"We're going to have an opportunity to get right," McNamee said. "The break is going to give everyone a couple of days to heal, and that's what we need going to Florida State. After that, we'll have a chance to own our home court, which is something we need to do. We want to own our ability to fire ourselves up."

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Boston College will take on Thursday at No. 14 Florida State at 7 p.m. Fans can view the game on the ACC Network. The Eagles will return home to host Wake Forest on Sunday at Conte Forum for a 1 p.m. tip.

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