Boston College Athletics
Women's Hoops Set to Host UMass on Sunday
November 27, 2020 | Women's Basketball
Two teams meet for the first time since 2011 on ACC Network Extra
Bay State Showdown
• For the first time since 2011, Boston College and UMass meet on the basketball court as the Eagles host the Minutewomen Sunday at 2 p.m. Bill Spaulding and Eric Gallanty have the call on ACC Network Extra from Conte Forum.
• Sunday's game marks the 15th all-time meeting between the two programs.
• BC opened the season on Wednesday in impression fashion as the Eagles rolled past New Hampshire, 80-44. Head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee moved to 3-0 in season openers as junior Taylor Soule recorded her 11th career double-double (22 points, 12 rebounds) in the 36-point victory.
• UMass opened 2020-21 with an 82-54 victory at Bryant on Wednesday. The Minutewomen had three players in double-figures, led by Sydney Taylor's 24 points, including 5-of-8 from downtown in the victory.
• The 2020-21 campaign marks the 49th season of Boston College women's basketball. The program made its debut during the 1972-73 season on January 9, 1973 versus Eastern Nazarene.
Last Time Out
• BC opened its 49th season of women's basketball with an 80-44 victory over New Hampshire on Wednesday.
• BC moved to 35-14 all-time in season openers.
• The Eagles are 19-8 all-time against the Wildcats, including 3-0 when opening a new season against UNH.
• BC has won nine straight in the series versus UNH and is 16-4 at home against the Wildcats.
• Taylor Soule finished with her 11th career double-double with game-highs in points (22) and rebounds (12).
• Junior forward Clara Ford finished with a career-high 12 points in her first career start.
• BC totaled 14 steals on the afternoon, the most in a game for the Eagles since 17 steals last season against Syracuse (Feb. 6, 2020).
• The Eagles held a 38-22 scoring advantage in the paint.
• BC finished with four players in double-figures, led by Taylor Soule's 22 points. Clara Ford (12), Makayla Dickens (14) and Akunna Konkwo (10) rounded out the Eagles with double-figures in the win.
About the Eagles
• Boston College is in year three of the Joanna Bernabei-McNamee era as the Eagles are trending way up after a strong 2019-20 campaign.
• The Eagles are on the national radar after advancing to the ACC Tournament semifinals last season.
• Boston College was picked to finish 13th in the ACC prior to the start of last season. The Eagles crushed the low expectations with a 20-12 overall record and a record setting 11-7 conference mark. The 20 wins were the most for BC since the 2010-11 team went 20-13. The 11 ACC wins was a new program record since joining the ACC in 2006.
• Joanna Bernabei-McNamee was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year last season. Bernabei-McNamee earned the honor from both the ACC coaches and Blue Ribbon Panel.
• Bernabei-McNamee was the first BC women's head coach to earn conference Coach of the Year accolades since Cathy Inglese won the honor in the Big East in the 1998-99 season.
• The 20 wins were the most victories since 2010-11 when BC finished the season at 20-13. The 11-7 conference record set a new program record for most ACC wins. It was also the most conference victories since BC went 11-5 in 2003-04 in the Big East.
• The Eagles' fourth place finish was the best in program history since BC joined the ACC in 2005-06. Bernabei-McNamee also led the team to six ACC road wins, a new program record. One of the road wins was her first victory over a ranked team, No. 14 Florida State on Jan. 30.
Inside the UMass Series
• Boston College is 10-4 all-time versus UMass as the two teams meet for the first time since an 80-64 BC victory on Dec. 7, 2011 at Conte Forum.
• BC is 6-2 all-time at home versus UMass.
• The Eagles have won three straight in the series and eight of the last nine meetings between the two schools.
• UMass last defeated BC 69-66 on Nov. 14, 2007 in Amherst.
• The series between the two Bay State foes began on Dec. 12, 1981 as UMass came away with a 55-41 win.
Career Day for Clara
• With the graduation of All-ACC standout Emma Guy, junior Clara Ford knew she had big shoes to help fill in 2020-21. The Virginia native wasted little time to show she is ready to help fill the void in the post for the Eagles.
• In her first career start vs. New Hampshire on Nov. 25, Ford finished with a career-high 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field in the win. She added seven boards in just 14 minutes of action after getting into early foul trouble.
Well Worth the Wait
• Redshirt freshman center Akunna Konkwo missed all of last season due to injury, but the Virginia product showed everyone she is back and ready to be a key contributor to the Eagles.
• She finished with 10 points and seven rebounds to help give BC a dynamic 1-2 punch in the post in the win over UNH with Clara Ford.
• Konkwo totaled seven rebounds and one block in 20 minutes of action versus the Wildcats.
Preseason All-ACC
• Boston College junior forward Taylor Soule was named Preseason All-ACC according to separate polls of the league's 15 head coaches and the Blue Ribbon Panel.
• Soule is coming off a breakout sophomore season and was named the 2019-20 ACC's Most Improved Player.
• She was instrumental in Boston College's turnaround last season, as she averaged 7.9 points per game as a freshman and has taken her game to the next level in her sophomore year, nearly doubling that total with 14.5 points a game.
• Soule scored a career-high 29 points in the Eagles' win against North Carolina, which ranked among the ACC's top individual scoring performances in a game last season.
• An All-ACC Tournament second-team honoree, Soule was named to the All-ACC Blue Ribbon second-team and All-ACC Honorable Mention following the 2019-20 campaign.
Eighth & Ninth in the ACC Preseason Polls
• The ACC announced that Boston College was selected to finish eighth in the ACC Preseason Blue Ribbon Panel and ninth according to the league's 15 head coaches.
ACC Head Coaches Predicted Order of Finish
Louisville (13 first-place votes) - 223
NC State (2) - 210
Syracuse - 193
North Carolina - 157
Georgia Tech - 146
Notre Dame - 138
Virginia Tech - 125
Florida State - 124
Boston College - 120
Miami - 99
Duke - 74
Wake Forest - 73
Clemson - 56
Pittsburgh - 37
Virginia - 25
Blue Ribbon Panel Predicted Order of Finish (57 voters)
Louisville (45 first-place votes) – 840 points
NC State (10) – 797 points
Syracuse (2) – 724 points
Notre Dame – 555 points
North Carolina – 547 points
Florida State – 516 points
Virginia Tech – 482 points
Boston College – 468 points
Georgia Tech – 452 points
Duke – 385 points
Miami – 359 points
Wake Forest – 258 points
Clemson – 183 points
Virginia – 149 points
Pitt – 125 points
() Indicates first-place votes
Watch List SZN ...
• Taylor Soule was named to the 2021 Women's Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced.
• Overall, the list of 50 women's players represents 11 national conferences.
• The midseason 30 team will be announced in early February; players who do not make the watch list are still eligible to be selected for the midseason 30 team. Then, the competition will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists on March 2, 2021, and four finalists will be named on March 19, 2021. The winner of the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy for Women's Player of the Year will be announced on April 3, 2021.
Watch List SZN Continues ...
• Taylor Soule was one of 20 players to be named to the watch list for the 2021 Cheryl Miller Award. Named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer, the annual award in its fourth year recognizes the top small forwards in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
• A Preseason All-ACC selection, Soule is coming off a breakout sophomore season and was named the 2019-20 ACC's Most Improved Player.
• College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In early February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2021 Cheryl Miller Award will be narrowed to just 10. In early March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Miller and the Hall of Fame's selection committee.
Offensive Explosion
• Boston College led the ACC last season in scoring with 73.7 points per game. The Eagles ranked 30th out of 349 teams nationally as well in scoring.
• BC returns four of its leading five scorers from last season's squad. Juniors Taylor Soule (14.5 ppg), Makayla Dickens (10.4 ppg), Marnelle Garraud (9.8 ppg) and Cameron Swartz (9.0 ppg) return to the hardwood for the Eagles this season.
• The Eagles scored 90 or more points in three games last season, including an ACC single-game best of 109 versus Delaware State.
2019-20 ACC Scoring Leaders
Team Points Per Game
1. Boston College 73.7
2. North Carolina 73.1
3. Louisville 72.8
2019-20 ACC Most Points Scored in a Game
Team Points
1. Boston College vs. Delaware St. (12.20.19) 109
2. Boston College vs. St. Fran. Brooklyn (11.10.19) 106
Wake Forest vs. Col. of Charleston (11.8.19) 106
News and Notes
• BC was third in the ACC in field goal percentage a season ago. The Eagles shot 44.1% from the field, trailing only Louisville and Florida State in the conference.
• The Eagles ranked fifth in the ACC shooting 32.6% from behind the three-point arc.
• Boston College averaged 14.75 assists per game a season ago, third-best in the ACC.
• The Eagles recorded 8.03 steals per game, fourth in the ACC in 2019-20.
• BC's 13.69 offensive rebounds per game ranked fourth in the ACC in 2019-20.
• Taylor Soule was 11th in the ACC in scoring with 14.5 points per game a season ago. She was named the ACC's Most Improved Player for her efforts as a sophomore.
• Soule was fifth in the conference in field goal percentage last year (54.0%). Emma Guy led the league shooting 59.4% from the field.
• Makayla Dickens (3.78) and Marnelle Garraud (3.72) ranked ninth and 10th respectively in the ACC in assists per game in 2019-20.
• Soule finished 13th in the ACC shooting 72 percent from the foul line last season.
• Dickens drilled 62 from behind the arc in 2019-20, ninth-best in the ACC. Garraud was not too far behind, connecting on 56 three's, good for 13th in the ACC.
• Soule was second in the conference with 3.03 offensive rebounds per contest while Dickens was 14th and Garraud was 15th in the ACC in assist to turnover ratio.
Double-Double
• Taylor Soule produced her 11th career double-double in the season-opening win over UNH.
• Her 10 double-doubles ranked tied for fifth in the ACC a season ago.
22 points, 12 rebounds vs. New Hampshire (11/25/20)
11 points, 11 rebounds at Louisville (2/27/20)
22 points, 12 rebounds vs Pittsburgh (2/20/20)
29 points, 12 rebounds vs North Carolina (2/16/20)
20 points, 10 rebounds vs Notre Dame (2/13/20)
15 points, 11 rebounds vs Wake Forest (2/02/20)
11 points, 10 rebounds at Florida St. (1/30/20)
13 points, 11 rebounds at Georgia Tech (1/19/20)
14 points, 10 rebounds vs Virginia (1/12/20)
19 points, 12 rebounds at Notre Dame (1/9/20)
23 points, 16 rebounds vs Delaware St. (12/20/19)
