Holy War, Round Two Comes to Conte Forum

Experienced basketball players earn measured perspectives when the number of remaining games starts dwindling down. They become faced with a certain athletic mortality, and every execution, from practice to game day, starts to levy more weight and appreciation. Seniors especially grow fond of their minutiae, and their performances reflect how they can save their best for the end.

Emma Guy drove that point home last Sunday during Boston College's road win at Clemson. Guy shot 10-for-10 in the first quarter and hit her first 11 shots, scoring a team-high 24 points as the Eagles defeated the Tigers, 70-68. It continued her drive into elite company and put her within a game's work of passing Kerri Shields for 23rd all-time scoring and within striking distance of becoming the 22nd Eagle ever to score 1,100 career points.

It overscored the Tigers' ability to rally in a game where the Eagles led by 15 at halftime. Clemson turned in a 28-point third quarter to slice the lead to five, and a feverish fourth quarter wasn't enough for an upset bid falling just short.

"Clemson never cut into that lead all at once," head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. "It took about 14 or 15 minutes of work before we found ourselves in (a close game), and they had to start doubling down on Emma (on defense)."

There was always going to be critical importance on the Clemson game because the Tigers are a plucky team. Their early-season win over Duke is a reason why the Blue Devils are currently bubble-out in the national tournament race, and they nearly upset Georgia Tech in a one-possession loss.

The Eagles overcame the changing situation to hold on against the Tigers and used a strong third quarter showing at the free throw line to buoy a little bit of icy shooting in the second half. Makayla Dickens joined Guy over the 20-point barrier with 21 of her own, but a team-based approach produced the scoring threat. BC had 17 assists on 28 made field goals, and five Eagles had at least two helpers.

"We had to get back on defensive transitions in the second half more," McNamee said. "And we had a couple of bad offensive possessions, where Clemson made us pay every time. There were three possessions where we missed, and they led directly to Clemson scores. But we had built that lead in the first half."

For BC, that meant handling business against an opponent playing better basketball than the on-paper record, even as it gave the Eagles favored status. Scenarios are very different when a team punches up as an underdog, so facing that team - on the road - gave this game a panache and degree of difficulty. The Eagles, though, had their eyes opened in a home loss to Syracuse, a game where the visiting team hit eight shots in three of the four quarters and nine in the remaining frame.

"Syracuse shot the ball really well," McNamee said. "If they shoot the ball well, they become a tough matchup. And they shot well each time they had the ball. Kiara Lewis was on fire."

The Orange's remarkable consistency downed the Eagles and continued through a massive upset over Louisville later in the weekend, making Clemson even more important for the team's postseason wishes. Syracuse's two victories closed the gap with a potential breakaway pack, and the ACC enters this week with seven teams holding either five or six losses. BC is right in the thick at 6-6 but is tied with the Orange. Both teams are a half-game behind Georgia Tech and North Carolina, both of which are potential tournament teams, and a game separates them from Duke and Virginia Tech.

It means a one or two game swing in either direction changes the complexion of the entire conference race. BC is in the thick of that race but faces a surging Notre Dame team on Thursday in the first of its recent stretch of home games. The Fighting Irish were, at one time, 2-7 in conference play, but are victorious in their last three games.

This is the first repeat opponent of the 2019-2020 season for the Eagles, who earned their first ever victory at Notre Dame with a 75-65 victory in early January.

"We've changed a bit since then," McNamee said. "And our game plan is going to look at what we think they're going to do and what we think might change since we have a few days to prepare our attack. Notre Dame might not do anything different because they have always had a system that works really well, but we have to prepare for anything. We've been going one game a time this whole season, and that's how we're going to think about this one as well."

Boston College and Notre Dame will tip off at 7 p.m. on Thursday from Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill. The game will be televised on the ACC Network Extra platform available via ESPN's online streaming.

Players Mentioned

Makayla Dickens

Emma Guy

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