Boston College
8-3,0-1ACC
Sacred Heart
3-4,0-0NEC
Eagles Dominate in Wire-to-Wire Win
December 21, 2021 | Women's Basketball
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College women's basketball team dominated in a wire-to-wire 97-68 victory over Sacred Heart on Tuesday afternoon in Conte Forum.
The Eagles are 8-3 overall and finished 8-2 in non-conference action. Sacred Heart falls to 3-4 on the season.
BC showcased a stellar performance on both ends of the floor, highlighted by season-highs in points (97) and field goal percentage (69.2). BC shot an impressive 82.9 percent from inside the arc, and assisted on 24 of 36 field goals.
It was a balanced scoring effort, where five players turned in double figures and 11 of 12 players who saw action scored.
Taylor Soule bounced back (6 pts vs. UNC) with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field and a perfect 6-6 from the line. Maria Gakdeng turned in her best performance of the season with a career-high 17 points, shot 7-of-7 from the floor, six rebounds, and tied her career high in both assists (4) and blocks (3).
Cameron Swartz continued her solid play with 12 points (5-6 FG/FGA) and three rebounds. Marnelle Garraud totaled 10 points, tied a season-best with a game-high nine assists in 22 minutes, committed zero turnovers and earned four steals. Clara Ford tallied a season-high 10 points to lead a bench unit that scored 34 points.
All it took was for the Eagles to score the first 11 points of the contest and a 19-2 start to set the tone for the rest of the game. Soule and Gakdeng scored all 19 points (12 by Soule) and hit BC's first eight shot attempts. BC led 27-12 after the first quarter thanks in large part to 75 percent shooting from the field.
The Eagles' offense didn't let up, scoring at least 20 points and shot at least 57 percent from the floor in the final three frames.
BC was never threatened the rest of the way, as its double-digit lead never dipped below 13 points and grew to as much as 29 in the fourth period. The Eagles scored 60 points in the paint, while 21 came in transition.
Boston College returns to action on Dec. 30 against Louisville at 7 p.m. in its first conference road game of the season.
Tip-Ins
- The 97 points are the most scored since BC scored 109 against Delaware State on Dec. 19, 2019.
- According to HerHoop Stats, BC is one of two teams in the country (Northeastern) to shoot at least 80 percent from inside the arc.
- The Eagles are 24-2 under Bernabei-McNamee when they score 80 or more points.
- Gakdeng is one of 38 players to post at least 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in a game.
- The 23 free-throw makes are a season high, while the Eagles are 7-1 this season when attempting at least 16 free throws.
