Eagles Have Sights Set on VCU

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College women's basketball team hits the road for a 1 p.m. matchup on Sunday against VCU.

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About the Eagles
Last Time Out
BC helped the ACC win the Challenge on Thursday after earning a wire-to-wire 86-69 victory over Penn State on Thursday. Cameron Swartz scored a season-high 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting from the field. Jaelyn Batts is the first Eagle this season to earn a double-double after posting a career-high 16 points and 12 rebounds, while shooting 7-for-8 from the field and dishing out a personal-best five assists. Marnelle Garraud hit five of her eight shots (four 3-pointers) en route to 16 points. Taylor Soule didn't score like she is capable of, but tied a career-best with five assists.

A Win Would
- Improve the Eagles' record to 7-1.
- Give BC a five-game win streak, which would be the longest since the 2018-19 season (six games).
- Give the Eagles a 2-0 mark against Penn State.

By the Numbers
1 - Makayla Dickens is one point away from joining the 1,000-point club.
12 - Maria Gakdeng is 12th in the nation in blocks per game among freshmen.
30 - Batts is one of 30 players in the country to record at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
53.9 - Boston College is 16th in the nation shooting 53.9 percent from inside the arc.
80 - The Eagles are 23-2 when scoring at least 80 points under Bernabei-McNamee.

What to Watch for
- See if the Eagles can continue their solid offensive output, as they are in the top 40, averaging 102.5 points per possession. In VCU's two losses, its defensive rating was 89.3 compared to an overall average of 74.1 (20th in the nation.).
- Watch if the Eagles can get out to a fast start against VCU. The Rams are minus-28 in scoring margin in the first half in their two losses compared to plus-7 in their wins.
- During the four-game win streak, BC is averaging 18.5 free-throw attempts. Watch if BC can get to the line on Sunday.
- Watch if the balanced scoring continues for the Eagles. During the four-game win streak, four players are averaging double figures while Marnelle Garraud is pouring in just under 10 points. (9.5 ppg). BC has seen four different leading scorers as well.- See if the Eagles can protect the rock on Sunday, as VCU is forcing 21 turnovers in its four wins (8.5 in two losses.).

Scouting VCU
- VCU is 4-2 this season following a 65-48 victory over ECU.
- Four players scored in double figures, with Taya Robinson dropping 17 points.
- Chloe Bloom and Janika Wallace-Griffith each scored in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively, while grabbing seven boards.
- Robinson's 13.8 points per game is a team-best, and both Bloom and Madison Hattix-Covington average a team-high 5.8 rpg.
- VCU is one of the top defensive teams in the nation, where it is seventh in 3-point field goal defense at 20 percent and 16th in scoring defense (51.0 ppg).
- The Rams are one of the slower teams in the country in terms of pace, averaging 69 possessions per 40 minutes.
- VCU has been a tough out at the Siegel Center, as it boasts a 35-9 mark dating back to the 2018-19 campaign.

What's Next
The Eagles will make the trip to Amherst, Mass. to face UMass on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Maria Gakdeng

Marnelle Garraud

Taylor Soule

Cameron Swartz