Photo by: Joe Sullivan
Green Line Rivalry Win Prepares Eagles For Familiar Faces
December 07, 2022 | Women's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
Beating BU was the last step before T-Soule and Clara Ford return as enemies with Virginia Tech.
It's incredibly difficult to stop a team from shooting the lights out of the gym, but Sunday's matchup between Boston College and Boston University found a way to move the Eagles past the Terriers by simply sticking to the game plan. They understood the challenges posed by a team that played to the outside shot, and they controlled the game flow by dominating the area at and around the basket. They owned the paint, and they used different tempos to score 52 points in the paint and 29 points off of BU's 23 turnovers in a 90-80 victory over their Green Line Rivalry opponent.
That strategy required BC to take care of the basketball with high efficiency shooting, and Lacey and Waggoner capitalized by blending their own individual styles into a unique, team-oriented attack. Each scored 20-plus points for the first time in their respective careers, and Waggoner's 27 points occurred without a single three-pointer taken. That role was left to Lacey and her 22 points, which she produced by hitting 5-of-10 shots from outside as part of a larger, 8-for-15 night.
Each player in BC's starting five scored in double figures for the first time this season, and Waggoner registered a double-double by grabbing 10 rebounds, seven of which were on the offensive end. Taina Mair countered with six on the defensive glass, and three others - Lacey, Andrea Daley, and Ally VanTimmeren - had three boards off the rare BU miss.
"I thought our on-court chemistry and some of the passes were really good," said head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee. "I think this was a breakout game for Dontavia, and she was all over the boards. I thought JoJo had a lot of confidence at the three-point line, wanting shots, and it was an all-around aggressive game [that we played] with confidence. Having your point guard have nine assists and one turnover and impressive, so I'm very proud of the way we played."
The overall effort kept the Eagles ahead of the Terriers for over 26 minutes and offered tangible proof towards the team's overall maturation after earlier games experienced either a large lead or required come-from-behind efforts. There hadn't been an opportunity for BC to play from ahead while its opponent narrowly closed the gap, but the fact that BU did it by shooting 11-for-17 from outside only added to the mystique built into the matchup.
Nobody, it seemed, could stop the Terriers, but BC still produced enough explosive plays to keep BU from ever toppling that second half lead. They were able to shoot 13-for-24 in the second half by only missing two of their seven three-pointers and hit every single one of their 14 free throw attempts after the break, but the Eagle defense forced seven turnovers in the third quarter by grabbing five of its 12 steals. The sheer volume of free throws sprinkled items for improvement, but they didn't damage the efficiency of a lineup geared around the transition game.
"Coach Mac does a good job of running certain plays for certain moments," said Waggoner. "If I'm shooting and want a specific play, but I'm not quite open, I'm trusting my other teammates to make one more pass. If you don't have the shot, we're going to pass it out and get on a run. It's all about trusting each other, and if I don't have a play, someone else has it."
"This was a game where we wanted the offense to move the ball," Lacey agreed, "and when we slowed down a little bit to run through that offense, it just showed everyone's capabilities."
It wasn't the complete performance from the first three quarters of the Rutgers game, but Sunday offered very different windows into BC's overall improvement. The hiccups were different, but they weren't fatal to a team that scored 90 points against a plucky team bidding for an upset win for a second consecutive year.Â
That's critically important given how Virginia Tech redesigned its roster around making a run at a national championship this season. Virtually everyone returned from last year's NCAA Tournament qualifier, and the additions of Taylor Soule and Clara Ford brought even more experience from the BC roster after the duo left Chestnut Hill to boost a team that's already 8-0 and ranked inside the top-10 nationally. Neither was ever required to shoulder the full load in Blacksburg, though Soule was a First Team All-ACC selection a year ago and Ford offered the kind of veteran leadership that's nearly impossible to find.
Soule is one of five players averaging in double-figures and one of four to start every game this year, and her 3.9 offensive rebounds per game slots her inside the top-30 nationally at an individual level. She's turned into a facilitator alongside guard Georgia Amoore, who already has 52 assists on the season, and she's the only player on the roster ranked either second or third in most individual categories.
She was also one of BC's all-time greatest players, and the sight of both her and Ford approaching Conte Forum through the visitors' entrance are already a confluence of emotions. Both were part of the senior class that rebuilt BC women's basketball, but both now wear a road uniform with the intention of beating past the Eagles on a quest for national supremacy. Both hold special status on The Heights, but their departures are part of the modern reality that will see each now represent an enemy for the young roster that largely never played with either student-athlete.
"We've had some good non-conference games to help prepare us for the ACC," Bernabei-McNamee said. "I really think having this game - and thank you to BU for really giving us a game that prepares us for our next game - that's all you can really ask for."
BC and No. 8 Virginia Tech tip-off on Wednesday at 6 p.m. from Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Television coverage can be seen on the ACC Network with online streaming available through the ESPN family of online platforms and mobile apps.
That strategy required BC to take care of the basketball with high efficiency shooting, and Lacey and Waggoner capitalized by blending their own individual styles into a unique, team-oriented attack. Each scored 20-plus points for the first time in their respective careers, and Waggoner's 27 points occurred without a single three-pointer taken. That role was left to Lacey and her 22 points, which she produced by hitting 5-of-10 shots from outside as part of a larger, 8-for-15 night.
Each player in BC's starting five scored in double figures for the first time this season, and Waggoner registered a double-double by grabbing 10 rebounds, seven of which were on the offensive end. Taina Mair countered with six on the defensive glass, and three others - Lacey, Andrea Daley, and Ally VanTimmeren - had three boards off the rare BU miss.
"I thought our on-court chemistry and some of the passes were really good," said head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee. "I think this was a breakout game for Dontavia, and she was all over the boards. I thought JoJo had a lot of confidence at the three-point line, wanting shots, and it was an all-around aggressive game [that we played] with confidence. Having your point guard have nine assists and one turnover and impressive, so I'm very proud of the way we played."
The overall effort kept the Eagles ahead of the Terriers for over 26 minutes and offered tangible proof towards the team's overall maturation after earlier games experienced either a large lead or required come-from-behind efforts. There hadn't been an opportunity for BC to play from ahead while its opponent narrowly closed the gap, but the fact that BU did it by shooting 11-for-17 from outside only added to the mystique built into the matchup.
Nobody, it seemed, could stop the Terriers, but BC still produced enough explosive plays to keep BU from ever toppling that second half lead. They were able to shoot 13-for-24 in the second half by only missing two of their seven three-pointers and hit every single one of their 14 free throw attempts after the break, but the Eagle defense forced seven turnovers in the third quarter by grabbing five of its 12 steals. The sheer volume of free throws sprinkled items for improvement, but they didn't damage the efficiency of a lineup geared around the transition game.
"Coach Mac does a good job of running certain plays for certain moments," said Waggoner. "If I'm shooting and want a specific play, but I'm not quite open, I'm trusting my other teammates to make one more pass. If you don't have the shot, we're going to pass it out and get on a run. It's all about trusting each other, and if I don't have a play, someone else has it."
"This was a game where we wanted the offense to move the ball," Lacey agreed, "and when we slowed down a little bit to run through that offense, it just showed everyone's capabilities."
It wasn't the complete performance from the first three quarters of the Rutgers game, but Sunday offered very different windows into BC's overall improvement. The hiccups were different, but they weren't fatal to a team that scored 90 points against a plucky team bidding for an upset win for a second consecutive year.Â
That's critically important given how Virginia Tech redesigned its roster around making a run at a national championship this season. Virtually everyone returned from last year's NCAA Tournament qualifier, and the additions of Taylor Soule and Clara Ford brought even more experience from the BC roster after the duo left Chestnut Hill to boost a team that's already 8-0 and ranked inside the top-10 nationally. Neither was ever required to shoulder the full load in Blacksburg, though Soule was a First Team All-ACC selection a year ago and Ford offered the kind of veteran leadership that's nearly impossible to find.
Soule is one of five players averaging in double-figures and one of four to start every game this year, and her 3.9 offensive rebounds per game slots her inside the top-30 nationally at an individual level. She's turned into a facilitator alongside guard Georgia Amoore, who already has 52 assists on the season, and she's the only player on the roster ranked either second or third in most individual categories.
She was also one of BC's all-time greatest players, and the sight of both her and Ford approaching Conte Forum through the visitors' entrance are already a confluence of emotions. Both were part of the senior class that rebuilt BC women's basketball, but both now wear a road uniform with the intention of beating past the Eagles on a quest for national supremacy. Both hold special status on The Heights, but their departures are part of the modern reality that will see each now represent an enemy for the young roster that largely never played with either student-athlete.
"We've had some good non-conference games to help prepare us for the ACC," Bernabei-McNamee said. "I really think having this game - and thank you to BU for really giving us a game that prepares us for our next game - that's all you can really ask for."
BC and No. 8 Virginia Tech tip-off on Wednesday at 6 p.m. from Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Television coverage can be seen on the ACC Network with online streaming available through the ESPN family of online platforms and mobile apps.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballFrom the Desk of Blake James | Ep. 2
Friday, September 19
Patrick and Ella Might Run the Marathon? | The Podcast For Boston: BC Cross Country/Track and Field
Wednesday, September 17
Football: Owen McGowan Postgame Press Conference (Sept. 14, 2025)
Sunday, September 14
Football: Reed Harris Postgame Media (Sept. 14, 2025)
Sunday, September 14
