Women's Basketball Heads South for Matchup at Miami

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Boston College women's basketball heads South for a 6 p.m. matchup on Thursday against Miami on RSN.

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About the Eagles
Last Time Out
Boston College struggled from the floor in a 67-57 loss to Clemson on Sunday. Taina Mair led the team in scoring with 13 points, while Andrea Daley totaled nine points and seven rebounds. She was one of three Eagles with seven off the glass. JoJo Lacey and Maria Gakdeng scored eight points apiece. Carolyn Swords' jersey was retired in the process.

Waggoner Earns National Recognition
Because of her defensive prowess, Dontavia Waggoner was added to the 2023 Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Watch List on Tuesday. Waggoner is one of three players in the ACC with Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech) and Celeste Taylor (Duke) to make the list that features 15 of the best defensive players in the country. The Nashville native has been a menace on defense this season, where she is first in the ACC and fifth in the nation in steals with 66, while she is first in the conference and 15th in the country in steals per game (3.0). Waggoner is well on her way to breaking the single-season program record in steals, as she is 24 from passing Ann Odoy's mark of 89 in 1985-86.

A Win Would
- Snap the Eagles four-game losing streak.
- Give BC a 14-9 mark and 4-5 record to ACC play.
- Hand the Eagles their first win over Miami since 2009.

By the Numbers
1 - The Eagles are first in the ACC and 30th in the nation in turnovers forced per game at 20.36.
20 - BC is 9-2 this season when it attempts 20 or more free throws.
22 - The Eagles are 22nd in the country in offensive rebounds per game at 14.9.
60 - BC is 50-4 since 2018-19 when allowing 65 points or less.
156 - Mair's 156 assists are ninth all-time in a single season.

What to Watch for
- Watch if the Eagle can get to the charity stripe, where Miami has allowed opponents to attempt at least 25 free throws in five of its losses.
- BC has forced at least 20 turnovers in 14 of 22 games this season. See if the defense can create opportunities to score in transition. Miami has committed at least 16 turnovers in four losses.
- Watch if the offense can get back on track, as the Eagles' offensive rating over the last four games is 80.1. In the 10 games prior (8-2), BC was averaging 98.7 points per 100 possessions.
- See if the Eagles can continue to crash the glass for second-chance opportunities, where they are 22nd in the nation in offensive rebounds per game at 14.9
- During the four-game skid, the Eagles are averaging 21.5 turnovers per game. During the 8-2 stretch before, they were committing just 17.0. See if they can protect the ball.

Scouting Miami (12-7, 5-3 ACC)
- Miami is coming off a 71-61 setback to then-No. 20/18 NC State on Thursday.
- Lola Pendande led the team with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting with eight rebounds.
- Haley Cavinder poured in 15 points.
- Despite the loss, the Hurricanes are 5-1 over their last six games, while they are 9-4 at home.
- Haley Cavinder leads the team in scoring at a clip of 13.1 points per game.
- Destiny Harden is second on the team averaging 11.7 points per game and pulling down a team-best 5.2 rebounds per game.
- The Hurricanes are in the top 50 in steals per game at 9.9 and 12th in the nation in steal rate at 12.1 percent.

Series History
The Eagles are 19-29 all-time against the Hurricanes, and have won two of the last three matchups, including last season's 79-66 victory in Conte Forum.

What's Next
BC returns home for a matchup against Pittsburgh at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Women's Basketball Heads South for Matchup at Miami

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Players Mentioned

Andrea Daley

Maria Gakdeng

JoJo Lacey

Taina Mair

Dontavia Waggoner