About Us
The BC women’s basketball team took care of Bryant in its opening game of the season, winning comfortably by a final score of 65-42.
The Eagles started out strong and never looked back. They used a balanced offensive attack and held control of the lead for much of the game. Sophomore forward Georgia Pineau led all scorers with 15 points, and BC had four players finish in double-digits.
Pineau in particular has been thrown into an unfamiliar position at the start of this season. Due to other players' injuries, she is being stretched to play a role usually filled by a player with more size. In the opener, she guarded the opposing team’s biggest players and played more as a center on the offensive front. The Australian native responded well to the switch of position, helping the Eagles take the early lead, scoring seven of the team’s first 12 points in the first quarter.
“I’m happy to play whatever the team needs,” said Pineau after the win. “That’s what I think is a great thing about our team; everyone is willing to do their role.”
Head Coach Erik Johnson echoed Pineau’s statements, saying that he appreciates the team-first mentality of the 2017-18 Eagles squad. Every player seemed to put the team ahead of the individual during the win.
A number of other players stepped up for the Eagles as well, including freshmen Sydney Lowery and Milan Bolden-Morris. Lowery posted 13 points, and Bolden-Morris added 11 of her own–three of which were 3-pointers–and led the Eagles with nine rebounds. Both Bolden-Morris and Lowery played big minutes for the Eagles to start their careers, with 35 and 31 respectively.
“They both had key contributions to the really important parts of the game,” commented Johnson, speaking of the team’s only two freshmen.
Bolden-Morris, a freshman from Belle Glade, Florida, started the fourth quarter off with a big three-pointer from the corner, soaring off right in front of the Boston College bench. This sparked a final quarter in which the Eagles outscored their opponent 18-6, solidifying their margin of victory.
Boston College showed up on the defensive end as well. Bolden-Morris had a game-high three steals, contributing to the Eagles’ total of 10. Bryant turned the ball over 19 times. Boston College capitalized on Bryant’s mistakes and its own good defense with 17 points off turnovers.
Coach Johnson also acknowledged a change in the Eagles’ style of offense from recent years. They attacked the basket more in this year’s opener, leading to 15 free throw attempts. And although the Eagles only shot 60% from the line, Johnson sees this as a positive development.
“We’ve got players that can put the ball on the floor a lot better this year,” he said. “In the world of analytics, when you got the line more than the other team, you’re going to win a lot of games.”
The Eagles start the season on a positive note, cinching a 1-0 record. Next up is a road game against Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire on Sunday. The team will look to notch another home win when it returns to Conte Forum on Thursday, November 16 for an 11 a.m. game versus Fordham.
A firm handshake, eye contact, and a quick nod. It's just what I do.
