Sweep of Syracuse, Clemson Extends Eagles’ Win Streak
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Publisher
Boston College women’s basketball knows how to share the wealth.
The Eagles have five players averaging at least 9.5 points per game, and, after this weekend, BC ranks 15th nationally with 17.8 assists per game.
Thanks to 23 feeders and four scorers in double figures, the Eagles coasted to a 95-71 win over Syracuse Thursday night. Three days later, though, one player in particular stole the show.
Cam Swartz.
The senior guard tied the single-game program record with 39 points at Clemson, guiding BC to a 80-74 victory, its third straight win and second in a row in league play.
Swartz's Record Day Lifts BC Over Clemson
The last BC player to rack up 39 points in a game was Sarah Behn on Jan. 13, 1993. Behn, who was inducted into the BC Varsity Hall of Fame in 1998, also achieved the milestone on the road (at Georgetown).Swartz attempted at least eight more field goals than every other Eagle Sunday.
She was 14-of-20 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, not to mention her perfect 7-of-7 day from the charity stripe. The 5-foot-11 combo guard nearly had a double-double. Swartz registered nine rebounds, notably three on the offensive glass.
Swartz piloted a relentless BC offense that repeatedly fought off Clemson (6-9, 0-4 ACC). The Eagles (11-4, 2-2) stormed out to a 7-2 lead. And then responded to a 9-2 Tigers run by scoring eight of the teams’ final 10 points in the first quarter. Swartz accounted for the Eagles first four field goals.
The beginning of the second period saw Swartz and Clemson forward Amari Robinson trade blows. Robinson finished with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting.
A Makayla Dickens 3-pointer, however, pushed the Eagles’ lead to 35-25, and the Eagles took a 40-31 advantage into intermission.
Clemson opened the third quarter with layups from Delicia Washington and Madi Ott. Once again, though, the Swartz-led Eagles had an answer. Swartz, herself, knocked down a 3-pointer to give BC breathing room. Then Taylor Soule converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to put the Eagles up, 46-35.
The duo of Ott, who at one point scored six straight for the Tigers, and Robinson fueled the Tigers’ offense in the third quarter. That said, BC maintained its lead.
It was more of the same in the final frame. Like when a Daisha Bradford free throw pulled Clemson within one, and Swartz quickly drilled back-to-back jumpers to restore the Eagles’ 10-point advantage.
Clemson got within six points of BC twice more but never closer. Joanna Bernabei-McNamee’s team finished. Again. Something that it failed to do in its ACC opener versus North Carolina.
Gakdeng's Breakout Performance Headlines Blowout of Syracuse
Maria Gakdeng is a rim protector. After all, BC’s freshman center ranks third in the ACC in blocks per game (1.73), and she’s a big reason why the Eagles are posting a HerHoopStats defensive rating that’s 7.6 points lower than last year’s mark.But she’s also a capable scorer.
That was on full display Thursday night against Syracuse when Gakdeng piled up a career-high 21 points, including 15 in the second half. She also pulled down nine rebounds while going 9-of-12 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free throw line.
Gakdeng wasn’t alone, though. BC, which shot 57.6% from the floor—and, notably, 11-of-22 from deep—had six players score nine or more points in its 24-point rout of the Orange (8-7, 1-4).
Marnelle Garraud knocked down 5-of-6 shots from beyond the arc and finished with 17 points. Dickens wasn’t far behind with 15 points off the bench. And North Carolina State transfer Dontavia Waggoner chipped in nine points and nine rebounds.
The Eagles used a 16-6 run in the opening quarter to take a 25-15 lead into the second period, during which they converted 5-of-8 from long range.
BC continued the beatdown in the second half, stretching its lead to as many as 28 points. When all was said and done, the Eagles posted their largest margin of victory versus Syracuse since they triumphed over the Orange, 75-50, in 2005.
Teisha Hyman and Alaina Rice led the way for Syracuse, combining for 34 points. The rest of the team, on the other hand, shot just 12-of-48, or 25%, from the field.
What's Next?
The Eagles head to Pittsburgh on Thursday to play another struggling ACC team. The Panthers (9-5, 0-3) are still searching for their first league victory. Meanwhile, BC is stacking conference wins and is off to its best 15-game start since the 2018-19 campaign.With a rematch against No. 3 Louisville on tap for Sunday, a win at Pitt is a must for Bernabei-McNamee’s crew.
