Rough Fourth Quarter Results in 77-60 Loss For Boston College Against Miami
On just one night’s rest, no team is at their very best. However true that may be, Boston College badly needed a win in Thursday's game against Miami. The Hurricanes, led by Destiny Harden and Endia Banks, routed BC in the second half. When all was said and done, BC dropped to 5-10 on the season with a 77-60 loss.
For the second consecutive game, Boston College jumped out to an early eight-point lead. Marnelle Garraud, who has proven to have a knack for scoring off the get-go, drained a three on BC’s first possession and found Clara Ford diving inside for a layup on the Eagles’ second. From there, Makayla Dickens and Miami’s Taylor Mason traded threes to make the score 8-3 , butJaelyn Batt’s monster first half helped keep the Eagles in the lead for the rest of the quarter with 10 points. Even though Miami cut lead to two just before the first buzzer, Batt’s last second jumper maintained Boston College’s four-point lead.
The next quarter was fairly even. Batts and Dickens, who both tallied ten points in the first half led the Eagles’ offense with relative ease. Two nights ago, a smooth offense seemed impossible but BC seemed to manage pretty well against the Canes. Well, for the first half at least. Taylor Soule, coming off a season-best 27 points on Tuesday night, was kept in check by Miami’s forwards. Soule channeled her boundless energy into her defense, though, as she picked up a steal and forced a charge in the second quarter. Miami’s Destiny Harden heated up late in the second, knocking in a long jumper and beating Kaylah Ivey off the dribble for two, but the lead held at four heading into halftime.
This season, second halves have been disastrous for Boston College, especially on offense. In the third quarter, Taylor Soule got a pair of easy buckets in transition, but the rest of the Eagles floundered on that end of the floor, scoring only 11 points. Jaelyn Batts and Makayla Dickens, who had combined for twenty points in the first half, disappeared after the break. The duo only managed five points in the second half. To make matters worse, the BC defense could not stop Destiny Harden. The Hurricanes’ guard was seemingly un-guardable. She repeatedly hit long fade-away jumpers with a hand in her face, or snagged an offensive rebound for an easy put-back. At the end of three, Miami lead 50-48 and things looked grim for Coach McNamee’s squad once again.
There is no delicate way to put this, so I’ll just say it. The fourth quarter was the Eagles’ worst performance of this lackluster season. The offense, rendered ineffective due to poor decision making, logged just twelve points. On top of that, BC surrendered 27 points in the final period, turning a close, one-possession game into a 17-point blowout at the final horn. Soule finished with 15, but she could not match Destiny Harden. Harden single-handedly sealed the game for Miami. She finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Final score: 77-60.
This season has been rough for Boston College, but this two game stretch might be the worst week they’ve had all year. In two consecutive games, Boston College has jumped out to an early lead, maintained that lead at the half, only to squandered it in the second half and end with a loss. The Eagles’ defense has also proven to be a liability this week, as in two games they have surrendered an average of 46.5 second-half points. There is not a team in the country that can survive giving up 46 points in the second half. There will be no rest for the weary Eagles, however, as on Sunday they will play 13-5 Georgia Tech. Let’s hope they can turn this week around.
Photo courtesy of BCEagles.com
