Boston College Women’s Basketball Dominates Penn State in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

The Eagles ensured a point for the ACC in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge tonight, as they defeated Penn State by a score of 86-69.

The game stayed close for much of the first half, as Penn State’s 3 point shooting kept them in the game despite BC totally dominating the board. BC led just 37-32 heading into the second half.

However, this BC team continues to be a consistent third quarter team. BC went 5-for-8 on 3s in the third and continued to grab tons of rebounds, and the Eagles took a 66-48 lead into the final quarter.

Taylor Soule, who struggled to score from the floor tonight, started off the fourth quarter scoring with a pair of free throws. Penn State really fought back in the fourth, but with BC leading by 18-20 points for much of the quarter they weren’t able to make any real attempt at a comeback.

Key Takeaways

• Cam Swartz had a standout game tonight after a slow start to the year, which hopefully will give her the confidence she needs to stay hot. She led the game with 29 points, including a pair of 3s.
• Jaelyn Batts is quietly becoming a really important player on this team. She’s moved into the starting lineup and she’s playing a much steadier and more consistent game than we’ve seen from her previously. Her shots look smooth and she generally looks stronger. She recorded her first career double-double tonight with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
• The Eagles were fantastic about limiting fouls while still playing high tempo, aggressive defense tonight. I’ve really been impressed by the defensive jump this squad has made. Penn State took just 4 free throws the entire game.
• I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - as the Eagles head into ACC season, they can’t keep waiting until the third quarter to get hot.
• Obviously you never want to see Taylor Soule have such as slow offensive game, but it is reassuring to see the Eagles manage a win without her putting up double digits.