Cooper Powers Syracuse’s Effort vs. Boston College

Sunday, March 1

Syracuse, N.Y.

4 pm

Syracuse University

15-14,9-9ACC

Boston College

18-11,11-7ACC

Boston College

Syracuse

Cooper Powers Syracuse’s Effort vs. Boston College

3/1/2020 7:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - It was fast-paced and close throughout, but the in the end Boston College outlasted Syracuse, 88-81, Sunday afternoon in the Carrier Dome. The loss snaps Syracuse's 12-game winning-streak against BC dating back to 2014. Gabrielle Cooper and Kiara Lewis both scored 18 points in the game. The loss places Syracuse as the eight-seed in the ACC Tournament. The Orange open the tournament Thursday against nine-seed Virginia at 2 p.m. in Greensboro, N.C.

🚨BREAKING🚨

Orange earn the eight-seed for the @accwbb Tournament and will face nine-seed Virginia in the second round on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/7GOdxbku5T
— 'Cuse Hoops (@CuseWBB) March 2, 2020

"That was a tough one," head coach Quentin Hillsman said. "That's on me. I take full responsibility for this one because I can't get a technical down the stretch with 48 seconds left in the game while we're down four with the ball on our baseline. At that point forward, we were definitely fighting uphill. If we scored, it's a one-possession game and it's totally different. I can't do that and get the ball taken away from us and just give them the game. Our kids fought hard. They played really well. I was fighting hard with them and I had the last play that I felt cost us this game. So, that's on me."

Of Note:

Syracuse honored its 2020 graduating class in a pregame ceremony. The accomplishments of Brooke Alexander, Elemy Colomé, Gabrielle Cooper, Whisper Fisher, Kiara Lewis and Digna Strautmane were recognized in front of a crowd of 3,140.
Cooper had a game to remember. Her 18 points were one shy of her season high, and the game was her third 15+ point effort of the year. Her 37 minutes helped her move into sixth place for career minutes-played at Syracuse. Cooper's also tied for sixth-most starts at Syracuse.
Lewis added eight assists and four rebounds in her performance.
Amaya Finklea-Guity recorded her 600th point today, the milestone basket coming in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. She finished with eight points.
Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi posted 13 points, three boards and a pair of assists in 16 minutes. It was her second-consecutive 10-point game.
Emily Engstler recorded eight points and 12 rebounds, two points shy of her 10th double-double of the year.
Boston College scored 12 three-point field goals, the most of any Orange opponent this year. Stanford and Oregon each scored 11 earlier this season.

Forever Orange🧡 pic.twitter.com/T702mQr4Yy
— 'Cuse Hoops (@CuseWBB) March 1, 2020

🎥: From our fans to our seniors, with love 🧡 pic.twitter.com/z9AN9NdCHf
— 'Cuse Hoops (@CuseWBB) March 1, 2020

How it happened:

BC jumped out to an early 11-0 lead, the effort led by Taylor Ortlepp's eight points. Kiara Lewis dropped in a layup to end the run and the teams traded blows from there. An 8-3 push helped Syracuse come within six at the halfway point. Things heated up in the final two minutes when five-straight treys were hit between the teams. BC and 'Cuse combined for 12 threes in the first 10 minutes, and Emily Engstler recorded her 100th field goal of the year in the opening frame.
The Eagles opened the second stanza ahead 29-26 before Syracuse used a 6-0 run to come within one, 39-38. The Orange took their first lead of the game with a minute left. The lead change came in the middle of a 7-0 run, Cooper tying the game at 43 with a trey before a pair of free throws from Lewis put 'Cuse ahead. A final BC layup sent both teams to their locker rooms tied at 45. The comeback effort was aided by Syracuse's bench recording 16 points in the half.
Gabrielle Cooper came out swinging and scored a team-best 10 points in the first half. Engstler was flirting with a double-double after 20 minutes, the sophomore recording a game-high eight rebounds and six points. The Orange shot 47 percent in the first half.
Syracuse and BC's point-for-point battle continued through the third, with neither side gaining more than a three-point lead and the teams knotted at 64 heading in the final stanza. The Eagles' Taylor Soule registered nine points in the quarter.
BC opened the fourth with an 11-4 run to go up 75-68 four minutes in. The Orange came within three midway through thanks to a 5-0 push, but the Eagles mirrored the effort to regain an eight-point lead. Syracuse responded with a pair of jumpers to make it 83-79 BC with 1:31 to go, but the Eagles held on for a win.

ACC Tournament
The 2020 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament runs March 4-8 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., with game one of the tournament kicking off March 4 at 1 p.m. between the 12th and 13th seeds. Syracuse enters as the eight seed and will play ninth-seeded Virginia Thursday at 2 p.m. (Regional Sports Network, YES Network in Syracuse). More information about the ACC Tournament can be found here.

The bracket is set. It's officially Tourney Time!
#ACCWBB🏀

🔗- https://t.co/ePpcOJrNJc pic.twitter.com/y1kfgFH9Yu
— ACC Women's Basketball (@accwbb) March 1, 2020