Amber in the News
2003-2004

picture courtesy of Boston College Official Athletic Site - Women's Basketball

Amber Jacobs Drafted By WNBA's Minnesota Lynx

April 17, 2004 Seacaucus, N.J. - Boston College senior guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) was selected by the Minnesota Lynx in the third round (33rd overall pick) of the 2004 Women's National Basketball Association Draft on April 17.

Jacobs is the second Boston College women's basketball player to be selected in the WNBA draft and is the highest pick ever. Cal Bouchard ('00) was the college's first WNBA draftee, selected in the fourth round (60th overall pick) by the Detroit Shock in 2000.

Jacobs, an All-BIG EAST second team and BIG EAST All-Tournament team member, finished her career as BC's fourth-leading scorer (1544) and fifth in assists (469). She also finished in the top ten of several other statistical categories, including field goals made (fifth), second in three-point field goals made (183), eighth in free throws made (273), sixth in steals (158), and second in games played (123). This season, she won the 3-point shooting title at the 16th Annual Mountain Dew College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Shooting Championships held at the Men's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.


Amber Jacobs Wins 3-Point Shooting Championship

April 2, 2004 San Antonio, Texas - Boston College senior point guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) captured the 3-point shooting title at the 16th Annual Mountain Dew College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Shooting Championships.

This premier event has come to be recognized as the tip-off to Final Four weekend and features players from the nation's best men's and women's programs competing for an exciting evening that has become a cornerstone of ESPN's Final Four programming.


Jacobs Earns Associated Press All-America honors
Senior is one of top players in country

March 26, 2004 Boston, Mass. - Boston College point guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) earned Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention honors. As announced recently by the Associated Press, Jacobs made the cut as one of the top 32 players in the nation.

Jacobs, an All-BIG EAST second team and BIG EAST All-Tournament team member, is currently BC's second-leading scorer with 14.9 points per game. A co-captain, she has led the Eagles to their best record in school history (27-6) and a repeat trip to the NCAA Sweet 16. This past weekend, Jacobs and the No. 18 Eagles won their first two NCAA Tournament games, defeating Eastern Michigan (58-56) and No. 21 Ohio State (63-48).


Women's Hoops Soars Into Sweet Sixteen

Amber Jacobs scores 17 in the victory over Ohio State
March 22, 2004 By RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Amber Jacobs scored 17 points and Boston College held Ohio State scoreless for eight minutes of the second half Monday night in a 63-48 victory in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The third-seeded Eagles (27-6) advanced to play either Minnesota or Kansas State in the Mideast Regional semifinals Sunday in Norfolk, Va.

Jacobs hit five of seven shots from the field, including three of four 3-pointers, and all four free throws. She also had five assists and four rebounds.

During the 10-0 Eagles run in which Ohio State missed all nine shots from the field, both free throws and committed three turnovers, Jacobs had a layup and a 3-pointer and Deveny hit a pair of baskets.


Women's Hoops Eliminates Eastern Michigan, 58-56
Eagles will meet Ohio State in the second round on Monday night
March 20, 2004 By RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Kathrin Ress made a backdoor layup with 12 seconds left and Boston College hung on to beat Eastern Michigan 58-56 Saturday in an NCAA women's first-round game.

Third-seeded Boston College (26-6), the Big East tournament champion, will meet Ohio State (21-9) in the second round on Monday night. The sixth-seeded Buckeyes beat West Virginia 73-67 in the opening game at their own St. John Arena.

Ress led Boston College with 16 points, Amber Jacobs had 13, and Clare Droesch added 11 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

Jacobs made three shots from behind the arc during the early surge, and all five players scored.


Stars on rise for Jacobs, BC
By George Kimball

Thursday, March 18, 2004 Arguably the greatest honor to befall Amber Jacobs in the course of her stellar four-year career at Boston College came last week when she was chosen to participate in the April 3 Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Challenge, but the senior point guard is secretly hoping she won't play.

The All-Star game will be a prelude to the women's Final Four, and should the Eagles win four tournament games, Amber would be obliged to phone in her regrets.

``It's a great privilege and honor to be asked to be in the senior All-Star game,'' Jacobs said yesterday, ``but I'd certainly rather be in the Final Four with my team.''

Although Jacobs is averaging 14.9 points per game, led the team in assists 18 times this season and stands fourth on BC's all-time scoring list, her selection to the postseason classic came as a surprise, at least to her.

``I mean, I knew a little about the game because `Breezy' (Brianne Stepherson, her former teammate) went last year, but it wasn't something I was aiming for. It wasn't a goal or anything. I was just kind of asked out of the blue, but I'm really excited about it.''

Jacobs and her BC teammates depart today for Columbus, Ohio, and the Mideast Regional. The third-seeded Eagles, who shocked UConn and then beat Rutgers to win the Big East tournament last weekend, play 14th-seeded Eastern Michigan in Saturday's opening round (1:30 p.m., ESPN2).

``I don't know anything about them yet,'' Jacobs said of Eastern Michigan. ``Right now all I know about them is they're the Eagles, too.''

In last year's NCAA tournament, Jacobs hit game-winning shots in each of the Eagles' first two wins as BC advanced for the first time to the Sweet 16. The experience of having been to the dance, she said, will help this year, particularly in facing an opponent like Eastern Michigan, which has never before been to the dance.

``There's a little advantage, even if it's just understanding the atmosphere of the NCAA tournament,'' Jacobs said. ``I think having been there before will help us in terms of composure, but we certainly can't take anything for granted, even with a team coming into the tournament for the first time ever.''

Jacobs arrived at The Heights from Abington Heights (Pa.) High, where she averaged 23 points a game as a senior and was voted the Pennsylvania Player of the Year. She recalls the transition from high school to the Big East as a difficult one. Once she arrived at BC, she realized that every player there had been the star on her high school team.

``It's a huge adjustment coming into a Division 1 college program. It's a much faster game, quicker game, stronger game, not just physically challenging but mentally challenging,'' said Jacobs, who at one point became so unsettled that she nearly quit. ``I think you learn a lot in your first year. You're a little overwhelmed at first, but each year you develop into a smarter player and you understand the game more, the coach's philosophy. By your senior year it finally starts to jell.''

Jacobs' backcourt mate, junior Jessalyn Deveny, was named the Outstanding Performer in the Big East tournament after pouring in 36 points in four games. With Deveny (16.5 ppg) and Jacobs standing one-two in scoring this season, it is a reasonable assumption that Eastern Michigan will be keying its defense to stopping the BC guards.

``It'll be huge for us as a backcourt to play well in this tournament,'' Jacobs said. ``Obviously, our backcourt is the experienced part of the team.

``But they've thrown every defense at us this season: zone, man-to-man, special defenses like a box-and-one or a triangle-and-two. We feel very prepared as a team to go against any of those. We're looking forward to just coming in and having a great NCAA tournament and just playing to the best of our abilities.''


Big East tourney boosts BC morale
By Rich Thompson
Tuesday, March 16, 2004

The Boston College women's basketball team earned the third seed in the Midwest regional bracket and they travel to the nation's Heartland atop a momentum-powered bandwagon.

The 23rd-ranked Eagles will confront Eastern Michigan in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

The Eagles enter March Madness flush with confidence and high expectations after defeating Syracuse, Miami, Connecticut and Rutgers to win their first Big East championship tourney in school history. The Eagles had been to the league tournament in four of the past five years, but none of those teams crashed the Big Dance with this big a splash.

``We feel very confident going into the tournament, even more so than we did in past years,'' said junior guard Jessalyn Deveny, who averaged 16.5 points and 33 minutes per game on the season.

``For us to beat UConn at the end of the season, when both of us are in prime condition on their floor in a championship atmosphere, has to give you confidence. We just played the best basketball of our season and we had to play four games in four days.

``It just shows us as a team that we can accomplish anything we set our minds to do.''

The task of maintaining the team's unprecedented momentum without losing perspective belongs to BC head coach Cathy Inglese. The Eagles have won 11 of their past 12 games - a trend Inglese is reluctant to tamper with. She said yesterday at Conte Forum that momentum is the byproduct of chemistry and continuity. ``The first thing I said to the staff is, `I don't want to screw anything up in practice this week,' '' said Inglese, who is in her 11th season at the Heights.

``I think you want to keep them as fresh as you can, and work on a few things we think we might be using for the tournament. You want to keep it (winning the Big East) fresh in their minds but at the same time keep them fresh and energized.

``They know more of what to expect in practices and to set goals but, at the same time, you can't look ahead. It's one game at a time, one section at a time and don't look beyond that. I'm just looking at what we need to do to prepare for these next two games.''

Senior guard Amber Jacobs has been a reliable point producer in her tenure at BC. Jacobs averages 32 minutes and 14.9 points per game and is fourth on BC's all-time scoring list with 1,507 career points, sixth in steals (156) and fifth in assists (458).

Jacobs has developed into a dependable and successful go-to option on the offensive end of the floor. But the common thread that ran threw the Eagles' four Big East tournament wins was defense. Jacobs said good teams are able to convert strong team defense into instant offense and believes BC executes that philosophy.

``Our defense spurs on our offense,'' Jacobs said. ``I think we've shown that, in the games that we have played well, our defense and our aggressiveness were responsible for getting us into the momentum of our offense.

``If you look at the games we didn't play well in, those are the ones where we weren't as aggressive or defensively active. The defense creates the tempo for our offense.''

Inglese has seen the team's defense improve steadily over the course of the season. ``Our defense in the last four games was very, very good, and I've been as pleased with our defense as I am with our offense,'' said Inglese. ``I think they are really buying into that.''


Amber Jacobs Named To Kodak All-America District Squad
Senior gets her first career honor from Kodak and WBCA

March 12, 2004 ATLANTA, Ga. - Boston College point guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) was named a finalist for the 2004 Division I Women's Basketball Kodak All-America Team. As announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the Eastman Kodak Company, Jacobs was named one of six players to the All-District Region 1 squad.

Jacobs, an All-BIG EAST second team and BIG EAST All-Tournament team member, is currently BC's second-leading scorer with 14.9 points per game. A co-captain, she has been instrumental in her team's 25-6 season with a No. 23 national ranking. This past weekend, Jacobs and the Eagles upset defending national champion Connecticut to win their first-ever BIG EAST championship.

Joining Jacobs on the District 1 team are fellow BIG EAST players Jacqueline Batteast (Notre Dame), Rebekkah Brunson (Georgetown), and Diana Taurasi (Connecticut), along with Cathy Joens (George Washington). WBCA member coaches in each of the eight WBCA geographical districts vote for the final team and Player of the Year, which will be announced at the Women's Final Four in New Orleans on April 3, 2004.


Amber Jacobs To Play In WBCA All-Star Challenge
Eagle point guard one of 20 of nation's elite to be showcased at Final Four

March 12, 2004 Atlanta, Ga. - Boston College senior point guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) was named to the 2004 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Star Challenge. On Saturday, April 3, Jacobs will be one of 18 top senior collegiate players who will showcase their talents at Tulane University's Fogelman Arena at the Women's Final Four.

Jacobs is one of three BIG EAST players to be featured in the event. Georgetown's Rebekkah Brunson and BIG EAST Player of the Year Diana Taurasi of Connecticut will join Jacobs in New Orleans for the weekend of the Final Four.

The seventh annual WBCA All-Star Challenge will take place as part of a doubleheader prelude to the NCAA Women's Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year's game will be the second of the featured "WBCA Night of All-Stars" event. Participants include 18 of the top senior NCAA Division I players -- voted on by Division I head coaches -- and the NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA top senior vote getters in the State Farm Player of the Year.


Jacobs super senior: Guard scores 22 points in tourney final
By Mike Shalin/Big East Notebook

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 HARTFORD - Cathy Inglese pointed out an interesting fact after her Boston College team won the Big East championship here last night.

``Her first year here, we lost 10 games in a row,'' Inglese said of Amber Jacobs after the Eagles' 25th win in 31 games this year. ``People forget about that.''

Jacobs hasn't forgotten. She made back-to-back game-winning shots in last year's NCAA tournament and has been one of two senior leaders on a BC team savoring another shot at the national stage.

Jacobs walked into last night's postgame media conference with one of the nets around her neck. ``It's my necklace,'' she said, beaming.

Inglese enjoyed the moment, too. ``She's just having fun leading the team and playing her best basketball,'' the coach said.

In the four tournament games, Jacobs went 22-for-36 from the floor, scored 61 points (13 in each of the first three games, 22 last night) and added 11 assists.


Rally falls short as UConn ousted from league tournament for second year in row
Scott Cacciola , Register Staff

03/09/2004 HARTFORD � Boston College guard Jessalyn Deveny, with her arms outstretched, lunged toward the ball and stole the pass. As Deveny tumbled to the court, she screamed for a timeout with 6.2 seconds left against the University of Connecticut women�s basketball team. Her voice cut through a stunned silence at the Hartford Civic Center.

All that was left were two free throws, which Deveny made, and a last-gasp attempt by the Huskies, which never materialized. The fifth-seeded Eagles then stormed the court to celebrate their 73-70 upset win over top-seeded UConn in the Big East tournament semifinals on Monday night.

"I�m overjoyed," said BC coach Cathy Inglese, whose team advanced to tonight�s final against seventh-seeded Rutgers at the Civic Center at 7. "I couldn�t be any happier for this team."

UConn (25-4) saw its hopes for a Big East tournament championship evaporate for the second straight year. Last season, the Huskies fell victim to Villanova�s methodical offense in the final. This season, UConn watched Boston College (24-6) shoot a tournament-record 63 percent.

The Eagles were led by Deveny, who scored 21 points, and by forward Kathrin Ress, a 6-foot-4 freshman who scored 18 points, most of which came on 15-foot jumpers over UConn defenders.

The Eagles grabbed a 39-32 lead at halftime and withstood every offensive outburst the Huskies could muster over the final 20 minutes.

"They made every shot to stop every run we made," said UConn guard Diana Taurasi, who scored a team-high 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting. "Every shot they made was kind of a back breaker."

After trailing by as many as nine points in the second half, UConn took a 65-64 lead with 4:11 to play when sophomore forward Willnett Crockett found Taurasi open for a 3-pointer. The Eagles responded by scoring six straight points, including a baseline jumper from Ress that pushed BC ahead 70-65.

UConn center Jessica Moore, who scored 10 points but found herself in foul trouble throughout the second half, answered with a short jumper, and Taurasi followed that up with a 3-point play, which tied the score at 70 with 1:14 remaining.

The Huskies needed a defensive stop, but the Eagles rebounded their own miss and, after getting fouled, Ress made one of two free throws to give BC a one-point lead with 26.2 seconds to go.

After a scramble for the rebound, Taurasi got the ball back to Strother, who tried to force a bounce pass to junior guard Ashley Battle. Deveny stepped in to steal the pass and called for time. After Deveny was fouled and made both free throws, Strother tried to push the ball upcourt for one last attempt, but she got entangled with Moore and dribbled the ball off Moore�s foot.

"We never got a shot off," Taurasi said.

For BC, the win was vindication for two losses to UConn during the regular season. Inglese said the disappointment lingered, and the Eagles were intent to do something about it. With an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament pretty much assured, the Eagles took the court with little pressure � just determination.

"We knew it was going to be who could gut it out mentally and who could stay tough for 40 minutes," said BC senior guard Amber Jacobs, who finished with 13 points and five assists. "I think that coach did a great job preparing us. We know UConn like the back of our hands."


Women's Basketball Knocks Off Fourth-Seeded Miami, 65-53
Fifth-seeded Eagles advance to BIG EAST semifinal showdown with top-seeded Connecticut

March 7, 2004 Hartford, Conn. - The fifth-seeded Boston College women's basketball team knocked off fourth-seeded Miami, 65-53, in quarterfinal round action of the 2004 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Championship presented by State Farm at the Hartford Civic Center Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Eagles stand at 23-6 overall and will face top-seeded Connecticut Monday at 6 p.m.

The Eagles held a slim 23-20 lead at intermission, propelled by eight points from Kathrin Ress (Salorno, Italy) and six points from Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.).

Miami held a 31-29 edge with just over 16 minutes to play. At that point, BC went on a 13-6 run to pull ahead and never trail again. The Eagles opened their lead down the stretch with another mini-run, this time an 11-2 surge sparked by five points from Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.) and four from Ress.

Ress led all scorers with 20 points and seven rebounds. Three other Eagles tallied double figure points with Deveny posting 17, Jacobs 13, and Clare Droesch (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) 12. The Eagles were 19-for-23 from the free throw line, including a 10-for-12 effort in the last six minutes to ice the win.


Women's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Tournament With 64-36 Win Over Syracuse
Fifth-seeded Eagles put best foot forward by eliminating Orangewomen

March 6, 2004 Hartford, Conn. - The fifth-seeded Boston College women's basketball team eliminated 12th-seeded Syracuse, 64-36, in first round action of the 2004 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Championship presented by State Farm at the Hartford Civic Center Saturday. With the win, the Eagles stand at 22-6 overall and will face fourth-seeded Miami Sunday at 12 noon.

The Eagles went on a 10-0 run late in the first half to open a comfortable 13 point lead. Led by five points from Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.), the Eagles jumped out to a 36-18 lead at intermission and would lead by as many as 31 before the final buzzer.

Boston College shot 48.1 percent (13-27) from the field in the first half while holding Syracuse to just 26.1 percent (6-23). After hitting their first shot of the game, the Orangewomen went cold, going 0-for-8 from three-point range.

Jacobs and Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.) reached double digits in the first half, scoring 11 and 10 respectively. The duo finished with 13 and 14 on the afternoon. Deveny pulled in seven rebounds.


Deveny and Jacobs Earn All-BIG EAST Recognition
2004 BIG EAST Tournament kicks off with awards banquet

March 5, 2004 Windsor, Conn. - Boston College junior guard Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.) and senior guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) both earned spot on one of the three 2003-04 All-BIG EAST teams as named by the BIG EAST Conference Office. The awards were announced Friday at the BIG EAST Women's Basketball Championship Presented by State Farm awards banquet.

Deveny earned a spot on the first team while Jacobs was named to the second team. Deveny is making her first appearance on the first team after being named to the second team a year ago. In addition, Deveny was last year's Most Improved Player. Jacobs, an honorable mention selection one year ago, is making her first appearance on the second team.

Deveny and Jacobs rank among the leaders in several BIG EAST statistical categories. The duo is one-two in free throw percentage while Deveny is fifth in the league in scoring (16.3) and second in field goal percentage (.510). Jacobs is fourth in assists (4.64).


Women's Basketball Defeats Georgetown, 71-60
Eagles to play Syracuse in first round of BIG EAST Tournament

March 2, 2004 CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Senior co-captain Maureen Leahy (Wilbraham, Mass.) shot 5-for-5 from the field and hit 4-of-4 free throws for a career-high 14 points while fellow senior captain Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) registered 13 points to lead Boston College in a 71-60 defeat of BIG EAST opponent Georgetown in the final home game for each at Conte Forum.


No. 24 Women's Basketball Loses To Virginia Tech, 80-64
Amber Jacobs scores 17 points to lead Eagles

Jan. 24, 2004 BLACKSBURG, Va. - After being held without a field goal for the first time this season against Seton Hall, senior guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) responded with 17 points on 5-for-9 shooting to lead Boston College in a 80-64 BIG EAST loss to Virginia Tech in front of 3,720 in Cassell Coliseum.


BC 73, PROVIDENCE 53
BC women find groove
By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 1/8/2004

PROVIDENCE -- Providence coach Susan Yow had said earlier in the week that facing the No. 20 Boston College Eagles would be a "tall order." She was right.

Boston College started out slowly, making wild passes and missing rebounds, but the Eagles (12-1, 2-0 Big East) settled down and closed the first half with a 13-3 run. They finished with a 73-53 victory over the Friars (4-9, 0-2) before 289 at Alumni Hall last night.

BC senior point guard Amber Jacobs scored 9 of the Eagles' last 16 points. She also added nine assists.

� Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.


Jacobs Named BIG EAST Co-Player Of The Week
Senior captain earns honor for second time this season

Jan. 6, 2004 Providence, R.I. - Boston College senior guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) was named BIG EAST Co-Player of the Week Monday morning after her solid effort over the last week. The honor is her second selection of the season. It marks the third time overall that an Eagle player has been so honored by the conference office this season.

In a 2-0 week, Jacobs averaged 21.5 points and 4.5 assists as she led her team to its BIG EAST-opening victory. In the two games, Jacobs shot a combined 68.2 percent (15-for-22) from the field, including a 4-for-6 effort from three-point range. In addition, she was a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line.

In a 76-60 win over Wisconsin, Jacobs finished with 21 points, five assists, and five steals. Three days later against Villanova, Jacobs netted 22 in the 61-48 conference win. It marked the first time in the last three seasons that BC topped Villanova.

Jacobs is the team's leading scorer with 18.5 points per game. She has scored in double digits in all but two of BC's games this year. She has posted 20 or more points in eight of her team's 12 games.


Jacobs Leads No. 22 Women's Basketball Past Villanova, 61-48
Eagles claim first BIG EAST win; extend win streak to four games

Jan 2, 2004 BOSTON (AP) - Amber Jacobs scored 10 of her 22 points in the closing 3:42 Friday night, lifting No. 22 Boston College to a 61-48 win over Villanova in the schools' Big East opener Friday night at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass..

The Eagles (11-1, 1-0) have equaled their best-ever start. Jessalyn Deveny added nine points for Boston College.

Courtney Mix and Jenna Viani each scored 13 points for the Wildcats (10-2, 0-1), who had their 10-game winning streak snapped. It was their longest since the 1995-96 season.

Boston College, which squandered a nine-point lead midway through the second half, took the lead for good 47-46 on Maureen Leahy's free throw with 4:49 to play. Jacobs then followed the free throw with a desperation 3-pointer as the shot clock was winding down, pushing her team ahead by four.

After a Villanova miss, Jacobs and Aja Parham each hit two free throws, making it 54-46 with 2 1/2 minutes left.

Jacobs capped her night by hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Eagles had opened a 42-33 lead with just under 11 minutes left, but the Wildcats answered with a 9-0 run.

Neither team held more than a five-point lead until Jacobs' free throw with 16 seconds left in the half gave BC a 30-24 edge at halftime.


No. 22 Women's Basketball Tops Badgers, 76-60
Deveny scores a season-high 26 points and Jacobs adds 21 in win over Wisconsin

Dec 30, 2003 BOSTON (AP) - Jessalyn Deveny scored a season-high 26 points, and 22nd-ranked Boston College continued its strong start with a 76-60 win over Wisconsin on Tuesday night.

Amber Jacobs added 21 points for Boston College (10-1).

BC put the game away in the opening six minutes of the second half by outscoring the Badgers 11-2. Deveny scored the Eagles' first three baskets before Jacobs, who limped off with a sprained ankle late in the first half, capped the run with a short jumper and a 3-pointer.


No. 25 Women's Basketball Rolls Over UNC-Greensboro,84-53
Coach Cathy Inglese gets her 300th career win.

Dec 28, 2003 BOSTON (AP) - Amber Jacobs scored a season-high 26 points to lead No. 25 Boston College to an 84-53 victory over UNC-Greensboro on Sunday.

Brooke Queenan added 17 points and Lisa Macchia had 15 for the Eagles, who improved to 9-1, the best start in school history, and delivered coach Cathy Inglese her 300th coaching win.

Boston College dominated the inside and used a 32-7 run during a 10:45 stretch midway through the first half to take control.

Jasmine Byrd made a layup to give the Spartans their only lead of the game at 11-10. The Eagles went on an 18-3 run over the next 6:12. Jacobs scored seven points and Queenan had three straight baskets in the run.

Less than a minute later, Jessalyn Deveny made a 3-pointer that sparked a 10-0 run, extending Boston College's lead to 38-16. Jacobs followed Deveny's 3-pointer with another from the left corner.


No. 25 Women's Basketball Topples Sacred Heart, 94-49
Lisa Macchia leads way with career-high 28 points

Dec. 21, 2003 Chestnut Hill, Mass. - The 25th-ranked Boston College women's basketball team posted a convincing 94-49 victory over Sacred Heart Sunday afternoon in Silvio O. Conte Forum on the campus of Boston College. It was the first home game for BC since December 3. With the win, the Eagles improve to 8-1. The Pioneers fall to 5-3.


No. 23 Women's Basketball Loses To George Washington In OT
Lisa Macchia leads all scorers with a career-high 23 points

WASHINGTON (AP) - The 23rd-ranked Boston College women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season Wednesday night as George Washington's Marsheik Witherspoon drove the lane for a layup with 10 seconds left in overtime to give the Colonials a 76-75 overtime victory at the Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D.C..

Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) had 17 points for the Eagles, who were off to the best start in school history.


Jacobs Named BIG EAST Co-Player Of The Week
Senior captain earns honor after leading Eagles to tournament championship

Dec. 8, 2003 Providence, R.I. - Boston College senior guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) was named BIG EAST Co-Player of the Week Monday morning after her solid effort over the last week. The honor is her first selection of the season. It marks the second consecutive week that an Eagle player has been so honored by the conference office.

In a 3-0 week, Jacobs averaged 19.7 points and 6.7 assists as she led her team to the championship of the Brown Classic. For her efforts over the two games, she was named the Tournament MVP. It was the second in-season tournament championship for the Eagles, who had previously won the Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational over Thanksgiving.

Jacobs averaged 19.5 points, seven assists, and three three-point field goals per game in tournament play. In addition, she posted 20 points, six assists and just one turnover in her team's 90-43 win over Holy Cross. Over the three games, Jacobs shot 55.3% (21-38) from the field and 9-for-14 from three-point range.

Jacobs and Jessalyn Deveny are tied as the team's leading scorer with 18.6 points per game. She has scored in double digits in all but one of BC's games this year. She has posted 20 or more points in six of her team's seven games.


Women's Basketball Wins Brown Classic
Eagles win second in-season tournament with 73-45 win over Brown

Dec. 7, 2003 Providence, R.I. - The Boston College women's basketball team captured its second in-season tournament in as many weekends with a 73-45 win over the host Bears in the Brown Classic at the Pizzitola Sports Center on the campus of Brown University Sunday afternoon.

With the win, the Eagles improve to a perfect 7-0 overall. It's the team's best start in program history, besting a 6-0 beginning to the 1998-99 season.

Boston College and Brown played to a 30-30 tie in the first half, thanks in part to some hot Brown shooting (47.8%) and 13 first-half points from Tanara Golston. The Eagles were paced by 10 points apiece from Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) and Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.).

Jacobs led all scorers with 19 points on the afternoon. For her effort, which also included seven assists and five rebounds, she was named the MVP of the Brown Classic. Deveny finished with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and a spot on the all-tournament team. Macchia (15) and Droesch (13) rounded out the scoring.


Jacobs more than two shots
By Kevin Armstrong
The Heights - Sports
Issue: 12/09/03
Two shots. That's all it took. Amber Jacobs had accumulated recognition within her league and received accolades from her conference.

The eastern region of women's college basketball had come to know her three-point shooting ability and ball-handling strengths. USA Basketball had invited her to be an alternate on its World Championships for Young Women team last summer. Yet, it took two shots in the NCAA tournament for Jacobs to garner the national attention that follows a college basketball player who hits two game-winning shots in consecutive first- and second-round games in order to propel her team into its first Sweet Sixteen performance in school history.

Two shots. That's all it took. One Bryce Drew-esque shot and another last second stunner over the No. 14-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores, Jacobs was raised to the pantheon of buzzer-beating basketball players. Was she fazed by the circumstances? Did the season on the line affect her mentally? Was she up for the task of knocking down the storybook jumpers?

To Jacobs, it was just another game in the big time, and she accepted all the challenges they had to offer.

When asked if she was prepared for the dire straits in those games, Jacobs replied calmly, "Actually, last year [at] about the end of the season, end of February and the beginning of March when we started getting into the Big East tournament and the NCAA tournament. Pretty much every day before practice ended, Coach Inglese did special situations with us. But I think with her, you know, doing that in practice gives you confidence for the game when you are in those circumstances."

Nonetheless, these shots during practices in the Power Gym were not her first -encounters with the pressure of the diminishing time. The senior co-captain from the small town of Clarks Summit, Pa., used to do as any other young ballplayer does. She dribbled past imaginary defenders and shook off opposing forces in her driveway or local park, whether they were the strong winds swirling around the outdoor hoops or the relative obscurity of growing up in a small town.

Her athletic desires revolved around soccer and basketball, both of which she had played equally and often; however, when she entered the ninth grade, she needed to make a choice between the two. It was not that she did not like one any longer. That was not the case. Rather, it was a move looking toward the future.

"I really had a love for basketball at the time. And there were a lot more opportunities with AAU basketball."

This focus on AAU basketball was a major part of Jacobs' efforts to get recruited. Her team was the Philadelphia Bells, and they traveled to major cities. For many, that fact may appear trivial; however, for the small town Jacobs it was a way to being noticed. Their games were exhibitions of the girls' talents in front of an audience that was packed with potential college coaches. She jokingly recounts that Coach Inglese would most likely not have come to Clarks Summit if not for her participation in the AAU program outside of her town.

It was during these high school years that Jacobs earned All-American honorable mention commendations from several publications.

Throughout her high school career, she impressed coaches and recruiters with a striking three-point threat that still remains in her arsenal today. In fact, she is presently in the top 10 historically for three-point field goals made and attempted. Keeping with the records subject, the senior guard is also in the top five on the all-time assists list.

Yet, when it comes down to it, assists and three-pointers are still issues that leave her greatly divided, but still with a clear cut answer. She loves the reaction and roar that can erupt from a big three-pointer.

She is fully energized when the crowd reacts to one of her plays, but she still says that assists are more important than three-pointers.

She maintained, "If you ask me what are my two favorite parts of a game, then those two [assists and three pointers] are definitely my choices. You know, having those three- pointers definitely thrills the crowd. But I, for some reason, just get a lot of pleasure out of making a good pass and watching a teammate score a basket."

Off the court, the Pennsylvania native has proven to be just as meritorious. Instead of resting on her laurels with basketball and the athletic scene, Jacobs is pursuing her degree in the Lynch School of Education.

More than just the average student athlete, Jacobs also excels in the arena of academics. Just last year she was awarded the distinction of a Big East Conference Academic All Star.

Two shots. That's all it took. Two buzzer-beaters meant advancement to the Sweet Sixteen. Those were the events that introduced the world of women's basketball to Jacobs.

Through highlight reels on SportsCenter and other means of acknowledgement from the basketball community and academic field, the life of Amber Jacobs has been revealed and propelled in the past year because of two shots - two shots that showed who she is to a larger audience than her small town in Pennsylvania.


Women's Basketball Slips By Liberty, 74-70 In Overtime, To Open Brown Classic
Jessalyn Deveny posted double double to lead Eagle win

Dec. 6, 2003 Providence, R.I. - The Boston College women's basketball team opened up the Brown Classic with a thrilling come-from-behind 74-70 overtime win against Liberty at the Pizzitola Sports Center on the campus of Brown University. With the win, the Eagles now stand at 6-0 overall. Liberty fell to 2-4.

Deveny and Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) led all Eagle scorers with 20 points apiece. Lisa Macchia (Levittown, N.Y.) added 11 to the winning cause.


Women's Basketball Defeats Holy Cross, 90-43
Eleven different Eagles score; Deveny, Jacobs combine for 41

Dec. 3, 2003 CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College women's basketball team handed regional foe Holy Cross a 90-43 lashing Wednesday night at Conte Forum. Eleven different Eagles tallied points and the guard tandem of junior Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.) and senior Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) chipped in 21 and 20 points, respectively, to mark the third straight game that the two have scored 20 or more points apiece in the same game.

Jacobs scored 20 points shooting 7-for-8 from the field and added 6 assists while Deveny went 10-for-12 from the free throw line on her way to 21 points. The two led a barrage of Eagle scoring that posted an impressive 56.9 shooting percentage from the field and went 20-for-24 from the line as all 11 players participating scored at least one basket.


Women's Basketball Wins Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational
Tourney MVP Jessalyn Deveny leads way in 75-61 win over host Colorado State

Nov. 29, 2003 Fort Collins, Colo. - The Boston College women's basketball team won the Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational with a 75-61 win over host Colorado State Saturday night at Moby Arena on the campus of Colorado State University. The Eagles now stand at 4-0 overall. The Rams fell to 3-1.

The in-season tournament win marked the first this year for BC. The Eagles have won at least one in-season tournament in four of the last five years. Senior guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) led a quartet of Eagles in double digits. The All-Tournament selection hit for 22 points, including 11 free throws. Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.), the tournament MVP, connected for 20 points.

The Rams were led by all-tournament Vanessa Espinoza who scored 16 points. In addition to Deveny, Jacobs, and Espinoza, Alabama's Navonda Moore and Colorado State's Melissa Dennett were named to the all-tournament team.


Women's Basketball Topples Alabama, 77-56, In Opening Round of Tournament
Guard tandem of Jacobs and Deveny combines for 43 points

Nov. 28, 2003 Fort Collins, Colo. - The Boston College women's basketball team opened the Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational with a 77-56 win over Alabama Friday night at Moby Arena on the campus of Colorado State University. The Eagles now stand at 3-0 overall. The Crimson Tide fell to 1-1.

The guard tandem of junior Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.) and senior Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) combined for an impressive 16-of-20 shooting night and 43 points to lead the BC charge. In the second half, BC quickly expanded its lead to 14 points and then to 17 behind four points from Jacobs and some solid guard play from freshman Sarah Marshall (Falmouth, Me.). BC took its biggest lead of 25 points with 21 seconds to play.

In addition to the superb guard play by Jacobs and Deveny, backcourt mate Droesch chipped in with 14 points. Marshall added nine points and five assists to the winning cause.


Women's Basketball Opens Season With 68-60 Victory Over Oakland
Senior co-captain Amber Jacobs nets 21 to lead team

Nov. 22, 2003 CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College women's basketball team opened the season in nail-biter fashion, trailing Oakland University for most of the game before pulling out a 68-60 victory in the final two minutes of action. The Eagles earned their seventh consecutive season-opening victory with Saturday's afternoon's win at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Senior guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) led the Eagles with 21 points, including four down the stretch to seal the win. She was 5-of-6 from the charity stripe and collected three rebounds, two of those coming at the defensive end in the final 1:34. Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.) chipped in with 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

Lisa Macchia (Levittown, N.Y.) tied the game at the 2:59 mark with a lay-in, while Jacob's jumper gave the Eagles their final lead. Sophomore forward Brooke Queenan (West Chester, Pa.) led the defense with six blocks. She was one shy of tying BC's single game record for blocks.


Women's Basketball Defeats Premier Players, 87-66
Lisa Macchia tallies a double-double in the Eagles' final exhibition game

Nov. 13, 2003 CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - In its final tune-up before regular season play begins, the Boston College women's basketball team handed the visiting Premier Players an 87-66 loss at Conte Forum on Thursday night. Sophomore center Lisa Macchia (Levittown, N.Y.) registered a double-double leading the Eagles in scoring (16) and rebounds (11).

Six Eagles scored in double-digits and 10 players tallied at least two points in the winning effort. Senior Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) dished-out seven assists and added seven points while Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.) scored 13. Maureen Leahy (Wilbraham, Mass.) and freshman Kathrin Ress (Salorno, Italy) scored 10 points apiece.


Women's Basketball Defeats Team Concept, 86-74, In Exhibition Opener
Four Eagles score in double figures

Nov. 6, 2003
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College women's basketball team defeated visiting Team Concept in its first exhibition game of the 2003-04 season, behind a 62.7 percent shooting performance from the field for the Eagles, Thursday night in Conte Forum.

Junior Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.) torched Team Concept, scoring 27 points on an 11-for-15 shooting performance from the field to lead the Eagles. Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) added 19 points, chipped in five rebounds and tallied six assists on an impressive 6-for-8 shooting day including 3-for-4 from behind three-point range.

Boston College took the lead at 18:49 in the first half on a three-pointer from Jacobs and never relinquished it. The Eagles went on a 30-9 run in the first ten minutes of the game and ended the half shooting 67.9 percent from the field. The Eagles went into halftime leading 46-32.


Press Archives - 2000-01 season
Press Archives - 2001-02 season
Press Archives - 2002-03 season



[Home] [High School Career] [Chronology] [Credits] [Memories]
[Boston College] [BC Stats] [BC Pictures] [Links]

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page