Amber in the News
2001-2002

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Official Boston College write-up of Amber prior to the 2001-2002 season


Sixteen Finalists Selected For 2002 USA World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 20, 2002) � Following three days of trials involving 36 athletes, 16 of the nation's elite 20-and-unders (born on or after Jan. 1, 1982), including five previous USA Basketball medalists, were named as finalists for the 2002 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team, USA Basketball announced today. The selections were made by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, chaired by University of Texas Senior Associate Athletics Director for Men's and Women's Athletics Chris Plonsky.

The 16 USA finalists include:
Jacqueline Batteast (Notre Dame / South Bend, Ind.)
Steffanie Blackmon (Baylor / Dallas, Texas)
Kara Brown-Braxton (Georgia / Jackson, Mich.)
Shameka Christon (Arkansas / Hot Springs, Ark.)
Vanessa Hayden (Florida / Orlando, Fla.)
Ebony Hoffman (Southern California / Harbor City, Calif.)
Amber Jacobs (Boston College / Clarks Summit, Pa.)
Laurie Koehn (Kansas State / Hesston, Kan.)
Kelly Mazzante (Penn State / Montoursville, Pa.)
Amber Obaze (Louisiana Tech / Dallas, Texas )
Nicole Ohlde (Kansas State / Clay Center, Kan.)
Jia Perkins (Texas Tech / Granbury, Texas )
Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers / Chicago, Ill.)
Heather Schreiber (Texas / Windthorst, Texas )
Stacy Stephens (Texas / Winnsboro, Texas )
Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota / Hutchinson, Minn.)

The finalists will return to Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 7 for the USA team training camp, which will run through July 11 (times TBD). Following the July 7-11 training camp, during which will time the final 12-member 2002 USA 20-and-under squad will be selected, the U.S. is scheduled to continue its training July 12-16 in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil prior to the start of the 2002 Confederation of Pan American Basketball Associations (COPABA) World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Tournament.

Hosted by Brazil in Ribeirao Preto July 17-21 and featuring eight teams from North, South and Central America as well as the Caribbean, the top three nations will qualify for the inaugural International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Championship For Young Women which is scheduled to be played in Dubrovnik, Croatia in July 2003 (dates TBD).

Pondexter highlights the list of 10 finalists who have had prior USA Basketball experience, with a pair of international basketball medals to her name. A member of the gold medal winning 2000 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team, the 5-7 guard returned to help the 2001 USA Junior World Championship Team finish with a 6-1 record and the bronze medal at the 2001 FIBA Junior World Championship. Christon and Stephens joined Pondexter on the 2001 U.S. squad, while Hoffman and Koehn were members of the 2000 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team. Additionally, Hayden, Mazzante and Obaze each participated in the 2000 and 2001 USA Junior National Team Trials, while Brown-Braxton (2000) and Jacobs (2001) previously had participated in one USA trials.

AMBER JACOBS , Boston College

What were you thinking/feeling when the names of the 16 finalists were called out and you heard your name? "I was a little nervous. I came to this trials just wanting to work my hardest. There are a lot better girls out there athleticism wise, but I was pleased with how I played this weekend and I was very excited when I heard my name called.

As a point guard here, because there are so many talented scorers involved, do you need to be more of a leader and less of a scorer? "I found that a little true. It seemed like this weekend they were emphasizing to the point guards to just set up the offense, to get people into the flow of things and get the right people the ball at the right time. So I just came in more or less not really looking to be as much of a scoring threat even though I play more of the two on my college team. I just wanted to come in and try to handle the ball well, get the passes to the right people so they could score."

You had trials experience last year as well, was that beneficial this time? "Definitely, last year kind of helped me experience what the Committee is looking for and trying to do some of the little things, working hard, trying to communicate and be verbal and not only using your talent and trying to show them that you can play because everyone here has great talent. I think last year helped me get some experience to understand a little more as to what it maybe takes to make the team."


Jacobs To Take Part In USA National Team Trials
Rising junior to compete for one of 12 spots in Colorado Springs.

May 9, 2002 CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Boston College's Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights), who will be a rising junior on the women's basketball team, is among 35 players under the age of 20 invited to try out for the USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Team. The three-day team trials will be held May 17-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

If Jacobs is selected to the 12-member roster, she will compete in the Confederation of Pan American Basketball Associations For Young Women Qualifying Tournament. The tournament, which will be held in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil July 17-21, features teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

Of the 35 participants competing for a spot on the roster, Jacobs joins present BIG EAST players Jacqueline Batteast and Teresa Bortman of Notre Dame, Syracuse's Julie McBride and Cappie Pondexter of Rutgers.

Jacobs , who will try out for the second-consecutive year, was an intricate part of the Eagles' squad this past season. She concluded her sophomore season averaging 11.9 points, 2.5 rebounds while dishing out 110 assists. In a season where she started and played in all 31 games for head coach Cathy Inglese, Jacobs drilled 48 three pointers.


MISSISSIPPI ST. 65, BC 59

Eagles fizzle out
Thomas too tall a task as Bulldogs move on

By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 3/16/2002

LUBBOCK, Texas - The Boston College women's basketball team had a glimmer of hope when it went into the locker room at halftime. The Eagles were leading Mississippi State by 3. Sure it was a scant lead, but it was still a lead. Every time they led at the half this season, the Eagles had walked away victorious.

But the glimmer fizzled, as 12th-seeded Mississippi State defeated fifth-seeded BC, 65-59, in a first-round game of the NCAA West Regional.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs (19-11) was All-America forward LaToya Thomas, who had 27 points and 15 rebounds, her 15th double-double of the season.

The Eagles (23-8) were led by freshman guard Jessalyn Deveny's 15 points and Amber Jacobs's 14 in a game that went back and forth virtually for the entire 40 minutes.

''I think it was our best effort for most of the game, but when it came down to the end, we just didn't execute the way we needed to,'' said BC coach Cathy Inglese.

The Eagles made 13 of 26 shots from the floor in the first half but were hurt by turnovers: They had 16 of their 22 in the first half.

Mississippi State marched out to an early 8-2 lead, led by Thomas (a 3-pointer, two free throws, and a jumper), as BC looked rattled. The Eagles eventually came back with a 9-2 run to go up, 11-10, but Mississippi State countered with an 8-0 run of its own.

So it went for the rest of the half, and the teams traded spurts until BC finally took charge, with 2:32 to play. Trailing, 29-26, Deveny hit a jumper, then she and Clare Droesch each made trips to the foul line and hit their free throws to put BC in front at the break, 32-29.

But that didn't make the Eagles overconfident.

''Oh, we weren't satisfied with the lead in the first half,'' said Droesch. ''We knew they were going to come out strong, and we hadn't seen the full-court press they were going to put on us.''

The Eagles opened a 5-point lead in the second half, but Mississipi State came back to tie three times, bolstered by Thomas, who had 19 second-half points.

''With any good player, once she gets warm, she gets hot,'' Inglese said. ''When she had two or three baskets, that was enough to light the fire.''

Thomas said she just did what was expected of her.

''The coach knows that I'm pretty confident doing anything it takes to win,'' said Thomas. ''You can expect me to come out and play every game.''

BC, meanwhile, cooled off when it mattered most.

Droesch missed a 3-pointer with 1:23 left that would have tied it. A minute later she missed a layup, got her rebound, but missed the second chance. Earlier, with the Eagles down by 1, Rachel Byars had missed the first half of a one-and-one.

Jacobs , making her first trip to the tournament, said she didn't want the loss to overshadow the team's successful season.

''All in all, I think we've had a great season,'' she said. ''But coming into the tournament, it's one-and-done.''

This story ran on page G9 of the Boston Globe on 3/16/2002.
� Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.


Eagles will go West
Women earn No. 5 seed, will face Mississippi St.

By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 3/11/2002

The Boston College women's basketball team has two homework assignments this week - the first is to bone up on the Mississippi State team, and the second is to learn all they can about Lubbock, Texas.

That's where the Eagles will be Friday to play the Lady Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In the pairings announced yesterday, 20th-ranked BC (23-5) earned a No. 5 in the West, while Mississippi State (18-11) received the 12 seed. The winner will face the winner of the Texas Tech-Stephen F. Austin game Sunday. That winner will then advance to the West regional in Boise.

The Eagles, who gathered at Conte Forum to watch the selection show, were hoping for a No. 4 seed and a shot at hosting the opening rounds. After 45 minutes and three brackets being rattled off, the Eagles held their breath as the final pairings were announced.

Finally, when the West bracket was announced, the Eagles learned their fate.

''I'm excited,'' said coach Cathy Inglese. ''We knew we were going to be possibly a No. 4 or 5. And we're excited to get out of the region and play some different teams.''

Oklahoma is the top seed in the West, while Connecticut (Mideast), Vanderbilt (Midwest), and Duke (East) also earned top seeds.

Inglese had been holding out hope last week that if her team had a good showing in the Big East tournament, it would have a chance at getting a good seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Eagles made it to the championship game, but were trounced by UConn, 96-54.

That, coupled with a loss to Miami in the Eagles' final regular-season game, probably hurt their chances of hosting.

''Sure, we wanted to play at home, but we knew from two years ago how it goes,'' said Inglese. ''[We] just had to wait and see what happened, and go from there.''

This is the Eagles third trip to the Big Dance. In 1999, they were a ninth seed, and in 2000 they were a No. 5. They have yet to make it beyond the second round.

Five Big East teams dot the tournament's landscape, as defending champion Notre Dame, Villanova, and Syracuse all received at-large bids.

Inglese said she knows little about Mississippi State.

''I know LaToya Thomas is a great player for them, but I have not seen them play,'' she said. Thomas, a 6-foot-2-inch junior forward, is the team's leading scorer (24.9 points per game) and rebounder (9.7). Freshman guard Tan White, is the second leading scorer with 19.0 points per game.

BC senior forward Nicole Conway said she didn't know much about her next foe or next venue. It was a common sentiment, since 10 of the 12 Eagles are from east of the Mississippi.

''What do I know about Lubbock?'' Conway said. ''Absolutely nothing. And to be honest, I don't know anything about Mississippi State. They're obviously good because they're in the tournament, but I can't tell you anything about them.''

Mississippi State was upset by Kentucky in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.

Going to the NCAA Tournament has become routine for point guard Brianne Stepherson, who advanced with the Eagles her freshman and sophomore years, and sat out last year with an injury.

But she's hoping this year won't be repeat of her other two tastes of postseason play.

''We want to make it to the Sweet Sixteen,'' she said. ''Now it's so competitive, and everybody's after everybody, and I love that. But like coach says, `We just have to take it one game [at a time].'''

Inglese, meanwhile, was musing as much about the geography as the game.

''I don't know much about Lubbock,'' she said, ''except that it's very tough to get there. It's not Dallas, and it's not Austin.''

And it will probably be just as tough to get out of there and on to Boise.

This story ran on page D10 of the Boston Globe on 3/11/2002.
� Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.


Women's Basketball Falls To No. 1 UConn In Tournament Finals
Eagles now await NCAA Tournament announcement on Sunday.

March 5, 2002 By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Near perfection kept No. 1 Connecticut perfect heading into the NCAA tournament.

The Huskies (33-0) hit their first six shots and 10 of 11 in defeating No. 20 Boston College 96-54 on Tuesday night in the most lopsided championship game in the history of the Big East Conference women's tournament.

Tournament MVP Ashja Jones had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Tamika Williams added 18 points as Connecticut won its ninth straight conference tournament and secured its 14th consecutive berth in the NCAA tournament.

Conference player of the year Sue Bird added 16 points, sophomore Diana Taurasi had 14 points and eight assists and Swin Cash 10 points as the Huskies extended their conference tournament winning streak to 27 games.

The 42-point margin of victory topped the previous tournament record of 36, set by Connecticut in an 85-49 win over Seton Hall in 1995. The Huskies, who shot 59 percent against Boston College, also set a record for the biggest margin of victory in the three games, winning by average of 38.7 points.

Connecticut also held the old record, winning by an average of 32.3 points in 1995, the year it won its first national championship.

Nicole Conway and Jessalyn Deveny added 12 points apiece for Boston College, which shot 29 percent from the field.

When the NCAA tournament field is announced on Sunday, the Huskies will be one of the four No. 1 seeds. That also will give them two first-round home games when the tournament gets underway later in the week.

Boston College (23-7) also should get its second NCAA tournament bid in three years, but no one expects the Eagles to make the same type of run at the national title that Connecticut will.

Jones, Williams, Cash and Bird have helped Connecticut post a 131-9 record over the last four seasons, including 102-4 the last three.

The Huskies won the NCAA championship two years ago and they made the Final Four last year despite losing Svetlana Abrosimova to an injury in the regular season and Shea Ralph to injury in the NCAA tournament.

After a spotty performance in a quarterfinal on Sunday, Connecticut gave every indication it intends to make a run at another title.

Connecticut was simply awesome in the final two games.

The Huskies hit 11 straight shots and 14 of their first 16 in beating Villanvoa 83-39 in the biggest semifinal blowout in conference tournament history.

Boston College was in trouble after just four seconds in the final. Connecticut won the tap and Williams scored on a layup with the showing 19:56. Bird scored on a steal and layup for a 4-0 lead.

After Amber Jacobs cut the lead to a point with a 3-pointer, Jones hit a jumper and Brianne Stepherson hit a drive to make it 6-5.

After that, it was all Connecticut.

Williams scored inside, Jones hit a 10-footer and a foul-line jumper and Cash hit a layup for a 14-5 lead.

Cash's basket came one possession after Bird missed a layup for the Huskies' first miss from the field.

An off-balance shot by Bird eventually pushed the lead to 21-8 after just 7:02.

Connecticut led 48-29 at the half and it put the game away with a 12-0 run that featured six points by Williams.

Boston College was making its first appearance in a conference final since 1987. Villanova beat the Eagles 60-45 in that game.


Eagles earn date with No. 1 Huskies

Big East/by Mike Shalin

Tuesday, March 5, 2002 PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The last time the Boston College women faced No. 1 UConn, the Eagles lost by only 23 points and actually moved up four spots in the AP poll.

Tonight (7:30, ESPN2), 20th-ranked BC gets another shot at the undefeated Huskies, who go for their ninth straight Big East championship and their 27th straight win in the league's postseason tournament.

``We're here to win . . . we're not here to be within 20,'' BC coach Cathy Inglese said after freshman Jessalyn Deveny had career highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the third-seeded Eagles to a 67-48 blowout of seventh-seeded Syracuse.

Earlier, UConn (32-0) destroyed Villanova, 83-39, to advance to the final.

``We're here to win the thing because we want to host the (NCAA) tournament,'' Inglese said. ``We're here to win the game.''

Inglese said the Eagles (23-6) have already earned the right to host the first two games of the NCAAs, saying, ``We've been in the Top 25 most of the season, I think we have a good shot at hosting.''

A strong effort - or a remarkable upset - tonight would probably put the Eagles over the top for those two home games.

``It's a great position for us,'' said BC guard Brianne Stepherson, who had eight points against Syracuse. ``We really have nothing to lose. This is the (second) time BC has been to the (Big East) finals. We have a lot of energy. I think our team has a lot of desire to win this game. I don't think we're coming in trying to play close.''

Talking about the 79-56 loss in Storrs, Conn., on Jan. 26, Stepherson said, ``Twenty-three points for us, we look at that as a blowout, not a close game. We want to play the total 40 minutes. We played 15 against them in the first half (last time).''

BC missed its first seven shots last night before Rachel Byars converted a rebound to tie the game at 2 with 15:14 left in the half. The Eagles trailed 13-11 before a 19-1 run broke it open. Syracuse went the last 10:36 of the first half without a basket. The Eagles led by as many as 26 points in the second half.

The Orangewomen (18-11) had only 12 baskets in the game, including four in the first half, when they shot 18.2 percent.

Deveny was 6-for-8 from the floor in 23 minutes. Fellow rookie Clare Droesch came off the bench to score 12 points, while Amber Jacobs tallied 10. Byars finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

``I'm extremely, extremely excited to be in the championship of the Big East tournament,'' said Inglese, who added that this was the goal from the start of the season - a goal that appeared doomed when senior forward Becky Gottstein was lost for the year (she played only four games) with stress fractures in both feet.


BC 67, SYRACUSE 48
The eagles have landed in final

By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff,
3/5/2002 PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Boston College women's basketball team has earned a rematch with Connecticut tonight, and this time it hopes for a better result.

The No. 3 seed Eagles defeated No. 7 seed Syracuse, 67-48, last night and will face top-ranked Connecticut for the Big East Tournament title. UConn beat BC, 79-56, Jan. 26 in Storrs, Conn.

It is the first time in 15 years the Eagles (23-6) have advanced to the final.

''We don't just want to play close, we want to win,'' said point guard Brianne Stepherson.

BC coach Cathy Inglese worried that the Orangewomen would be brimming with confidence after they upset No. 2 seed Notre Dame Sunday in the quarterfinals. But instead of a euphoric team, what the crowd of 3,533 at Rutgers's Louis Brown Center saw was a lethargic one.

Syracuse (18-12) made just four field goals in the first half, trailed, 30-17, at halftime, and never recovered. The Orangewomen shot a season-low 12 for 50 (24 percent).

''Tonight was just not our night,'' said Syracuse coach Marianna Freeman. ''We just didn't seem to be able to put the ball in the basket.''

The 20th-ranked Eagles didn't have such a problem. Freshman guard Jessalyn Deveny had a game-high, and career-high, 20 points. She added 10 rebounds for her first double-double.

Fellow freshman Clare Droesch added 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting and two 3-pointers.

Syracuse had advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1988. BC last advanced to the final in 1987, when it lost to Villanova.

Sunday's game against Rutgers was ''chaotic, '' according to BC's Amber Jacobs , who had 10 points last night.

Both teams looked unsettled at the start last night. After 4:14 of play, a jumper by Syracuse's Julie McBride was the only field goal.

Rachel Byars missed an easy layup after she drove downcourt on a steal, and a bounce pass by Stepherson intended for a teammate ended up in an opponent's hands. Jacobs fired several airballs before she finally connected with a 3-pointer to put the Eagles up, 9-8, with 12:02 to go in the half.

Syracuse answered with a layup by Shannon Perry, but Jacobs , who kept firing despite her woes, hit a jumper.

A 3-pointer by Jaime James put the Orangewomen ahead, 13-11, with 10:35 to go, but they struggled the rest of the half. Field goal attempts bounced off the rim and they made just 4 of 12 free throws.

Inglese said she wasn't concerned about her team's slow start.

''We felt good about our defense, so if we're not scoring, we can at least keep them from scoring,'' she said.

BC opened the second half with a 9-3 run on two jumpers by Stepherson, a 3-pointer by Droesch, and a jumper by Deveny to take a 39-20 lead.

The Orangewomen never get closer than 17 points.

Stepherson, who finished with 8 points and two assists, kept busy guarding James, who had a team-high 15 points, and was 3 for 6 from behind the arc.

''She's quick, she drives to the basket, but `Breezy' I think takes that as a challenge,'' Inglese said.

Stepherson & Co. face their biggest challenge tonight.

This story ran on page F6 of the Boston Globe on 3/5/2002.
� Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.


No. 20 Women's Basketball Stomps Syracuse, 67-48 The Eagles advance to Big East Championship Tuesday night against UConn.

March 4, 2002
By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Jessalyn Deveny set career highs with 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 20 Boston College to a 67-48 victory over Syracuse in the semifinal of the Big East Conference women's tournament on Monday night.

The Eagles (23-6) outscored Syracuse 34-8 and held it without a field goal for a 12:20 span bridging the halves in advancing to the championship game against No. 1 Connecticut (32-0).

The Huskies posted the most lopsided semifinal win in the history of the tournament, defeating Villanova 83-39 in the first game at Rutgers.

Connecticut will be looking for its ninth straight tournament title, while the Eagles will play in their first final since 1987, when they lost to Villanova.

Connecticut beat Boston College 79-56 on Jan. 26 in Storrs, Conn.

Clare Droesch added 12 points and Amber Jacobs had 10 for the Eagles. Jaime James had 15 points and Shannon Perry added 11 for Syracuse, which scored 12 field goals in the game.

The loss ended a four-game winning streak and left Syracuse (18-12) on the bubble for the NCAA tournament. The No. 7 seeded Orangemen helped their chances Sunday, upsetting No. 21 Notre Dame, the defending national champion.

However, they looked tired playing their third game in as many days.

Boston College, the third seed, won this game in the final 11 minutes of the first half.

After James hit a 3-pointer to give the Orangemen their final lead at 13-11, Boston College tightened up the defense and closed the half with a 19-4 spurt that was capped by four straight 3-pointers.

Droesch tied it at 13 with a jumper with 10:22 left in the half. Adriana Spears, the hero of the Eagles' win over Rutgers in the quarterfinals, hit a free throw and a layup to put Boston College ahead 16-13.

Two free throws by Rachel Byars extended the lead to five points, and then the Eagles found their range with Deveny, Droesch, Deveny and Amber Jacobs hitting 3-pointers to push the lead to 30-17 at the half.

Deveny had 10 points in the 34-8 spurt. Her previous high was 13 against St. John's earlier this year.

Boston College led by as many as 26 points in beating Syracuse for the second time this season.


BC 64, Rutgers 50
BC women reach semis

By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff

3/4/2002 ISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers women's basketball team was the visitor on its own scoreboard in its own gym, since the No. 11 seed Scarlet Knights were playing third-seeded Boston College.

That didn't seem to matter to the crowd of 3,474, which tried to root home its team last night. But BC, ranked No. 18 nationally, didn't care either, prevailing, 64-50, to advance to tonight's semifinals of the Big East tournament. The Eagles will face Syracuse, which upset Notre Dame, 84-79.

The Eagles (22-6, 13-4) were led by Amber Jacobs , who had 25 points, and Adriana Spears, who had a career-high 17. Rutgers (9-20, 5-12) was led by Dawn McCullough's 19 points.

BC started tentatively and was held scoreless for the first five minutes. But then the Eagles seemed to get back their focus, and after gaining the lead never gave it up.

BC no doubt still was smarting from its last game of the season, when it lost at Miami, 60-57.

The Eagles, who had a bye in the first round, watched the Scarlet Knights nip Virginia Tech Saturday night.

The teams had met twice in the Big East tournament, with the Scarlet Knights winning both times.

The Eagles defeated Rutgers, 59-56, Jan. 19 at Conte Forum, the teams' only meeting of the season.

When the teams took the court, it looked like the Scarlet Knights were going to continue the stifling defense they had used all year.

BC seemed lost as Rutgers jumped to a 6-0 lead and prevented the Eagles from getting anywhere near their basket.

Jacobs finally broke the ice for the Eagles when she hit a 3-pointer with 14:35 to go in the half. McCullough responded with a trey, giving the Scarlet Knights an 11-3 lead.

Then the Eagles shook off their jitters. A Jacobs layup started a 6-2 run that put BC ahead, 15-13. And the Eagles decided to press Rutgers, to great effect. The Scarlet Knights shot 8 for 29 from the floor (28 percent) in the first half.

Rutgers did get a layup and a 3-pointer by McCullough, who finished the half with 11 points.

But except for Jacobs's treys, BC wasn't having much luck from the outside. So the Eagles decided to start driving.

A 3-pointer by McCullough put the Scarlet Knights ahead, 19-17, but those would be their final points of the half. Spears converted a steal into a layup, and Jacobs followed with two free throws and a layup.

The Eagles drew three fouls in the last three minutes of the half, and center Kim Mackie's free throws gave the Eagles a 26-19 lead entering the locker room.

This story ran on page D7 of the Boston Globe on 3/4/2002.
� Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.


No. 18 Women's Basketball Beats Rutgers, 64-59
The Eagles advance to Big East Championship Semifinals against Syracuse, Monday.

March 3, 2002

By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

PISCATAWAY. N.J. - Adriana Spears scored a career-high 17 points and ignited a 13-3 second-half spurt that led No. 18 Boston College to a 64-59 victory over Rutgers in the Big East Conference women's tournament Sunday.

The Eagles (22-6) advanced to the conference semifinals, where they will play Syracuse (18-11). The Orangemen pulled off the biggest upset in the conference tournament since 1996 when they knocked off No. 21 Notre Dame 84-79 earlier.

Amber Jacobs scored 25 points as the third-seeded Eagles ended Rutgers' hopes of earning a fifth straight trip to the NCAA tournament.

Dawn McCullouch had 19 points, and Mauri Horton added 15 for the 11th seeded Scarlet Knights (9-20).

Spears, a junior forward who had not scored in double figures in 17 games, came up with several key baskets in the second half as the Eagles withstood several challenges by Rutgers.

After the Scarlet Knights cut a 26-19 halftime lead to 34-33, Spears hit a foul-line jumper to start the 13-3 run that gave Boston College a 47-36 lead with 7:42 to go.

Rutgers never gave up. The game got within 52-48 when Nikki Jett hit a free throw with 2:43 to play.

After the teams exchanged baskets, Spears scored on a fastbreak for a 56-50 lead with 2:04 left.

The Eagles nailed down the victory with eight free throws in the final minute, including two by Jessalyn Deveny with 8.4 seconds to go. They came after Horton hit her second straight 3-pointer to close it to 62-59 with 12.8 seconds to play.

Spears' previous career high was 12 points earlier this season.


No. 18 Women's Basketball Falls To Miami, 60-57
Amber Jacobs has 15 points to lead BC.

Feb 26, 2002 CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Miami's Sheila James blocked a 3-point attempt by Amber Jacobs with six seconds remaining, and the Hurricanes held on to upset No. 18 Boston College 60-57 Tuesday night.

James, who scored only five points, made two free throws with 4.9 seconds left after Jacobs made one of two foul shots to bring the Eagles within 58-57.

Clare Droesch missed a desperation 30-footer for Boston College.

Kathryn Fowler had 11 points and nine rebounds for Miami (17-10, 10-6 Big East) Meghan Saake added 10 points and five steals, giving her a school-record 110 for the season.

Jacobs had 15 points and Kim Mackie 13 points and 10 rebounds for Boston College (21-6, 12-4).

The win was Miami's third over a ranked opponent this season.

Rachel Byars hit a layup with 17:08 left to start a 15-5 Boston College run to a 43-38 lead. But the Hurricanes countered with a 6-0 run to take the lead with 12:02 remaining.

Then there were five ties and eight more lead changes.


No. 21 Women's Hoops Handles Red Storm, 85-43
Amber Jacobs' 26-point effort leads Eagles over St. John's

Feb 23, 2002 NEW YORK (AP) - Amber Jacobs scored 26 points as No. 21 Boston College routed St. John's 85-43 Saturday, the Red Storm's 15th straight loss.

Clare Droesch had 19 points and Jessalyn Deveney added 13 for the Eagles (21-5, 12-3 Big East), who have won four in a row.

Mary Pat Statler led St. John's (3-23, 0-15) with 11 points, and Amanda Rawson and Patrycja Gulak each added 10.

The Eagles, who opened the game with a 13-0 run, scored 32 points off 25 turnovers by St. John's.

A 3-pointer by Statler cut the lead to 32-21 with 2:01 left in the half but the Red Storm never got closer.

After a Gulak jumper made it 44-31 4:45 into the second half, Boston College used a 30-5 spurt to break the game open.


Boston College 73, Syracuse 63

BOSTON (AP) Amber Jacobs scored 18 points, and No. 21 Boston College used splendid passing to beat Syracuse 73-63 Wednesday night.

Rachel Byars added 14 points, and Kim Mackie had 10 for the Eagles (20-5, 11-3 Big East), who reached 20 wins for the third time in four seasons.

Boston College has won 17 of its last 20 games.

The Eagles, who completed their home schedule 8-0 in conference play, had assists on their first 15 baskets, and 25 of 26 overall. Jazmine Wright scored 18 points, and Shannon Perry added 16 for Syracuse (14-11, 7-7), which lost its fourth straight.

The Eagles led by 10 at halftime and broke the game open with a 14-2 run to start the second half. Jacobs started the spurt with a 3-pointer and added a pair of baskets.

Syracuse was held to one basket in the opening 7:26 of the second half. The Orangewomen scored 14 of the game's final 16 points, but it was too late.

Jacobs hit a pair of 3-pointers, and Byars scored six points as Boston College used a 12-2 run over a 3:35 stretch late in the first half to take a 35-25 lead at the break.


BC 73, SYRACUSE 63
Conte is BC's forum again

By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 2/21/2002

With two games left in the regular season, the Boston College women's basketball team is showing no sign of letting up. Especially at home.

The Eagles defeated Syracuse, 73-63, last night before a crowd of 3,324 at Conte Forum. BC, which never trailed, led by 10 points at the half and took a 63-40 lead with 7:02 left.

No. 21 BC (20-5, 11-3 Big East) has won five of its last six games and is 8-0 against Big East opponents at home and notched its third 20-win season in the last four years.

Syracuse (14-11, 7-7) has lost four straight.

Sophomore guard Amber Jacobs led the Eagles with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Forward Rachel Byars, who was honored before the game with teammate Nicole Conway on Senior Night, pleased her parents in the crowd as she was 6 for 6 from the floor and 2 for 2 from the line for 14 points. Center Kim Mackie added 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds.

Defense has been the key to BC's success all season, as the Eagles have held the opposition to an average of 57.4 points per game on 38 percent shooting. It was working again last night; BC hit five of its first six shots while Syracuse was shooting 4 of 8 from the floor.

BC led, 35-25, at the half, as the Eagles shot 50 percent from the floor, and held Syracuse to 38 percent shooting (11 of 29).

BC opened the second half with a 14-3 run, featuring a Jacobs trey, sealing the Orangewomen's fate.

''We played much better the second half; we just haven't been able to put together two good halves,'' said Syracuse coach Marianne Freeman, whose team was led by senior forward Jazmine Wright's 18 points.

The Eagles committed just eight turnovers (compared to 23 in their last game) and handed out 25 assists (on 26 baskets).

''We're capable of playing at that level consistently, playing even a little better, but I was pleased with both ends,'' coach Cathy Inglese said.

And there was plenty of highlight film material, such as: Mackie drilling a bounce pass under the basket to Byars, who sank a layup; less than a minute later, Conway connecting for her first 3-pointer to put the Eagles up, 45-27; with 3:47 to play, Jacobs breaking away on a drive and dishing the ball to Brianne Stepherson, who sank the hoop.

''I thought we played really unselfish tonight; we got great looks at the basket,'' Jacobs said. ''I think Syracuse didn't know what to do because we were moving the ball so well.''

Inglese acknowledged she doesn't discount the possibility of BC hosting a subregional in the NCAA tournament.

But first it would mean a good showing in the Big East tourney.

''It'd be nice to get to the finals of the Big East [tourney], so there's no reason we can't get a home bid for the opening round,'' she said. ''I know the kids love to play at home.''

This story ran on page F5 of the Boston Globe on 2/21/2002.
� Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.


Eagles fly by 'Cuse: BC rolls to win on Senior Night

by Mike Shalin
Thursday, February 21, 2002

Now that the program has reached the 20-win plateau for the third time in four years, the Boston College women's basketball team can concentrate on what it will take to host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Unlike the men, who play at regional sites, the women play the first two rounds of the NCAAs at 16 home floors. BC is a longshot to achieve that goal, but the opportunity is there.

``I definitely feel we're going to have to get to the championship game of the Big East tournament) to hopefully get a home seed for the (NCAAs),'' Amber Jacobs said after her 18 points helped the No. 21 Eagles cruise to a 73-63 win over Syracuse on Senior Night at Conte Forum. It was the fourth straight loss for the Orangewomen (14-11, 7-7).

``(We have) to move up in the polls. Some people are saying (No.) 16 is the magic number,'' said Brianne Stepherson. ``We have to keep winning, win the last two games (against St. John's and Miami) and do a good job in the Big East tournament.''

Added BC coach Cathy Inglese: ``I don't know if we have to get to the finals, but it would be nice to get there so there would be no reason (not to get the home edge).''

The Eagles (20-5, 11-3) are 24th in the RPI ratings and third in the Big East. Road wins in the last two would help its cause, but BC needs to get to the conference final (almost surely against No. 1 UConn) and have a good showing in that game to have a shot.

Regardless, 20 wins with Becky Gottstein playing only four games is an accomplishment and was enough to get Inglese named as one of 20 finalists for the Naismith Award as the national coach of the year.

Last night, her team had one of its best games of the year, leading by 22 before getting a bit sloppy at the end in finishing off an 8-0 home slate in Big East play. BC shot 50 percent from the floor, hit 16 of its 17 free throws, turned the ball over just eight times and, in what has to be the stat of the season, had assists on 25-of-26 baskets.

All 14 hoops in the first half and the first of the second were off assists before Kim Mackie (10 points, seven rebounds) scored on a follow-up shot with 18:13 left for the only unassisted basket. The best of the 25 assists came from Jacobs , who passed behind her back to a trailing Stepherson on a fast break for a layup that delighted the gathering of 3,324.

``We showed we're a very unselfish team,'' said Jacobs , whose back-to-back 3-pointers opened the first half. ``We had great ball movement.'' According to Inglese, the Eagles worked on moving the ball in practice this week and ``they did it tonight.''

After pregame ceremonies honored seniors Rachel Byars and Nicole Conway and managers Cristen Redeker and James Sheppard, Byars scored 10 of her 12 points and grabbed four of her six rebounds in the first half. Byars shot 6-for-6 for the game.

Inglese singled Byars out for the work she's done in the absence of Gottstein (out for the year with stress fractures in her feet) despite being at a size-disadvantage inside.


Eagles beat SU, reach lofty victory total
Amber Jacobs scores 18 points as Boston College wins its 20th of the season.

Thursday, February 21, 2002
By Nichole Gantshar

The Big East road has not been kind to the Syracuse women's basketball team. Wednesday night the Orangewomen shot poorly in Boston College's Conte Forum and the No. 21 Eagles defeated the Orangewomen 73-63.

Back-to-back three-pointers by Boston College's Amber Jacobs stretched the lead to 31-19, and the Eagles went into halftime with a 35-25 advantage.

"We have not done a good job on the road," SU coach Marianna Freeman said.

And she doesn't know why, after a 4-2 road record to start the season, SU has gone 2-5 on the road in the Big East.

"I wish I knew the answer," she said, Wednesday, "we just got started slow and we didn't get it started in the first half."

Syracuse (14-11, 7-7) and Boston College (20-5, 11-3) tied in the second half with 38 points each, but SU had too large a deficit to overcome. Syracuse was held to one basket in the opening 7 minutes, 26 seconds of the second half.

Jacobs led the Eagles with 18 points, Rachel Byars had 14 and Kim Mackie 10. The Eagles shot 50 percent (26 of 52) from the field and had 25 assists.

"They had three legitimate shooters on all cylinders tonight," Freeman said.

The Orangewomen scored 14 of the game's final 16 points, but Freeman said that by then the game was out of reach.

� 2002 The Post-Standard


Women's hoops wins two
By Peter Mazzone

After suffering a 16-point defeat to defending national champion and Big East powerhouse Notre Dame, the Boston College women's basketball team had to make a choice. They could either let the loss linger in their minds for the rest of the season, or finish the year off strong and play confident heading into the Big East tournament. They chose the latter, as the team has rebounded nicely, picking up huge Big East victories in the past week.

A solid effort on Tuesday resulted in a 68-56 win over West Virginia. The squad followed up that victory with a 64-37 pounding of the University of Pittsburgh. The team now holds a 19-5 record overall, 10-3 in the Big East play.

At the start of the Pitt game, BC did not play as if they ranked as high as 20th in the country. They could not get an offensive rhythm going as the team was plagued by missed shots and careless turnovers. Head Coach Cathy Inglese did not attribute this to overconfidence or being ready to play against a team with a weaker record.

"I think Pitt, despite their record is a good team and they played us strong," said Inglese. "We were just so energized that we were doing silly things. We were passing the ball out of bounds, doing things too quickly, and just out of sync. I talked to them at halftime and all I really said to them was to calm down and be patient.

"We didn't make any changes in our offense. Once they calmed down and were a little more patient, I knew they'd have good results and that's what happened. We were ready to play; we were just too hyper."

That energy definitely worked against them in the first half. Whenever it seemed like the Eagles would try to run away with the game, the Pitt Panthers made a strong comeback. Points were scarce in the first half. This was a combination of strong defensive play and 23 turnovers for both teams.

"The 23 turnovers were unusual for us," said Inglese. "It was a sloppy game in the first half. In the second half we just settled down a little more."

A sole bright spot in BC's offense was the play of sophomore shooting guard Amber Jacobs . She nailed all three of her jumpers in the first half, totaling seven points. However, her playing time was reduced because she got into some early foul trouble. Despite a poor first half, BC was still able to maintain a 21-18 lead going into the locker room.

After hearing Inglese's halftime speech, the Eagles immediately started to play better. Instead of throwing wild passes and forcing shots that were not there, the team played smarter and started getting some well earned breaks.

The defense also picked up, as the Panthers were not able to get off a clean shot for an extended period of time. BC's tenacious defense played great against Pitt point guard Laine Selwyn.

The co-Big East player of the week had a horrible game, shooting 1-12 from the floor and finishing with only six points. Once she was eliminated from the Pitt offense, the Panthers did not stand a chance.

Amber Jacobs continued to shine in the second half, as she showed her perimeter-shooting prowess. Overall, she was 7-9 from the court and finished with 17 points. For most of the game, she was the sparkplug that got the rest of the team moving and scoring key baskets.

"You're always trying to get your team excited and ready to go for the game, to get them up and play tough defense," said Jacobs . "When you come down and execute plays on offense, it's all always good."

Inglese was also very happy with her inside game against Pitt. BC outscored them 30-12 in the paint, showing why the Eagles were victorious in this contest.

"That's where Mo [Maureen Leahy] came into play," said Inglese about Leahy's 11 points off the bench. "Also, Kim [Mackie] played with a concussion; she hasn't practiced all week. Rachel [Byars] played a lot of minutes and she does a lot of little things. I wasn't displeased with the effort. I knew once they settled down, things would come."

The Eagles' match against West Virginia played almost completely opposite to the Pitt game. In this contest, BC was on fire from the start, hitting 57 percent of their first half shots.

Jacobs was again was a catalyst for an Eagles scoring run scoring eight of the final 10 points of the half, extending BC's lead to 41-18.

West Virginia did not give up though, as they systematically chipped at the Eagles' large first half lead. After bringing the score down to 59-51, the Eagles were finally able to hold down the Mountaineers offense. Brianne Stepherson finished with 17 points and Rachel Byers had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The Eagles wind their regular season down this week, closing the season against Big East contenders Syracuse and the University of Miami. The team hopes to end the season strongly, and head into the annual Big East tournament with confidence and determination.

The Heights - Sports
Issue: 02/12/02


BC 64, PITTSBURGH 37
Eagle's performance lives up to the hype

By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 2/17/2002
The biggest fear a coach can have is that the players don't come to the game ready to play.

But that was not the problem with the Boston College women's basketball team yesterday.

''We were ready to play,'' said Eagles coach Cathy Inglese. ''We were just too hyper.''

The Eagles came out confident - maybe too confident - against Pittsburgh, and finished the half up by just 3 points, 21-18, for their lowest first-half output of the season.

But the Eagles settled down and went on to handily defeat the Panthers, 64-37, before 2,688 at Conte Forum. Pittsburgh (7-17, 2-11 Big East) shot just 24 percent from the floor (12 of 51) in being held to their fewest points of the season.

It marked the second time No. 21 BC (19-5, 10-3) has defeated Pittsburgh this season, and the Eagles are now 7-0 against Big East opponents at home.

Pittsburgh led, 7-6, with 12:51 left in the first half, but sophomore guard Amber Jacobs drained a 3-pointer, followed by a layup. The Eagles went ahead, 15-7, on a layup by senior forward Nicole Conway with 10:34 left. But those would be Conway's only points of the game as she went 1 of 8 from the floor. She did, however, pull down a game-high nine rebounds.

The Panthers, powered by freshman guard Amy Kunich's two 3-pointers, twice closed to within 3 points, as both teams were riddled with turnovers and poor shooting.

Pittsburgh hit just 7 of 25 shots before intermission, while the Eagles connected on 10 of 29. Pittsburgh had 12 first-half turnovers to BC's 11.

Jacobs , who finished with a game-high 17 points, said her team was trying to move too fast in the first half.

''We were just going full speed and not taking the time to execute and look to see what openings we had,'' she said. ''We were making silly decisions and trying to rush things. But we settled down in the second half.''

Jacobs opened the half with a 3-pointer and the Eagles took their first double-digit lead, 30-19, with 15:47 remaining on a layup by Rachel Byars, who had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Pittsburgh closed the gap to 5, at 32-27, with 13:32 left, but BC then went on a 14-0 run over the next 3:16 to put the game away.

''The second half we just fell apart offensively,'' said Pittsburgh coach Traci Waites. ''We really didn't get good shots, and they did a great job of taking Laine Selwyn out of the game.''

Selwyn, a junior guard who came in leading the Panthers in scoring at 14.2 points per game, was held to 6 on 1-for-12 shooting from the floor and four free throws. Kunich paced Pittsburgh with 10 points, all in the first half.

BC outrebounded Pittsburgh, 48-46, as both teams finished with 23 turnovers.

''I think our kids were so sky high we were making quick passes, and were so energized that we were doing things too quickly,'' Inglese said. ''We were out of synch.''

So the coach said she had simple advice for her team at halftime.

''The only thing I said to them was to calm down,'' she said. ''Just be a little more patient and we'll have good results.''

BC's Maureen Leahy came off the bench to score a season-high 11 points, and Jessalyn Deveny added 10.

This story ran on page D18 of the Boston Globe on 2/17/2002.
� Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.


No. 21 Women Take Down Pittsburgh, 64-37
Amber Jacobs leads the Eagles with 17 points; Jessalyn Deveny and Rachel Byars add 10 each

Feb 16, 2002 BOSTON (AP) - Amber Jacobs scored 17 points to lead No. 21 Boston College to a 64-37 victory Saturday over Pittsburgh, which shot 23.5 percent and was held to a season-low in total points.

Maureen Leahy added 11 points for the Eagles (19-5, 10-3 Big East), who won for the eighth time in 10 games despite 23 turnovers.

Amy Kunich paced the Panthers (7-17, 2-11) with 10 points. Pittsburgh has lost nine of its last 10 games, and fell to 1-6 in league road games. The Panthers made just 12 of 51 shots.

BC led 21-18 at the half despite its lowest first-half offensive output of the season. But the Eagles opened the second half with a 9-1 run to establish their first double-figures lead of the game.

Pittsburgh responded with an 8-2 run, closing to 32-27 on Sheila Stufflet's free throw with 13:33 remaining. Then BC put the game away with a 14-0 run. Jacobs scored five points and Brianne Stepherson had a 3-pointer during the run.

Jessalyn Deveny and Rachel Byars added 10 points apiece for the Eagles.


Eagles Move Past Mountaineers, 68-56
Women's basketball wins 11th straight against West Virginia

Feb 12, 2002
By JOHN RABY
AP Sports Writer

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Brianne Stepherson scored 17 points and Amber Jacobs added 16 as No. 21 Boston College overcame a lethargic second half for a 68-56 victory over West Virginia on Tuesday night.

Boston College (18-5, 9-3 Big East) has won all 11 meetings with West Virginia.

Yolanda Paige scored a career-high 21 points for West Virginia (13-10, 5-7) which is 0-5 against Top 25 opponents this year, and hasn't beaten a ranked team since the 1991-92 season.

West Virginia's Kate Bulger, the Big East's leading scorer, hit just 4-of-12 shots and was held to nine points, seven below her average. She didn't score her first basket until 4:29 left until halftime.

Boston College bounced back from a 16-point loss at Notre Dame on Sunday in which it shot a season-low 24 percent from the floor. The Eagles hit 57 percent of their first-half shots against West Virginia, including six of their first nine for a 14-2 lead.

Jacobs finished the half with eight of Boston College's final 10 points for a 41-18 halftime lead, West Virginia's second-lowest output of the first half this season.

But Boston College coasted after halftime, hitting just one of its first six attempts and managing just nine points over the first 10 minutes.

West Virginia then thrived on its transition game and converted several turnovers during an 11-0 run that brought the Mountaineers to 46-29 with 15:12 remaining.

Stepherson hit a pair of jumpers and it seemed Boston College had stopped West Virginia's momentum, but the Mountaineers ran off 10 of the next 12 points to close the gap to nine.

After Bulger's 19-footer brought West Virginia to 59-51, BC's Alicia Shields stripped a rebound from Brandi Batch, laid the ball in and was fouled.

The subsequent free throw pushed the lead at 11 with 2:36 remaining, and West Virginia got no closer.

Rachel Byars added 13 points and 12 rebounds for Boston College.

BC finished with 18 turnovers and shot 45 percent from the floor for the game, compared to 34.5 percent for West Virginia.


Women's Basketball Falls To Notre Dame, 60-44
Amber Jacobs scores 10 to lead the Eagles.

Feb. 10, 2002 SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - Ericka Haney led a decisive run midway through the second half and Notre Dame beat No. 16 Boston College 60-44 Sunday for its 49th straight home victory.

Haney's jumper from the foul line started a 10-0 burst and her turnaround jumper gave Notre Dame (15-7, 9-2 Big East) a 41-31 lead.

Notre Dame's home streak includes eight straight victories over ranked opponents in the Joyce Center.

Irish center Amanda Barksdale set a school record with 11 blocked shots. Freshman Jacqueline Batteast added 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Boston College (17-5, 8-3) entered the game shooting 44.1 percent from 3-point range, but shot 2-of-17 from behind the arc.

The Eagles shot just 23.9 percent (17-of-71) from the field for the game. Amber Jacobs had 10 points.


BC 76, W. VIRGINIA 51
Freshman gives BC a long-range boost

W. Virginia can't cope with Droesch
By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 1/31/2002

Clare Droesch certainly didn't look like a freshman last night.

The 5-foot-11-inch shooting guard came off the bench to score 17 points as the No. 20 Boston College women's basketball team defeated West Virginia, 76-51, at Conte Forum.

Droesch was 5 for 5 from 3-point territory as she helped the Eagles improve their record to 16-4 overall, 7-2 in the Big East.

Point guard Brianne Stepherson also had 17 points, and center Kim Mackie added 13 points with 8 rebounds.

The Eagles made just one of their first seven field goal attempts, and with a little more than four minutes gone, West Virginia and BC were tied, 4-4.

But then the Eagles took off on a 21-4 run, highlighted by back-to-back treys by Droesch and capped by a 3-point play by Stepherson to give BC a 25-8 lead.

The Eagles led, 41-18, at the half, and opened a 30-point lead, 60-30, after a 3-pointer by Amber Jacobs (9 points) and another by Droesch.

''I'm a shooter, and they really weren't guarding me,'' said Droesch, who added a layup and three rebounds in her 19 minutes. ''I wasn't missing, so I just kept shooting.''

Droesch, who went to Christ The King High School in New York (the same school as Connecticut star Sue Bird) and was New York City Player of the Year as a sophomore and senior, acknowledged her days in high school basketball prepared her for college basketball.

''Coming from the program I came from, I was treated the same way in high school and knew how to take it to the next level,'' said Droesch, who also was a Parade All-American last year. ''So getting pressured more, and stuff like that, I'm definitely used to.''

West Virginia (11-8, 3-5) didn't have much of an answer for BC's defense in the first half as it shot just 6 of 25 (24 percent) from the floor and had just one assist compared with 12 by the Eagles. The Mountaineers, led by freshman Sherell Sowho's career-high 27 points, shot 41 percent in the second half, but would get no closer than 21 points.

Sophomore guard Kate Bulger (10 points) was the only other West Virginia player to score in double figures.

''The first half, we just didn't move the ball,'' said West Virginia coach Mike Carey. ''We just stood around. The second half we tried to pick it up more, but give BC credit, they pressured us.''

BC coach Cathy Inglese said last Saturday's loss to top-ranked Connecticut might have helped inspire the team.

''We wanted to just pick ourselves up and come out strong in this game and take it to West Virginia,'' she said. ''I think we took them out of their game early on.''

Added Droesch: ''We wanted to come in and prove ourselves. Tonight we didn't play our best, but we showed who was the better team.''

This story ran on page F1 of the Boston Globe on 1/31/2002.
� Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.


UCONN 79, BC 56
BC is no match for top-ranked Huskies

By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 1/27/2002
STORRS, Conn. - Maybe it was the sea of blue and white in Gampel Pavilion that overwhelmed the Boston College women's basketball team. Maybe it was the arena's 61st consecutive sellout crowd of 10,027.

Actually, it was neither. It was just the University of Connecticut's top-ranked prowess that overwhelmed the No. 24 Eagles, 79-56, last night.

BC (15-4, 6-2 Big East) tried to keep pace with the Huskies (22-0, 8-0) for the first 20 minutes and got within 24-22 with 7:57 left in the half. But missed close-range shots and free throws kept the Eagles from getting closer, and they finished the half trailing, 40-32.

The Huskies staged an 18-6 run to open the second half and put the game away.

UConn guard Sue Bird scored a game-high 23 points, and center Asjha Jones tied her career high with 21 points.

BC freshman Clare Droesch had a team-high 13 points, including three 3-pointers, but guard Brianne Stepherson scored just 2 of her 12 points in the second half, when the Eagles shot just 9 of 30 (30 percent) from the floor.

''I really thought we had a great chance in the first half and played them very well,'' Stepherson said. ''But they come at you in flurries and it's hard to counter that. We just didn't capitalize on a lot of things in the second half.''

BC coach Cathy Inglese tried to prepare her team for the No. 1 Huskies. ''Take it to them, make something happen,'' she implored as the Eagles practiced Friday.

And the Eagles tried hard, but UConn tried even harder, jumping out to an 11-2 lead. Nicole Conway's field goal a little more than three minutes into the game accounted for the Eagles' first points.

But two 3-pointers and a layup by sophomore guard Amber Jacobs (12 points), plus a jumper by Rachel Byars (10 points) brought the Eagles within 13-12 with 14:16 left in the half.

The Eagles were perhaps too aggressive. BC collected 12 fouls in the half, and the Huskies capitalized by making 14 of 18 free throws.

Trailing, 32-22, BC tried to come back as Droesch drained two 3-pointers and Stepherson hit two free throws to trim the deficit to 33-30 with 4:30 left in the half.

But Swin Cash (10 points) converted a free throw and added a layup off a steal to push UConn's lead to 36-30, and BC missed its last seven field goal attempts to fall behind, 40-32, at the break.

''I think it was not so much what UConn did, because we had the opportunity to be tied going into the half,'' Inglese said. ''We missed two of three little chippie shots inside, and those are the ones that you don't get that often.''

Jones, who had 10 first-half points, poured it on after halftime when she scored 9 points during UConn's 18-6 run to open the half. The 6-foot-2-inch center pulled down 13 rebounds and was 10 for 19 from the floor, including as rare 3-pointer.

BC made 13 of 33 field goals in the first half (39 percent), and went even colder in the second half, going without consecutive baskets until 2:52 to play - a layup by Stepherson was followed by two free throws by Droesch.

''They just came at us so hard, we weren't expecting it or getting consistent shots,'' said Inglese. ''We just sort of blew up on the spot.''

This story ran on page D13 of the Boston Globe on 1/27/2002.
� Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.


Strong Second Half Puts No. 24 Eagles Away

STORRS, CT ( Jan. 26, 2002) -- Senior Asjha Jones (Piscataway, NJ) tied a career-high with 21 points and chipped in 13 rebounds as the No. 1 University of Connecticut women�s basketball team utilized a big second-half run to pull away from No. 24 Boston College, 79-56, at Gampel Pavilion Saturday night. UConn is now 22-0 overall, 8-0 in the BIG EAST, while Boston College falls to 15-4, 6-2 in conference play.

In traditional fashion, UConn stormed to the early lead, posting an 11-2 advantage on a jumper by Jones at the 15:48 mark.

Boston College would respond behind the sharpshooting of Amber Jacobs , who nailed two three-pointers in a 10-2 Eagle run to cut the UConn lead to 13-12 with 14:16 remaining.

With the score 24-22 at the 7:57 mark, UConn again would distance itself from its Boston foe with eight unanswered points. Consecutive three-pointers by Brianne Stepherson chipped into the Husky advantage, but UConn closed the half on a 7-2 run to open a 40-32 advantage.

The Huskies shot only 38.7 percent from the field and committed 11 turnovers in the first stanza, while the Eagles shot 80.0 percent from behind the arc. Senior Sue Bird (Syosset, NY) posted 12 points for UConn while Jones had 10 points and nine rebounds.

After the two squads traded baskets in the first two minutes of the second half to make the score 44-36, UConn reeled off a devastating 14-2 run from which Boston College would never recover. Jones had nine points in the run to bring the score to 58-38 with 13:21 remaining.

Behind a sizzling 60.7 field-goal percentage in the second half, UConn would roll to the 79-56 victory, its 22nd of the season.

Bird finished with a game-high 23 points while backcourt mate sophomore Diana Taurasi (Chino, CA) added 15 points off the bench. Senior Swin Cash (McKeesport, PA) rounded out the Huskies in double figures with 10 points and nine rebounds.

For the Eagles, Clare Droesch had 13 points while Stepherson and Jacobs each recorded 12.


Women's Basketball Tops Seton Hall, 64-49
Droesch collects team-high 17 points as Eagles go to 2-0 in BIG EAST

Jan. 5, 2002 Chestnut Hill, MA - The Boston College women's basketball team topped Seton Hall, 64-59, Saturday afternoon at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, MA . With the win, the Eagles improve to 11-2 overall and 2-0 in the BIG EAST. Boston College has won its last eight games. Seton Hall falls to 8-5 (0-2 BIG EAST).

Boston College and Seton Hall played an even first half with the host Eagles taking their first lead, 27-26, into intermission. The Pirates doubled the Eagles up on the boards, outrebounding BC 28-14. Despite the margin, six of eight Eagles that saw action in the first 20 minutes scored at least two points. Freshman Clare Droesch (Belle Harbor, NY) led the way with nine.

From the halftime break on, the Eagles dominated play and expanded their lead to its largest (17) with 8:54 remaining in the game. BC forced 25 Pirate turnovers to make up some ground in the second half. The team also shot 44% to Seton Hall's 32%.

Droesch led BC with a game-high 17 points while Nicole Conway (Glenmont, NY) and Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) followed with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Rachel Byars (Morganfield, KY) led the team in rebounding with seven while Adriana Spears (Stratford, CT) collected nine points and six rebounds in her first collegiate start.

The Eagles will travel to Blacksburg, VA for a Jan. 9 tilt against Virginia Tech. They will then remain on the road for a Jan. 12 game at Pittsburgh.


BC 73, ST. JOHN'S 45
BC storms past St. John's

By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 1/3/2002

Just back from winning the Fun & Sun Classic Tournament in Miami, Boston College's women's basketball team had a certain bounce in its step and fire in its eyes last night.

The charged-up Eagles trounced St. John's, 73-45, before 1,021 at Conte Forum. It was the Big East opener for BC, which won its seventh straight.

Back-to-back games in Florida obviously were no problem for the Eagles. ''We came back high-energized from the tournament,'' said center Kim Mackie, who scored a season-high 16 points and had six rebounds.

BC (10-2, 1-0) dominated from start to finish. The Eagles led by 11 points at the half, and built a 24-point lead with 1:45 left. Sophomore guard Amber Jacobs scored a game-high 17 points, with a team-high 5 assists, plus 6 rebounds. Senior forward Nicole Conway added 13 points with 9 rebounds and 4 steals.

St. John's (3-10, 0-1) was held to just 30 percent shooting from the floor (16 for 52) and was just 1 of 11 on 3-pointers.

''It wasn't an exciting game, but we played hard, and mixed up some defenses a little,'' said coach Cathy Inglese. ''And I was pleased that we got to play a lot of people and they got to see some action.''

Freshman Jessylyn Deveny, who has been out with a stress fracture, scored 4 points in 9 minutes as the bench collected 19 points for the Eagles.

St. John's main threats in the first half were 6-foot-4-inch center Patrycja Gulak, who was 4 for 6 from the floor for 8 points, and 5-6 point guard Rasheedah Brown (8 points).

But that was about all the Red Storm could manage on offense in the first half.

The Eagles put their offense and defense in motion early, stepping out to a 13-2 lead with 16:33 to go in the half. The Eagles extended the lead to 19-4, shooting 57 percent (8 for 14) in that stretch. Over the same span, St. John's made a dismal 2 of 8 shots from the floor.

And it wasn't just the shooting that was setting the Eagles on fire, it was also their passing, which completely befuddled the Red Storm.

St. John's cut the deficit to 9 with less than a minute to go on a layup and two free throws by Brown.

As the clock wound down, Brianne Stepherson (8 points) grabbed a rebound out of a crowd and threw in a reverse layup as the buzzer sounded to give the Eagles a 37-26 lead at halftime.

BC's energy continued as the Eagles started the second half with an 18-6 run to lead, 56-32, with 9:12 left.

''You can never take teams for granted,'' Mackie said. ''St. John's is really scrappy and if you let down on them they will come back.''

But they couldn't come back last night.

St. John's made 12 of its 13 free throws, but that couldn't make up for the way the Eagles outshot (50 percent to 30 percent) and outrebounded (42-25) them. Gulak and Brown, who were each held to 4 points in the second half, were the Red Storm's high scorers with 12 points apiece.

This story ran on page E6 of the Boston Globe on 1/3/2002.
� Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.


Women's Basketball Blasts St. John's, 73-45
Jacobs leads way with 17 points as Eagles collect first BIG EAST win

Jan. 2, 2002 Chestnut Hill, MA - The Boston College women's basketball team toppled St. John's, 73-45, Wednesday evening at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, MA . With the win, the Eagles improve to 10-2 overall and 1-0 in the BIG EAST. Boston College has won its last seven games. St. John's falls to 3-10 (0-2 BIG EAST).

The Eagles jumped out to an early 21-6 lead over the first seven minutes of the game to set the tempo early in this game. Nine points from Nicole Conway (Glenmont, NY) and seven from Kim Mackie (Peterborough, Ontario) helped the Eagles to their early start. St. John's, however, would answer back and cut the lead to 11 just before the break.

In the second half, BC maintained a double-digit lead behind nine points from Mackie and seven from Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA). The Eagles would take its largest lead at the end of the game, for the final margin of 28.

Jacobs led BC with a game-high 17 points while Mackie followed closely behind with a season-high 16 points. Conway was the team's other double-digit performer, netting 13 points to go with her game-high nine rebounds.

For the fifth game of the season, BC shot 50% or better from the field, connecting on 27 of 54 shots. The Eagles dished out 20 assists to St. John's six while also outrebounding the Red Storm, 42-25.

The Eagles will continue BIG EAST play with a 1 pm tip-off against Seton Hall on Saturday, January 5. It's the first game of a men's-women's twinbill. The 11th-ranked BC men's team will host Pittsburgh at 7 pm.


Boston College too fast for FIU
Eagles win Sun and Fun Classic

MARISSA SILVERA Miami Herald

Boston College's speed was just too much for the Florida International University women's basketball team Saturday. The guards combined for 38 points, most on transition layups, as the Eagles defeated the Golden Panthers 79-70 in the championship game of the Sun and Fun Classic at Golden Panther Arena.

Guard Brianne Stepherson scored a team-high 21 points, 14 in the second half, and Boston College took control with a 16-3 run to build a 41-35 halftime lead it would never give up.

``Their speed was just awesome,'' said FIU senior forward Cheryl Moody, who had her fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. ``They always released two players back, and they were much quicker than our guards.''

Although FIU outrebounded Boston College 37-33, the Golden Panthers had trouble getting second chances.

The Golden Panthers (9-4) return to the arena today for their third game in three days. But now the games mean more -- FIU begins Sun Belt Conference play against Arkansas-Little Rock (4-6).

``I told [the players] to get over this quickly,'' FIU coach Cindy Russo said. ``We faced some problems against Boston College that we didn't have answers for, like players being tired and we had nobody to go in for them. But [today] they cannot be tired.''

Gergana Slavtcheva scored a game-high 22 points, her sixth consecutive 20-plus scoring output. She also became FIU's fourth-leading scorer, running her career total to 1,513.

Mandy Shafer, playing for the second time since missing five games with injured shin splints, scored 14 points for FIU.

Boston College (9-2) played without senior forward Becky Gottstein, an All-America candidate who is out with a stress fracture in her left foot. But the Eagles used effective shot-clock management to slow the Golden Panthers.

Boston College's 2-3 zone was effective, forcing FIU to shoot from the outside and taking Moody and Cormisha Cotton out of the equation.

All-tournament team: Jackson, Goff, Moody, Slavtcheva and Stepherson.

Tournament MVP: Nicole Conway, who scored 31 points in two games for the Eagles.


Women's Basketball Upends Florida International, 79-70, To Win Sun & Fun Classic
Conway cops Tournament MVP honors as Eagles improve to 9-2

Dec. 29, 2001 Miami, FL - The Boston College women's basketball team upended Florida International, 79-70, Saturday afternoon in the championship game of the Sun & Fun Classic at Florida International's Golden Panther Arena. With the win, the Eagles improve to 9-2 on the season and have won their last six games. FIU falls to 9-3.

In a game that saw four lead changes and each team take at least a nine-point lead, the Eagles capitalized on hot shooting from their perimeter game to seal the victory. In the first half, six players scored at least four points for BC as the team fought back from a nine-point deficit to lead 41-35 at intermission. Guards Nicole Conway (Glenmont, NY) and Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) led the way with nine points apiece.

In the second half, BC maintained a lead for the full 20 minutes and expanded to its largest lead (11) right at the end of the game. Junior guard Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, MA) finished with a team-high 21 points, 14 of them coming in the second half. Conway followed with 19 points and a team-high nine rebounds. For their efforts, Conway earned the Tournament MVP while Stepherson was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

In addition to Conway and Stepherson, Jacobs finished in double digits with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting. As a team, BC shot 54% on 34-of-63 from the field.

The Eagles return home for the start of their BIG EAST schedule. BC will host St. John's January 2 and then Seton Hall January 5.


Droesch fires up Eagles
By From Staff and Wire Reports, 12/29/2001

Freshman Clare Droesch came off the bench to score 16 points on 7-for-16 shooting to lead Boston College to a 65-46 victory over Alabama-Birmingham yesterday in the opening round of the Sun & Fun Classic in Miami.

Droesch, a 5-foot-11-inch forward who was a first-team high school All-American at Christ the King in Belle Harbor, N.Y., has begun to make an impact for the Eagles (8-2).

She played 27 minutes and led four BC players in double figures. Joining Droesch were forwards Nicole Conway and Adriana Spears, each with 12 points, and sophomore guard Amber Jacobs with 11.

Conway, a senior, and Spears, a junior, helped BC control the boards with seven and nine rebounds, respectively.


Women's Basketball Beats Northeastern, 72-59
Eagles win fourth straight game

Dec. 22, 2001 Chestnut Hill, MA - The Boston College women's basketball team topped Northeastern, 72-59, Saturday afternoon in Conte Forum on the campus of Boston College. With the win, the Eagles improve to 7-2 on the season and have won their last four games. Northeastern falls to 1-8.

With 3:36 to go in the first half, Boston College opened up a 30-26 contest with a 6-0 run keyed by junior forward Adriana Spears (Stratford, CT) to take a 38-30 lead into intermission. Spears collected six of her 10 points in the first half.

The Eagles continued their tough-nosed play in the second half, expanding their lead to its largest (21) on two occasions. Freshman Clare Droesch (Belle Harbor, NY) and sophomore Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) paced the attack in the second half. Droesch finished with a game high 16 points while Jacobs collected 13.

In addition to Droesch and Jacobs , three other players scord in double digits for the winners. Spears, Nicole Conway (Glenmont, NY) and Kim Mackie (St. Peterborough, Ontario) each chipped in with 10. Droesch dished out a career high eight assists while Conway was the team's leading rebounder with nine.

After a short Christmas break, Boston College will take to the road for the Sun & Fun Classic a two-game tournament in Miami. On December 28, BC will face Alabama-Birmingham at 3 pm and host Florida International will take on Ball State at 1 pm. The consolation will be played Dec. 29 at 2 pm with the championship to be decided at 4 pm.


Women's Basketball Tops Quinnipiac, 86-54
Eagles extend win streak to three games

Dec. 16, 2001 Chestnut Hill, MA - The Boston College women's basketball team toppled Quinnipiac, 86-54, Sunday afternoon in Conte Forum on the campus of Boston College. With the win, the Eagles improve to 6-2 on the season and have won their last three games. Quinnipiac falls to 5-4.

Boston College opened up with a quick 8-0 lead against Quinnipiac and extended its lead to its largest (27) just before the half ended. Taking a 45-18 lead into intermission, the Eagles offense was near-perfect in the first half. BC shot 51.4% and collected 16 assists on 19 made baskets in the first 20 minutes of play. Becky Gottstein (Albany, NY) and Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) led the way with eight points apiece.

In the second half, all 12 Eagles got into the line-up and expanded its lead to 40 at two different occasions in the second half. Gottstein collected 16 of her game-high 24 points in the second half as she fell two points short of tying her career best.

Gottstein and three other players led the Eagles with double digit performances. Freshman Clare Droesch (Belle Harbor, NY) followed Gottstein with 13 points while Jacobs and Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, MA) each added 10 points.

The Eagles dished out a season-best 28 assists, besting their previous season high of 25 (vs. Oakland on 12-10-1). BC outrebounded Quinnipiac by a 51-29 margin. The 51 caroms for Boston College is also a season high.

Boston College will conclude 2001 with a home game against cross-town rival Northeastern on Saturday, December 22. Tip-off is 2 pm.


Women's Basketball Upends Oakland, 74-53
Eagles go 2-0 on northern road trip
Dec. 10, 2001 Rochester, MI - The Boston College women's basketball team toppled Oakland, 74-53, Monday evening in the Athletics Center "O"Rena Rochester, Michigan. With the win, the Eagles improve to 5-2 on the season and a perfect 4-0 on the road. The Golden Grizzlies fall to 2-5.
Boston College took its first lead of the game at the 12:30 mark in the first half and maintained a lead throughout the game. Behind 10 points from Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) and eight points from Kim Mackie (St. Peterborough, Ontario), the Eagles jumped out to a 38-23 lead at intermission.
BC expanded on that lead in the second half as all 12 players entered the game and all but one scored at least two points. The Eagles enjoyed their biggest lead (34) at the 5:11 mark of the second half and shot 54.4% from the field. BC outrebounded Oakland 37-25 and went 8-of-9 from the free throw line.
Mackie led the Eagles with 14 points and five assists while Jacobs finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting (2-of-3 from three-point range). Boston College collected 25 assists while turning the ball over just 10 times. Mackie and Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, MA) led the way with five assists apiece.
Boston College will return to Conte Forum for its next game, a December 16 tilt against Quinnipiac (4 pm).

Women's Basketball Topples Buffalo, 64-45
Eagles take first game of two-game road swing

Dec. 8, 2001 Buffalo, NY - The Boston College women's basketball team toppled Buffalo, 64-45, Saturday night in Alumni Arena in Buffalo, New York. With the win, the Eagles improve to 4-2 on the season. The Bulls fall to 2-5.

Boston College never trailed in this one and jumped out to its largest lead of the first half right before intermission. Behind six points from Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) and five points each from Becky Gottstein (Albany, NY) and Clare Droesch (Belle Harbor, NY), the Eagles opened up a 12-point lead right before the break. Going into intermission, BC held a 29-17 lead.

In the second half, the Eagles enjoyed more of the same. Behind some sharpshooting from Nicole Conway (Glenmont, NY), BC opened up its largest lead of the game (22 points) with 4:47 left in regulation. Conway collected 13 points on the evening and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.

For BC, Jacobs and Conway led with 13 points apiece. Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, MA) added nine points while Droesch finished with eight.

Boston College will keep on the road for a game at Oakland (MI) Monday, Dec. 10. BC will return to Conte Form for a Dec. 16 game against Quinnipiac (4 pm).


A flyover in Buffalo
By Globe Staff, 12/9/2001

Boston College relied on its guards yesterday as Amber Jacobs and Nicole Conway each scored 13 points and the Eagles defeated host Buffalo, 64-45.

Conway also grabbed nine rebounds as BC improved to 4-2. Buffalo (2-5) was led by Jessica Kochendorfer, who had 18 points and nine rebounds.

The Eagles opened the scoring on an easy layup by Rachel Byars off the jump ball, and a last-second 3-pointer by Brianne Stepherson gave BC a 29-17 lead at the half. The Eagles increased their lead to as many as 22 points in the second half while hitting 3 of 4 3-point attempts and shooting 44.8 percent from the floor.

This story ran on page C19 of the Boston Globe on 12/9/2001.
� Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.


Women's Basketball Falls to Boston College

BUFFALO, NY ? Sophomore Jessica Kochendorfer (Allen, MI/Quincy) had game-highs of 18 points and nine rebounds, but it wasn't enough to lead the University at Buffalo women's basketball team to a win over visiting Boston College. The Eagles (4-2) shot 44.1 percent from the floor in the game and outrebounded the Bulls (2-5) by a 42-32 margin to earn a 64-45 win in Alumni Arena tonight. Boston College received votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN most recent top 25 polls.

The Eagles opened the scoring on an easy layup by Rachel Byars right off the jump ball, and a lastsecond three-pointer from just inside half court by Brianne Stepherson gave BC a 29-17 lead after the first 20 minutes of play. The Eagles increased their lead to as many as 22 points in the second half while hitting three of their four three-point attempts and shooting 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from the floor. The Eagles were led by Amber Jacobs and Nicole Conway who finished with 13 points apiece.


BC women run off with it

Holy Cross is left in the distance
By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 11/27/2001

Far be it from Boston College women's basketball coach Cathy Inglese to everrefer to part of a game as garbage time, even if her team is dismantling the opposition even before the halftime buzzer. Can there really be such a thing as enough points, let alone too many?

That's what it looked like last night for the 1,276 fans at Conte Forum, as the Eagles started tentatively, then took apart Holy Cross in a 93-57 rout.

With the score tied, 6-6, the Eagles went on an 18-0 roll. The team that lost by 16 points to Arkansas last Tuesday looked transformed, building a 48-27 lead at the break.

The Eagles (2-1) seemed to be putting on an exhibition of playground basketball.

''Well, that's the way we play our best, up and down, fast and attack,'' said forward Rachel Byars, who led all scorers with 19 points. ''Coach told us to attack and have confidence, and that's what we did.''

Holy Cross (3-1) has won the Patriot League regular-season title the past four years and was picked to win it again. The Crusaders have gone to the NCAA Tournament nine times.

All good credentials, but the Eagles came in 14-7 lifetime against the Crusaders, including a 95-57 throttling in Worcester last November.

Sophomore guard Amber Jacobs had 15 points and a game-high 9 assists for the Eagles.

Holy Cross coach Bill Gibbons spent much of the first half flailing his arms, seemingly as exasperated with the officials as he was with his team. Holy Cross was called for 11 fouls in the half and BC sank 10 of 13 free throws. The Crusaders also committed 17 turnovers and had only four steals.

''It was very deflating,'' said Gibbons. ''The first half was like a football game.''

Junior center Katie O'Keefe was the high scorer for Holy Cross with 15 points, and forward Amanda Abraham added 12.

The Eagles kept up the attack in the second half and hadn't quit fighting even when it was up to 85-52. Guard Brianne Stepherson went in for a layup, and drew a foul on Jeannete Paukert. A minute later, BC forward Nicole Conway was called for an offensive foul as she plowed her way to the basket.

''Our whole emotion and intensity was different,'' said Inglese. ''We got down to business and played aggressively.''

Even though she gave 10 Eagles playing time, Inglese said there was no such thing as down time.

''I don't ever relax,'' she said, ''and I told the kids at halftime that 20 points can disappear just like that. Holy Cross is a really good team.''

The Eagles, known for their strength at guard, have loaded up in the frontcourt by recruiting a 6-foot-4-inch center and two forwards, as well as a shooting guard.

Joining the squad next year will be Lisa Macchia, a 6-4 center from Levittown, N.Y., who averaged 22 points and 18 rebounds per game as a senior; Aja Parham, a 6-foot shooting guard from Florham Park, N.J. (18.2 ppg); Brooke Queenan, a 6-2 forward from West Chester, Pa. (15 ppg); and Nicole Warren, a 6-1 forward from Mill Valley, Calif. (13 ppg).

This story ran on page F6 of the Boston Globe on 11/27/2001. � Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.


Women's Basketball Tops Holy Cross, 93-57, in Regional Rivalry

Byars leads way with 19 points as four Eagles score in double figures

Nov. 26, 2001 CHESTNUT HILL, MA - The Boston College women's basketball team posted an impressive 93-57 victory over regional rival Holy Cross Monday night at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, MA. The Eagles improve to 2-1 on the young season. The Crusaders suffered their first loss of the season and stand at 3-1.

Boston College led for nearly all the game, taking a one point lead at the 16:53 mark of the first half that would stick for good. From there, the Eagles went on an 18-0 run keyed by six points from senior guard Nicole Conway (Glenmont, NY). In the last five minutes of the first half, BC went on another mini-run, this time stringing together 10 points to open its lead to 46-20. Senior Rachel Byars (Morganfield, KY) and junior Alicia Shields (Mandeville, LA) chipped in with four points apiece during the spurt that gave the home team a 48-27 lead at intermissoin.

The second half saw much of the same for Boston College as it built a lead behind Byars, Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, MA) and Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA). The guard duo of Stepherson and Jacobs accounted for 16 second-half points.

Byars finished with a game-high 19 points and a team-high seven rebounds while Jacobs , Conway and Stepherson followed with 15, 14 and 13 points respectively. Conway (seven) and Jacobs (nine) dished out career high assists.

Boston College will travel to Saint Joseph's for a 2 pm game on December 1. The Eagles will return to Conte Forum on December 5 when they host #2 Tennessee at 7 pm in a game to be televised on NESN.


Women's Basketball Falls to Arkansas, 76-60, In Home Opener

Lady Razorbacks shoot 48% from three-point range

Nov. 20, 2001 CHESTNUT HILL, MA - The Boston College women's basketball team suffered the spell of turnovers and dropped its 2001-02 home opener Tuesday night to Arkansas, 76-60. The Eagles fall to 1-1 on the young season.

Boston College found itself down at the half, 45-28, despite outrebounding (22 to 11) and outshooting (57% to 45%) Arkansas in the first 20 minutes of play. The difference in the first half was the turnover margin as the Eagles fumbled the ball 12 times to Arkansas' four.

Red-hot shooting from Arkansas quickly gave the visitors an 11-point lead as India Lewis connected on two early three-pointers and sophomore Shameka Christon was 2-for-5 from three-point land and 4-for-8 from the field. For BC, senior guard Nicole Conway (Glenmont, NY) and freshman guard Clare Droesch (Belle Harbor, NY) each put up seven points.

The Eagles took much better care of the basketball in the second half, committing just four turnovers in the second 20 minutes. After finding itself down by as many as 30 points, the home team rallied down the stretch to cut the final margin to 16. Sophomore guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) tossed in 10 of her 13 points in the final six minutes of play while back court mate Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, MA) chipped in with four points during that BC run.

Conway finished with a team-high 15 points while Jacobs and Stepherson followed with 13 and 10 points respectively. Droesch and Kim Mackie (Peterborough, Ontario) pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. For Arkansas, Christon finished with a game-high 25 points.

Boston College will host area rival Holy Cross Monday, November 26 at 7 pm.

BC 74, FAIRFIELD 55
Jacobs , Eagles stop Stags

By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 11/17/2001
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The Boston College women's basketball team shook a 20-year-old monkey off its back last night. The Eagles, who had been winless in their past four meetings with Fairfield since 1981, got a game-high 22 points from Amber Jacobs to open this year's campaign with a 74-55 win over the Stags.

It was an especially fitting way for the Eagles to open the season, considering that last year's top scorer, senior forward Becky Gottstein, was sitting on the bench with a stress fracture in her right tibia.

The Stags (0-2), hoping to show off their new home at the Arena at Harbor Yard, refused to let the Eagles dominate the first half, keeping it tight until the Eagles finally pulled away and grabbed a 33-28 lead at intermission.

When the Eagles came out of the locker room for the second half, they refused to let the Stags back in the game. Senior Kim Mackie's 3-point play, followed by a 3-pointer by Jacobs , sparked a 16-5 BC run to open the second half.

Maybe it was opening-night jitters for the Eagles. And maybe it was the home-opener jitters - in a new arnea, no less - that had gotten into the Stags.

At any rate, both teams seemed to come out sluggish. Spotty offense and sloppy defense prevented either team from taking control, and the first half featured seven ties.

Fairfield nailed three straight 3-pointers to take a 16-14 lead at the 11:35 mark, but BC senior Rachel Byars hit a jumper to tie the score at 18-18.

Then the Eagles pulled away after back-to-back 3-pointers by freshman Clare Droesch and sophomore Jacobs . Fairfield made two field goals, but another Droesch trey boosted the Eagles' lead to 27-22 with 5:35 left in the first.

BC held a 27-26 lead when it went on a 5-2 spurt, helped by three free throws, for 32-28 lead at the break.

Last year the Eagles had to overcome the loss of point guard Brianne Stepherson to injury. This year they begin the season without Gottstein, who is lost for at least three weeks. The Eagles were jolted again before the game when they learned freshman Jessalyn Deveny suffered a stress fracture to her right tibia.

Adding to the Eagles' woes was their history against Fairfield. BC is winless in the four meetings since 1981, the most recent a 89-84 overtime loss at Conte Forum last season.

The Stags had plenty of incentive coming into last night's game. One was to rebound from a 93-50 loss to No. 1 Connecticut last week. Add to that the pressure of showing off their new home. The men's and women's teams will play in the new arena, which was built for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League.

The floor was the very one used at the women's Final Four last spring in St. Louis.

But the Eagles, despite not making it to the NCAA tournament last year, were intent on building on momentum established at the end of last season, when they won six of their last seven.

(This story ran on page G6 of the Boston Globe on 11/17/2001
� Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company)


#28 - Boston College (14-15)
*courtesy of The Women's Basketball Journal*

The only team in our Top 30 that had a losing record in 2000-01, the Eagles are looking forward to a healthy, successful season.

Senior forward Becky Gottstein, who missed five games last year with a hand injury, will lead the way for BC. Junior guard Brianne Stepherson, who suffered a knee injury last year, is healthy and she should be another key performer.

The signature for this team will once again be balance, with contributions coming from senior forward Nicole Conway, junior forward Kim Mackie, and sophomore perimeter players Amber Jacobs and Janelle McManus.

Coach Cathy Inglese is also expecting an important boost from two freshmen � prep All-American Clare Droesch and Jessalyn Deveny.


Women's Basketball Topples Fairfield, 74-55, In First Game Of Season
Amber Jacobs nets game-high 22 points to pace BC

Nov. 16, 2001 Bridgeport, CT - The Boston College women's basketball opened the 2001-02 regular season with a 74-55 win over Fairfield in the first NCAA basketball game at the Bridgeport Arena at Harbor Yard Friday night. The Eagles improve to 1-0 on the young season.

Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) tossed up a game-high 22 points to lead the Eagles to their first-ever victory in the four-game series with Fairfield. Jacobs was 8-for-16 from the field and keyed two separate BC runs in the first half which ended with a five-point lead by intermission.

With just over six minutes to play in the first half, freshman Clare Droesch (Belle Harbor, NY) tallied two three-pointers to help give Boston College a slight edge prior to the halftime break. Three free throws by Janelle McManus (Belle Harbor, NY) and a lay-up by Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, MA) put BC up 33-28 after the first half.

The second half saw Boston College maintain a healthy lead, ranging from as little as seven to as much as 19. A solid effort from the post, which included 10 points from Kim Mackie (Peterborough, Ontario), 11 rebounds from Rachel Byars (Morganfield, KY) and two blocks from Maureen Leahy (Wilbraham, MA) padded the BC lead down the stretch.

Stepherson finished the game with 13 points while senior Nicole Conway (Glenmont, NY) added 11 as BC shot 46% from the field.

Boston College will host SEC foe Arkansas Tuesday night in the first game at Conte Forum. Tip-off is 7 pm.


Women's hoops on rebound
**courtesy of www.theheights.com**

By Megan Donnelly

After finishing last year with a 7-9 conference record, the Boston College women's basketball team has been hungry for a Big East title.

Plagued by injuries to both the front and backcourts, the underclassmen were forced to do on the job raining for the remainder of the season. Early last season, guard Brianne Stepherson and forward Kim Mackie both became victims of anterior cruciate ligament tears, sitting out the majority of last years games. This year the duo is looking to come back strong, and be serious threats from the roles and gained important experience in the process.

"This year we have a lot of experience, last year our underclassmen played a lot and got good experience against the teams in the Big East. This gives us a lot of depth and we have got some great freshman coming in this year," tri-captain Stepherson said.

Seniors Nicole Conway and Becky Gottstein will captain this year's squad along side Stepherson. The play of all three captains will be an essential part of the Eagles success this year. If the Eagles can stay healthy and work together they feel that everything should fall into place for them, hopefully improving upon last years record, and returning to the success they had a few years ago.

"This year the big difference is that we know what it is like to lose. In the previous years we were accustomed to winning. Last year we had kind of a rough season but we definitely learned from it. We know we have to play hard every night and play consistently if we want to be successful," Conway pointed out.

This year's squad features a balanced mix of five seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and three freshman. A solid core of last year's starters are back this season, including Conway, Gottstein, sophomore guard Amber Jacobs , and junior forward Alicia Shields. Coach Cathy Inglese is looking for them to help fill the gaps left by the graduating of Jamie Cournoyer and Danielle O'Banion, especially in the paint. Everyone on the team this year is ready and willing to contribute, and this mix of players from each class should help the team chemistry in a very positive way.

"We have a good core of veterans returning for this season and we have three freshman...Those three girls have great people to look up to and learn from. The sophomores were forced to grow up last year. They have a lot of experience and they are ready to contribute. They also have a lot more to learn and they can learn form the juniors and seniors. We also learn from the underclassmen everyday. I think that everybody can learn something from everybody else."

At guard, the Eagles will feature Stepherson returning from her knee injuries, junior Alicia Shields, sophomores Janelle McManus, Amber Jacobs and freshman Jessalyn Deveny and Katherine Kwoh. Seniors Conway and Rachel Byars, along with freshman Clare Droesch will be the swingmen, playing both the forward and guard positions.

Conway brought stability and consistency to the team last season averaging 8.6 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game. Conway and Stepherson will be dangerous together this season as both pose threats form the perimeter and off the drive. BC has a line up full of perimeter shooters in addition to Conway and Stepherson, there is Shields who averaged 5.3 points per game, Jacobs and McManus. Deveny, Droesch and Kwoh bring a new and exciting energy to the team this year to compliment the play of the upperclassmen.

At the true forward position the Eagles have All American candidate Becky Gottstein who led the team in scoring and rebounding for the last two years. Gottstein is a clutch player who can make a very big impact on a game.

Last year, Gottstein averaged 15.4 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game. Junior Adrianna Spears is the only other true forward making her presence felt in the paint as a shot blocker and a very reliable free throw shooter. Splitting time between forward and center will be senior Kim Mackie. Mackie can be tough to guard in the paint and a definite scoring threat with the ability to rebound. Sophomore Maureen Leahy is the only true center on the team and will be an important player in the paint both on offense and on defense.

"All the point guards in the Big East are great athletes. I think that any player I face will challenge me in a different way, whether it's with the penetration or if they are great on defense."

Connecticut, Villnova, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Rutgers and Virginia Tech all face off against the Eagles this season and will be very tough opponents. The Eagles however, are looking at each game individually and focusing on the task at hand.

"We are just going to take it one game at a time." Conway promised. "Every team seems very solid in the early preseason."

"This year is different from previous years, the Big East is the strongest it has been in the past few years and I really feel like anybody can beat anybody. Obviously the top teams will be UConn, Notre Dame, Villanova, Rutgers and Georgetown, but every team this year will be a challenge," Stepherson said.

"We want to play consistently and aggressively the entire season, and were aren't going to take any team lightly, we want to really put them away during games. We have to use our talent and our work ethic to beat teams this year. We really want to make it to the NCAA tournament and make it past the second round which is where we lost in our freshman and sophomore years."

They have some key players back from injuries and ready to play. Stepherson's knee has responded well to treatment and she cannot wait to return to the court.

"I am pretty close, so far its been a really good process. I would say I am somewhere in the 90s right now, I don't know if knee injuries can ever recover to 100 percent, but I have had no problems and I am excited for the season."

The rest of Eagles are excited for the season as well as they look to soar to the top of the Big East conference.


Season Preview - BOSTON COLLEGE
**courtesy of www.womenscollegehoops.com**

Outlook

The Eagles had a tough season in 2000-2001, but the future looks much brighter for the upcoming campaign. BC returns all major contributors from last year's squad and adds top recruit Claire Droesch who has the ability to be the best BC player- ever. Still, this squad will be led by veteran blue collar Forward Becky Gottstein who hopes to have a healthy senior campaign. She will get plenty of help from fellow Senior Conway and Amber Jacobs who had an instant impact as a Freshman. The Eagles also get back two key players from 1999-2000 who were hurt all/most of last season in Guard Stepherson and Forward Kim Mackie. Look for BC to score lots of points and play improved defense as they have the horses to run and gun. Coach Inglese is very underrated and has to like the depth and leadership her team will have this season. The Eagle's learned a lot of tough lessons last season and if they can remember them they can inflict a lot of lessons on the rest of the Big East this season, starting with the lesson of payback.

Best-case Scenario : BC stays healthy, Droesch is as advertised and the Eagles roll to a second place Big East finish and get 2-3 rounds deep in the NCAA's.

Worst-case Scenario: The comeback players are rusty, an injury or two pops up and BC finishes .500 in and out of the Big East.

Just the Facts

00-01 Record ----- 14-15, 7-9
00-01 Status ----- 7th. place in the Big East
Final 00-01 Ranking ----- N/A
Final 00-01 RPI ----- 52nd.
WCH 01-02 Ranking ----- NR (will be in final pre-season poll)
Key non-conference games ----- Tenn, St Joes, Fun in Sun trny..

Bottom Line Prediction

To be perfectly honest, BC should have been in our "Very Early Bird Top 50" and to be honest, they will be in (way in) our final pre-season rankings. We look for this well coached team to carry last year's momentum over and with the addition of Droesch expect them to win at least 20 and vie for second place in the Big East and a top 6 NCAA seed. Anything less would be a surprise.


Eagles go 4-0 in France and Italy

Aug. 28, 2001 Rome, Italy - The Boston College women's basketball team wrapped up its 10-day, four-game tour of Europe with a 93-48 victory over the Italian Junior National team in Rome, Italy Saturday afternoon. Earlier on the trip, the Eagles collected two wins over Nice University in France and a third win over the Vitterbo Club of Rome. Boston College went 4-0 on the international trip.

Boston College was led by four players in double digits as senior forward Becky Gottstein (Albany, NY), collected a team-leading 20 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Nicole Conway (Glenmont, NY) and sophomore Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) followed with 18 points apiece while sophomore forward Adriana Spears (Stratford, CT).

In addition to completing four games against various opponents, the Eagles were able to get in some sightseeing. Toward the end of its trip, the team toured Rome and visited the world-famous Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, and St. Peter's Basilica.


Eagles Capture Third Win on European Tour

Women's basketball Opens Play in Italy With Victory

Aug. 26, 2001 Rome, Italy -- The Boston College women's basketball team continued its 10-day, five-game tour of Europe with a 106-43 victory over the Vitterbo Club in Rome, Italy Friday afternoon. Earlier on the trip, the Eagles won two contests against the Nice University team in France. Boston College is slated to play two more games in Rome this weekend.

Boston College senior Nicole Conway (Glenmont, NY) led the balanced Eagle scoring attack with 21 points. Classmate Rachel Byars (Morganfield, KY) followed closely behind with 19 points while also pulling down eight rebounds. Sophomore Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) and senior Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, MA) rounded out the Eagle players in double digits with 17 and 13 points respectively. Stepherson added nine steals to the cause.

The Eagles spent the earlier part of this weekend touring the Bell Tower of the Piazza del Duomo in Florence. In between the three games in Rome this weekend, the team will make its way to the world-famous Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, and Vatican City. The Eagles are scheduled to return to Boston on August 27.


Women's basketball headed to Italy

Aug. 22, 2001 Nice, France - The Boston College women's basketball team continued its winning ways on its 10-day, five-game tour of Europe with a 100-50 victory over the Nice University team in France Monday night. Earlier on the trip, the Eagles won a 98-42 decision over the same French team. Boston College is slated to play three more games in Italy during this upcoming weekend.

Boston College was led by senior forward Becky Gottstein (Albany, NY), whose 18 points was one of four double-digit performances in the well-balanced Eagle attack. Rachel Byars (Morganfield, KY) just missed a double double with 16 points and seven rebounds while Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, MA) followed with 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Sophomore guard Janelle McManus (Belle Harbor, NY) chipped in with 12 points en route to the victory.

After the two victories over Nice University in France, the Eagles made their way to Italy's renowned city of Venice. They will tour Venice and Florence for two days before moving on to Rome where they will play three games this weekend. The Eagles are scheduled to return to Boston on August 27.


Boston College Upends Nice University In First Game On European Tour

Eagles playing hoops and seeing sights overseas

Aug. 20, 2001 Nice, France - The Boston College women's basketball team opened its 10-day, five game tour of Europe with a 98-42 victory over the Nice University team in France Saturday night. The Eagles, who will play four more games, began the summer European tour in France. They will continue on to Italy after one more game in France.

Boston College was led by senior forward Becky Gottstein (Albany, NY), who collected 24 points and four rebounds en route to the victory. Junior guard Alicia Shields (Mandeville, LA) followed with 16 points and five rebounds. A pair of Eagles in Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, MA) and Kim Mackie (Peterborough, Ontario) made the most of their return to the line-up after suffering season-ending injuries a year ago. Mackie tossed in 11 points to go with eight rebounds and three steals while Stepherson chipped in with four points, four rebounds, three assists, and five steals. Four Eagles scored in double digits as Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, PA) chipped in with 11 points to round out the top scorers.

The Eagles reached France late Friday night and, prior to playing their first game, were able to tour Monaco and Monte Carlo. The team is scheduled to remain in France this afternoon, wrapping up that portion of the tour with another game against Nice tonight. After that, the team is scheduled to depart for Italy where it will play three games while making stops in Venice, Florence, and Rome.

Check out the link below, "BC Pictures", for a gallery of photos of the European Tour


Eagle Women's Basketball Gearing Up For European Tour

Team has been practicing and giving back to the community.

Aug. 16, 2001 CHESTNUT HILL, MA - The Boston College women's basketball team is getting ready for a 10-day, five game tour of Italy which begins Thursday. Scheduled to leave Boston in the evening, the Eagles will spend three days in Nice, France before making stops in Venice, Florence and Rome, Italy.

While in Europe, Boston College will play two games with the Nice University club while also touring the city. In Italy, the Eagles will take on the Viterbo Club, the S. Raffaele Club, and the Italian Junior National Team. The squad will also have an opportunity to see many famous tourist attractions, including the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Michaelangelo's David and Venice's Grand Canal.

In preparation for the tour of Italy, the team was able to practice for 10 days. During that time, the Eagles also spent time reaching out to the Greater Boston community. Tuesday, members of the team went to Spaulding Rehabilitation Pediatric Unit at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. There, the Eagles visited with patients Tiffanie Aleman, Becky More, and Nick D'eon. Earlier in the week, the Eagles also spent time bagging food for a local food drive.


2001-02 PREVIEW (courtesy of the Big East)

Head coach Cathy Inglese may be a little more anxious for the 2001-02 season because last season was spent battling numerous injuries. Add several veterans to a talented group of young players who carried BC to a 14-15 record last year and the end result could prove to be one of BC's most successful seasons. Nine letterwinners, who accounted for 84 percent of the scoring a year ago, return to put BC back in the postseason picture.

Inglese will rely on many upperclassmen to shoulder most of the on-court leadership responsibilities, but perhaps none more than senior forward Becky Gottstein. She earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors despite missing five games with a hand injury. Gottstein finished fourth in the conference in scoring (15.4) and third in rebounding (8.1).

Look for senior Nicole Conway and junior Kim Mackie to lend support in the post. Conway is a swing player who came on strong in the second half of last season. She averaged 8.6 points and 6.6 rebounds. Mackie missed all of last season with a knee injury, but is an athletic forward who helps in the rebounding game. One question for Inglese may be trying to identify a true center after the graduation of Jamie Cournoyer.

The backcourt should be loaded with experience as well. Sophomores Amber Jacobs and Janelle McManus were thrown into the fire last year as Brianne Stepherson was sidelined for 26 games with a knee injury. Jacobs started all 29 games and averaged 11.5 points en route to earning BIG EAST All-Rookie honors. McManus was third on the team in scoring (9.7). Stepherson has recovered and will have two years of eligibility remaining. In 1999-00 she averaged 9.3 points from the point guard position.

Several players will use their experience to make contributions in supporting roles. Senior Rachel Byars and junior Adriana Spears will vie for time as forwards along with freshman Clare Droesch, a first team high school All-American. Sophomore Maureen Leahy will help out in the low post. Freshman Jessalyn Deveny is an excellent shooter who is expected to see a lot of time off the bench.


Women's Basketball Announces 2001-2002 Opponents

Eagles will host Tennessee, Arkansas, and eight BIG EAST foes
July 24, 2001

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College women's basketball team will play its regular 16-game BIG EAST schedule, as well as non-conference home games against two Southeastern conference foes in national powerhouse Tennessee and Arkansas, during the 2001-02 basketball season.

The Eagles will play a home-and-home series with Pittsburgh, St. John's and West Virginia this season. In addition, Boston College will host Georgetown, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Syracuse. They will face Connecticut, Miami, Notre Dame, Villanova and Virginia Tech on the road. The league schedule calls for each team to face the 13 other BIG EAST schools once and to play three extra conference games in a home-and-home format.

In addition to its conference foes, Boston College is once again playing a strong non-conference schedule which will include a home tilt with six-time national champion Tennessee. The Eagles will also host Arkansas, Quinnipiac, and Boston-are rivals Northeastern and Holy Cross. They will face Fairfield, St. Joseph's, Buffalo and Oakland (Rochester, MI) on the road. Finally, Boston College will play in the Florida International Tournament along with Alabama-Birmingham, Ball State and host FIU, over the Christmas holiday break.


Amber , You've Got Mail

By Donnie Collins, The Sunday Times
June 24, 2001

Amber Jacobs held the invitation in her hand, reading it, studying it. She didn't know who sent it. Two months later, she still doesn't. But she knew where to bring it. To coach Kathy Inglese's office.

"I don't think I knew exactly how big an honor it was," Jacobs admits of the letter she carried. But Inglese did. The eighth-year Boston college coach, who once helped instruct the women's national team, game it to her freshman star straight. It was an invitation to compete for a spot on the U.S. Junior National Team in Colorado Springs, Col.

Only the very best players under 19 got one of those invites. It was an opportunity that comes around once every lifetime.

"Go West, Young Woman"

With those words from her coach, the once-uncertain Jacobs knew what she had to do. She was heading West. Can a trip to the mailbox change a life? For Amber Jacobs, it just may. Early last week, a committee chose the 5-foot-8 point guard from Clarks Summit as an alternate on the 12-woman Junior National Team.

Two players from national champion Connecticut -- Diana Taurasi and Jessica Moore -- highlight the team led by vociferous UConn head coach Geno Auriemma. The squad will compete in the 2001 Junior World Championships, which begin July 14 in the Czech Republic.

Thirty-one players tried out for the team. Thirteen went home. Six, including Jacobs, are on stand-by -- just in case one of the players on the roster can't compete.

Even though she fell just short of getting on the roster, Jacobs considers simply being an alternate an honor. And she should. But the biggest benefit that comes from the experience may be what it took to become an alternate. It took determination and grit.

It took learning something that a supremely talented player who lit up the Lackawanna League for four years needs to learn on her own. It took overcoming the fears of being a wide-eyed, 18-year-old freshman called upon to be a starter in the most competitive conference in women's college basketball.

"There was big-time intimidation at first, which probably isn't too good to think of," Jacobs said, recalling her first days in the maroon-and-gold Boston College uniform. "I was coming in as a freshman, and I definitely had some struggles taking that leadership role on the court. But I knew my teammates respected me and respected the way I play."

"Away From Home"

Jacobs captured the attention of many around the area during her high school playing days at Abington Heights, but everything was different in Boston.

Home was now 290 miles to the northeast. There were decisions to be made that only adults can make.

And, all of a sudden, what got by on basketball courts throughout Lackawanna County wasn't getting by in the Big East. Jacobs needed to be quicker, stronger. She worked out, all the time. Pre-season. Before practices. After practice.

"It was the funnest experience, but toughest experience, I ever had to go through," she said.

Then, there was the losing.

Boston College finished the 2000-2001 campaign with an ordinary 14-15 record. Tough stuff for a competitor like Jacobs, who never quite got used to losing just a handful of games every season with the Lady Comets.

The losing led to recurring doubts for a player who finished second on her team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and first in assists (109), playing in the same conference as UConn and Notre Dame - the nation's top two teams.

"It was hard. I was the point guard, and I was kind of feeling like I was letting the team down," Jacobs said. "I don't want to go through that again."

And then came the mailbox. And Colorado Springs.

While competing for a spot on a national team, something clicked.

Sometime during the six practice sessions, where the contenders competed against each other from June 15-18, Jacobs realized what her coaches, family and teammates had been telling her for months.

These players -- her peers -- were much like her.

"I got to see where I was in my game, and I just got to say, 'OK, I can play with them,' " she said. "I may not be as quick or as strong or as fast as some of them. But I'm working hard, and I'm hanging in there."

Maybe this college thing won't be so difficult after all.


2001 USA Basketball Women's Junior World Championship Team Finalized

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 18, 2001) -- Including five members of the 2000 USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team which qualified the U.S. for the 2001 FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Junior World Championship, 12 of the nation's top 19-and-under standouts were named to the 2001 USA Basketball Women's Junior World Championship Team today. The selections were made by USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee following four days of trials, held June 15-18 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Committee also named six alternates who would be called upon to join the team in case of an injury during the USA's June 25-July 9 training camp.

Named to the team were: Alana Beard (G) (Duke / Sherveport, La.); Tera Bjorklund (Colorado / St. Peter, Minn.); Shameka Christon (Arkansas / Hot Springs, Ark.); Monique Currie (The Bullis School / Washington, D.C.); Jessica Moore (Connecticut / Palmer, Ark.); Loree Moore (G) (Narbonne H.S. / Harbor City, Calif.); Cappie Pondexter (G) (John Marshall H.S. / Chicago, Ill.); Nicole Powell (Stanford / Phoenix, Ariz.); Stacy Stephens (Texas / Winnsboro, Texas); Ann Strother (G) (Highlands Ranch H.S. / Highlands Ranch, Colo.); Diana Taurasi (G) (Connecticut / Chino, Calif.) and Wynter Whitley (Holy Innocents' Episcopal / Atlanta, Ga.).

Selected as alternates were: Mistie Bass (Janesville Parker H.S. / Janesville, Wis.); Teresa Borton (West Valley H.S. / Yakima, Wash.); Amber Jacobs (G) (Boston College / Clarks Summit, Pa.); Kelly Mazzante (Penn State / Montoursville, Pa.); Nicole Wolff (Walpole H.S. / Walpole, Mass.) and Shanna Zolman (Wawasee H.S. / Syracuse, Ind.).

Complete Press Release from USA Basketball website


Thirty of the Nation's Top 19-And-Unders Set To Try Out For 2001 USA Basketball Women's Junior World Championship Team

The invitations were issued by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, chaired by University of Texas Senior Associate Athletics Director for Men's and Women's Athletics Chris Plonsky. Following the four-day Trials, which will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., the Committee will select finalists for the 12-member 2001 USA Women's Junior World Championship Team.

Included among the invitees are: Mistie Bass (Janesville Parker H.S. / Janesville, Wis.); Ashley Battle (Connecticut / Pittsburgh, Pa.); Beard; Tera Bjorklund (Colorado / St. Peter, Minn.); Betsy Boardman (Arizona State / Portland, Ore.); Teresa Borton (West Valley H.S. / Yakima, Wash.); Shameka Christon (Arkansas / Hot Springs, Ark.); Shyra Ely (Ben Davis H.S./ Indianapolis, Ind.); Vanessa Hayden (Florida / Orlando, Fla.); Eafton Hill (Wake Forest / Boone, N.C.); Amber Jacobs (Boston College / Clarks Summit, Pa.); Veronica Johns-Richardson (Troy H.S. / Fullerton, Calif.); Kelly Mazzante (Penn State / Montoursville, Pa.); Giuliana Mendiola (Washington / Lake Forest, Calif.); Corrie Mizusawa (St. Mary's College / Lafayette, Calif.); Jessica Moore (Connecticut / Palmer, Ark.); Loree Moore (Narbonne H.S. / Harbor City, Calif.); Amber Obaze (Louisiana Tech / Dallas, Texas); Ugo Oha (George Washington / Houston, Texas); Shawntinice Polk (Hanford H.S. / Hanford, Calif.); Cappie Pondexter (John Marshall H.S. / Chicago, Ill.); Nicole Powell (Stanford / Phoenix, Ariz.); Stacy Stephens (Texas / Winnsboro, Texas); Mandisha Stevenson (Gulf Coast C.C. / Decatur, Ala.); Ann Strother (Highlands Ranch H.S. / Highlands Ranch, Colo.); Taurasi T'Nae Thiel (Weatherford H.S. / Weatherford, Texas); Wynter Whitley (Holy Innocents' Episcopal / Atlanta, Ga.); Nicole Wolff (Walpole H.S. / Walpole, Mass.) and Shanna Zolman (Wawasee H.S. / Syracuse, Ind.).

Eleven other collegians were listed among their respective all-conference teams, including Pac-10 All-Freshmen Team selection Boardman; Southeastern Conference All-Freshmen Team members Christon and Hayden; Jacobs and Taurasi were both selected to the Big East Conference All-Rookie Team; Mazzante was named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten first team and Big Ten All-Freshmen Team; Mendiola received All-Pac-10 honorable mention and was on the Pac-10 All-Freshmen Team; Mizusawa and Obaze collected Freshman of the Year honors in the West Coast Conference and Sun Belt Conference, respectively; Oha listed on the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Rookie Team and Stephens was named All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention.

The 2001 USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team Trials begin Friday, June 15 from 4:30-7:00 p.m. (all times MDT). Sessions will follow from 8:30-10:30 a.m. and 3:00-5:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 16; from 8:30-10:30 a.m. and 4:30-7:00 p.m on Sunday, June 17; and the Trials will conclude on Monday, June 18 with a session from 8:00-10:00 a.m. Finalists for the 2001 USA Junior squad will be announced following the June 18 session.

For the full story, click below on the USA Basketball site:



Eagles Honored At All-Sports Banquet

Jacobs , Gottstein, Cournoyer and Conway receive honors at the school's annual awards night.

May 2, 2001 CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Amber Jacobs , a guard on the women' basketball team, was chosen as the Outstanding Female Freshman Scholar-Athlete at the school's All-Sports Banquet held on the floor of Conte Forum on Tuesday, May 1. Three other members of the team were also honored at the annual celebration of team and individual accomplishment in the Boston College athletic department.

Jacobs , an secondary education major in the Lynch School of Education, was selected by the Learning Resources for Student-Athletes staff as the female freshman athlete who most successfully combined academics and athletics this season and reached success in both areas. Chuck Kobasew of the men's ice hockey team was the Outstanding Male Freshman Scholar-Athlete.


Amber Jacobs Invited To Try Out For Team USA

Freshman guard will attend the trials for the junior national women's basketball team.
May 1, 2001
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Freshman guard Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) on the Boston College women's basketball team has been invited to attend the 2001 Junior National Team Trials on June 15-18 in Colorado Springs, Colo. She will try out for the United States' entry in the 2001 FIBA World Championships for Junior Women, which will be played July 14-22 in the Czech Republic.

In her first year of collegiate competition, Jacobs earned a place on the BIG EAST All-Rookie team. She was the only Boston College player to start all 29 games and she averaged 11.5 points per game and 3.8 assists per game while playing both point guard and shooting guard.

A 12-member team will be selected from those student-athletes invited to attend the trails and the team will be coached by Geno Auriemma, head coach at the University of Connecticut.




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