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Syracuse couldn’t build off its first Atlantic Coast Conference win Thursday, falling to Louisville 72-62. SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said she aimed to execute a complete performance, but Syracuse played inconsistently.

The Orange had positive moments — allowing the Cardinals to score a combined 25 points in the second and fourth quarters. But they also found themselves behind double-digits five minutes into the game and surrendered a 15-6 run to begin the third quarter.

SU remains on the road, next traveling to Chestnut Hill to face Boston College. The Eagles are currently tied for 12th in the conference standings and defeated Miami 83-79 Thursday. Meanwhile, Syracuse is tied for 15th with three teams. Only the top 15 teams qualify for the ACC Tournament.

Here’s everything to know about Boston College (11-8, 2-4 ACC) before its matchup with Syracuse (7-10, 1-5 ACC) Sunday:

All-time Series

Syracuse leads 39-26.

Last time they played …

Then-No. 21 Syracuse visited Chestnut Hill last season on Feb. 4 and pulled out a 75-63 win. The victory was catalyzed by Dyaisha Fair’s season-high 38 points, earning her Co-ACC Player of the Week.

SU entered the fourth quarter tied 49-49 but outscored the Eagles 26-14 — led by Fair’s 13 points — to snap its two-game skid after losses to then-No. 19 Virginia Tech and then-No. 16 Louisville. Meanwhile, the loss was BC’s fifth straight in what would end up being a 10-game losing streak.

The Eagles Report

After going 14-19 overall and 5-13 in ACC play last season, Boston College kept nearly its entire team intact. BC lost one of the 11 players who scored a point for the team in 2023-24, with its only exit being fifth-leading scorer JoJo Lacey transferring to Rutgers. As a result, the Eagles have an experienced squad with five seniors and four juniors.

BC boasts four players who average double-digit points but no players over 13.5 points. Ty’ana Todd leads the team with 13.4 points per game, followed by Dontavia Waggoner (13.3), Teya Sidberry (10.3) and Andrea Daley (10.0).

Boston College’s offense is relatively efficient, attempting 835 2-pointers (eighth nationally), while making 386 (27th), per HerHoopStats. The Eagles also rank 35th in free throws made, 32nd in points scored and 20th in offensive rebounds per game. What’s more, they force its opponents to commit 20.1 turnovers per game (37th).

On the other hand, BC’s defense is leaky. Despite registering the 15th-most steals this season (197), the Eagles have surrendered the most points in the ACC in conference play (79.8), allowing opponents to shoot 60.7% on 2-pointers and 50.4% overall in conference action, also last in the ACC.

How Syracuse beats Boston College

Sophie Burrows impressed against Louisville Thursday, scoring 17 points, one off her career-high. She started the game 4-for-4 and finished shooting 4-for-9 from 3, tied for the most triples she’s made this season. If the sophomore can carry over her form from beyond the arc, SU could be in a good position to win.

Kyra Wood also managed 17 points at Louisville along with nine rebounds in her second game back from a two-game absence in concussion protocol. With BC’s porous defense, SU needs to capitalize on open looks.

But the bigger challenge will be stopping the Eagles’ offense. SU allows opponents to shoot 35.3% (26th worst in the nation) from 3, so Boston College, which hits a solid 33.2% from beyond the arc, will look to take advantage.

Stat to know: 13.8

Another area BC could expose SU is on offensive rebounds. The Eagles average 15.2 offensive boards per game, 20th nationally. Meanwhile, the Orange allow 13.8 offensive boards per contest, the 32nd-worst mark in the nation.

But the inverse is true on the other end of the floor. Syracuse ranks 15th in D-I with 15.4 offensive boards per matchup, and Boston College is 331st of 362 teams with 22.1 defensive rebounds a game.

T’yana Todd, guard, No. 30

Todd has risen to become the Eagles’ leading scorer this season, averaging 13.4 points per game — up from 11.8 in 2023-24. The junior also leads the team in minutes played at 28.2, though 11 players have played at least 10 minutes per game.

Though no scorer stands out for BC, Todd is its most reliable 3-point shooter, sinking 48.3% of her attempts. In her last outing, an 83-79 win over Miami, she exploded for 29 points and has averaged 22.3 over her last three games.

Published on January 18, 2025 at 10:49 pm

Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal