March 19, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) – After a long layoff, Boston College found its game in time for the NCAA tournament.
Brooke Queenan had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Aja Parham scored 16 and the Eagles beat Notre Dame 78-61 in the first round of the women’s tournament Sunday night to snap a five-game losing streak.
Playing for the first time in 17 days, Boston College (20-11) outrebounded the Irish 42-31, outscored them 29-10 from the free-throw line and held their former Big East rival to 34 percent shooting. The eighth-seeded Eagles will play top-seeded Ohio State or 16th-seeded Oakland in the second round of the Albuquerque Regional on Tuesday night.
Freshman guard Lindsay Schrader scored a career-high 29 points and Megan Duffy added 15 for Notre Dame, which fell to 0-8 at Mackey Arena.
Boston College dropped its final four games of the regular season, then lost to Virginia in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament on March 2. The victory Sunday night was BC’s first since Feb. 12 against Miami.
The Eagles also had lost three straight and seven of eight to Notre Dame (18-12). The last three games had been decided by seven or fewer points, but this one got out of hand early.
Notre Dame forward Courtney LaVere was hit near her left eye and went down with 1:02 left in the first half. The team’s third-leading scorer did not return.
Boston College led 37-26 at halftime and held the ninth-seeded Irish scoreless for almost five minutes to start the second half. Notre Dame missed its first eight shots after the break.
With 8:56 left, the Eagles were already in the double bonus. Notre Dame’s Crystal Erwin fouled out with 4:59 left, then was called for a technical while walking toward the bench.
Boston College scored the first six points of the game and led 27-22 before closing the half on a 10-4 run.
The Eagles shot 52 percent in the first half and held the Fighting Irish to 35 percent. Boston College outrebounded Notre Dame 24-7 before the break, but the Eagles committed 10 turnovers, allowing the Irish to stay in the game.
Kathryn Ress scored 11 of her 15 points in the first half and Kindyll Dorsey added 10 for the Eagles.
Schrader scored 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting in the first half, but the rest of the team shot 5-for-19.