Heights Heartbreaker
January 20, 2005 09:44 PM | General
January 20, 2005
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Clare Droesch made one of two free throws with 0.2 seconds left to snap a 75-all tie and lift No. 14-ranked Boston College to a 76-75 victory over West Virginia Thursday night at Conte Forum.
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| West Virginia guard Meg Bulger, right, attempts to steal the ball on Boston College guard Clare Droesch during the second half in Boston, Thursday Jan. 20, 2005.
AP Photo/Charles Krupa |
Droesch was put on the line when she was fouled while attempting a shot near the basket by West Virginia’s Sherell Sowho. Droesch sank the second free throw after missing the first try. BC’s win spoiled a heroic effort by WVU sophomore Meg Bulger, who nailed a clutch three-point shot with 13 seconds left to tie the game. Bulger finished with a game-high 25 points on nine of 18 shooting.
Free throw shooting played a big part in the BC victory: its 15th straight over the Mountaineers without a loss.
The Eagles made 19 of 23 from the charity stripe while West Virginia managed to convert just seven of 13.
The game was close throughout, with neither team leading by more than eight points. Boston College’s biggest lead of the game was seven points, twice, including a 37-30 advantage after a three-point play by Jessalyn Deveny with 1:39 remaining in the first half.
But West Virginia’s Kate Glusko responded with a pair of three-point baskets to close BC’s lead to one at halftime.
The Mountaineers tied the game at 41 early in the second half on short bucket by Yolanda Paige and a Bulger lay up with 13:54 remaining gave the Mountaineers back the lead, 44-43.
That started a 9-2 run to give the Mountaineers their biggest lead of the game at eight, 53-45, with 11:04 left. Paige scored six points and Bulger sank a three during the run.
BC answered with a 6-1 run to cut West Virginia’s lead to three, 54-51, before Bulger answered with another jumper.
West Virginia led 58-53 when the Eagles scored four straight to cut their deficit to one, and then tied the game at 60 on a Deveny three with 6:40 remaining. At this point the Mountaineers were in survival mode with all three post players and forward Chakhia Cole in serious foul trouble.
Paige and Ramika McGee traded two-point baskets with Sarah Marshall’s three to keep West Virginia up by one. Then during a key stretch when the Mountaineers could have extended their lead, Sowho first couldn’t convert a backdoor lay up and then was tied up on a fast break chance when the Mountaineers had numbers. BC regained possession of the ball and Droesch drained a three to put BC up 66-64.
Deveny then stole West Virginia’s inbound pass and made a lay up to put the Eagles up by four. Deveny made one of two from the foul line to give the Eagles a 69-64 lead with 3:49 remaining.
Freshman Olayinka Sanni answered with a basket off glass for WVU to cut BC’s margin to 69-66. The Eagles eventually matched their biggest lead of the game at seven, 73-66, after another three by Deveny with 2:18 left.
McGee was able to respond with a bucket inside and Bulger got the deficit to four by making one of two from the line. A Bulger three with 42 seconds left cut Boston College’s lead to one, 73-72.
Brooke Queenan made both free throws with 29 seconds left before Bulger tied the game with her three-point basket from the corner with nine seconds left.
West Virginia (11-5, 2-3) by far played its best road game of the season, hitting 29 of 54 field-goal attempts for 53.7 percent. The Mountaineers were also 10 of 20 from three-point distance.
Boston College (13-2, 4-0) was just as efficient shooting the ball, hitting 25 of 43 from the field for 58.1 percent including seven of 11 from behind the three-point arc. The Mountaineers forced Boston College to commit 21 turnovers.
Deveny finished with 19 points and Droesch added 17 for BC.
Boston College defeated West Virginia 69-56 earlier this year in Morgantown.
Yolanda Paige added 20 points and 11 assists for the Mountaineers, becoming the first Mountaineer to tally 20 points and 10 or more assists in a game since Darya Kudryavtseva tallied 22 points and 12 assists against Western Carolina in 2000.
With her 25 points, Bulger, ranked seventh in the nation in scoring, has now tallied 20 or more points in four consecutive games (21 at Providence; 36 versus Marshall; 30 against Seton Hall; 25 against Boston College). She is the first Mountaineer since Rosemary Kosiorek in 1992 to tally four straight games of 20 or more points.
WVU finishes up its two-game road trip at Villanova, Sunday, January 23, at 2:00 p.m. at The Pavilion.
