Miami women’s basketball earns tough win against Boston College, 67-62

Feature photo courtesy HurricaneSports.com

The women’s basketball team traveled north to Chestnut Hill Thursday to defeat the Boston College Eagles 67-62. The Canes looked to build upon its impressive road record and to pick up the seventh road win of the season as the team tipped off at 7 p.m.

The Eagles made it clear from the start that getting that seventh road win would be no small feat on the home court. The team came out hot with an eight-point lead by end of the first quarter, but the Canes kept its composure and regrouped to start the second quarter.

The defense clamped down on the Eagles and held them scoreless for a full six-minute stretch to start the second quarter. The offense wasn’t prolific by any means, but redshirt senior guard Michelle Woods was able to jumpstart a run by the Canes by disrupting passing lanes and grabbing two steals that led to easy points. The Canes relentlessly attacked the basket for the rest of the half and were able to convert, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe in the first half. This led to the Eagles’ lead being cut to two points as the teams headed into the locker rooms at halftime.

Sophomore forward Khaila Prather continued to anchor the defense and protect the rim in the second half, as the girls were able to take their first lead of the game towards the end of a tightly contested third period. Junior guard Adrienne Motley hit a couple timely threes in the third session that allowed Miami to head into the fourth quarter ahead 47-40. Junior guard Jessica Thomas took the lead from there and guided the team to its 19th win of the season after sinking a career-high eight free throws in the game.

The women’s team proved that they are a force to be reckoned with nationally after showing a great amount of toughness and leaving Chestnut Hill with a hard-fought win on Thursday night. The team proved that it could win even when the offense isn’t at its best. The Canes stuck to the fundamentals and grinded out a key ACC victory by locking up their opponents on the defensive end and making a season-high 18 free throws.

The Canes seek to continue its ascension into the national rankings when they play ACC rival Duke 1 p.m. Sunday in the BankUnited Center.

Feature photo courtesy HurricaneSports.com