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Teams: Syracuse Orange (11-6, 8-6 ACC) at Boston College Eagles (6-10, 2-10 ACC)
Day & Time: Thursday, February 25 at 8 p.m. EST
Location: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
TV/Streaming: ACC Network
Radio: Cuse.com
Opponent Blog: BC Interruption
Current Streak: Syracuse: L2 | BC: W1
All-Time Series: Syracuse leads 33-24
Teams Last Meeting: The Orange defeated BC in Chestnut Hill on Dec. 20, 83-70. Kamilla Cardoso went 10-11 from the field, leading all scorers with 24 points. The freshman also added seven rebounds, a steal, and a block.
Orange Storylines:
- Tiana Mangakahia confirmed she will not return to Syracuse next season and will focus on her professional basketball career.
- Fan voting is now live for the Basketball Hall of Fame Awards. Vote Mangakahia for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year and Kamilla Cardoso for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year.
- Mangakahia was named to ACC Network reporter Kelly Gramlich’s Shooters of the Week. The Australian native went 4-9 from the three-point line for 18 points during Sunday’s game versus Virginia Tech.
- ‘Cuse stands in fourth place in the conference standings and is projected as an eighth seed in ESPN’s Bracketology by Charlie Creme.
- Freshman Kamilla Cardoso leads the team with 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Kiara Lewis stands just behind Cardoso in scoring, averaging 13.6 points per contest. Emily Engstler is making a name for herself as ACC Sixth Player of the Year, averaging a near double-double this season with 9.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest off the bench. Tiana Mangakahia (11.3 pts) is also contributing double-figure scoring for ‘Cuse this season while dishing out 7.7 assists per game.
- The Orange rank in the top-5 of the ACC in assists per game (1st), blocked shots per game (1st), blocked shots (2nd), steals per game (2nd), 3-PT field goals per game (2nd), 3-PT field goals made (3rd), turnovers forced (3rd), assists (4th), steals (4th), field goal % defense (5th), free throws attempted (5th), 3-PT field goals attempted (5th), and won-lost % (5th). The team ranks top-25 nationally in blocked shots per game (3rd), total blocks (10th), and assists per game (24th).
- In the conference, Mangakahia ranks in total assists (1st) and assists per game (1st), Cardoso ranks in total blocks (1st), blocked shots per game (1st), field goal % (2nd), and rebounds (5th), Lewis ranks in free throw attempts (2nd) and minutes played per game (3rd), and Engstler ranks in steals per game (5th). Nationally, Mangakahia ranks in assists per game (1st) and total assists (4th), while Cardoso ranks in field goal % (7th), blocked shots per game (10th), and total blocks (12th).
- For four straight weeks, a Syracuse player was selected as Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Week: Priscilla Williams (Jan. 18) and Kamilla Cardoso (Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 8).
- No public tickets will be available for the 2021 ACC men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The women’s tournament will take place March 3-7 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
- The NCAA announced that the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will be held in San Antonio, Texas. The tournament will have a 64-team bracket and the .500 rule will be waived. A limited number of fans will be allowed with a capacity of up to 17% from the Sweet Sixteen through the Final Four. More information about ticket sales will be available after March 1. The committee will announce the bracket at 7 p.m. EST on Selection Monday, March 15 on ESPN.
Syracuse’s Last Game: The Orange dropped their second straight game Sunday at Virginia Tech, 76-68. Tiana Mangakahia and Kamilla Cardoso led the team with 18 points each.
Highlights vs. Virginia Tech pic.twitter.com/qrIb2G8ut2
— 'Cuse Hoops (@CuseWBB) February 21, 2021
Head Coaches: Syracuse - Quentin Hillsman (15th year, 315-166) | Boston College - Joanna Bernabei-McNamee (3rd year, 40-38)
Opponent Coach Bio: Last season, Bernabei-McNamee was named the ACC Coach of the Year after leading the Eagles to a program-best 20-12 overall record. Bernabei-McNamee came to BC after two seasons at Albany. She led Albany to a 45-20 record over two seasons and an American East Tournament Championship. Bernabei-McNamee also had coaching stints at Pikeville, Maryland, West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and West Virginia Wesleyan. She played college ball at West Liberty State and was a Division II All-American and a four-time, first-team All-WVIAC selection.
Opponent Last Year: Last season, Boston College tallied a program-best 20-12 record with an 11-7 mark in ACC play. The Eagles fell in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament to North Carolina State.
Opponent’s Last Game: The Eagles defeated Georgia Tech, 49-43, on Sunday. Cameron Swartz led all scorers with 23 points.
Opponent Players to Watch: Junior Taylor Soule is averaging 16.2 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Eagles this season. Soule was named the ACC’s Most Improved Player and All-ACC Honorable Mention last season.
If Syracuse Wins: A win would put the Orange back on the right track and in the win column.
If Syracuse Loses: Three straight losses heading into the final game of the regular season against No. 2 NC State would not be good for Coach Q and crew.
Next Game: The Orange will host NC State for their regular season final on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 12 p.m. EST on ACC Network. Sunday will be Senior Day and the Play4Kay breast cancer awareness game. Prior to tip, Syracuse Athletics will recognize seniors Amaya Finklea-Guity and Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi. Lewis, Mangakahia, and Digna Strautmane have previously celebrated Senior Day.