BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES 4 - 10 (0 - 1 ACC)
NET 215 (NCAA) (UNC 20); Massey rating 198 (UNC 27); RPI 296 (Nolan) (UNC 41); Torvik 188. (UNC 13).
Last season 16-18 (6-12, 12th); 1-1 ACC Tournament; WBIT 0-1 (lost to Villanova 70-76)
An unusual Monday night game for the Tar Heels is with Boston College at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill. It will be meeting #24 with the Eagles. UNC leads the series 18-5. Last year Carolina took a pair from BC: 80-67 in regular season (Ustby 17) and 78-71 in round 1 of the ACCT (Donarski 20).
For this game, UNC is a 15 point favorite according to Massey but a 22 point favorite according to Nolan and 24 points by Torvik. It might be noted that Carolina has won just once in the last four games in Conte Forum – 2022.
Boston College has a weak Strength of Schedule at #179 (NCAA) - Carolina is at #92. The Eagles had a 13-game non-conference schedule, winning just four and losing nine. BC has traditionally played teams in non-conference that are based in New England that will give them home games and this year they had 10 of the 13 at Conte. This year’s n/c opponents were Holy Cross (L 71-72), New Hampshire (W 69-57), UMass Lowell (W 82-53), Rider (W 92-52), at Providence (L 61-70), Harvard (L 65-72), UMass Amherst (L 52-61), Merrimack (W 77-72), Quinnipiac (L 49-76), Bryant (L 71-80) and Northeastern (L 67-73)., BC had an invite to the Daytona Beach Tournament, losing to James Madison 53-73 and Murray State 77-82. The early season ACC game was with Virginia, another loss 55-81. There does not appear to have been an ACC-SEC Challenge game.
BC had their share of off-season issues. Of last season’s 13-player roster, only two returned. These were Athena Tomlinson, a 5-5 sophomore PG, and Ava McGee, a 5-10 sophomore G who did not appear in any games last season. Eleven left the program: some by graduation and others through the transfer portal. Last year’s team averaged 73 points and 71 of them were supplied by the departed eleven.
What may be more revealing is that BC replaced three of its assistant coaches and added a fourth as an assistant and Director of Operations. That’s a lot of changes at the top.
With all the new faces, a starting lineup has emerged. The above-mentioned Tomlinson has started every game (8.6 ppg/4.1 rpg). Ava McGee, the other returnee, has started the last six games (5.1/3.4). A transfer from William and Mary, Kayla Rolph, holds down another starting role (7.0/5.4). She’s a 6-2 senior F who was a 1224 point, 731 rebound performer in her three years at W&M. The fourth starter has been either true freshman Amirah Anderson, a 5-11 G (7.5/5.1) with 9 starts, or Erin Houpt, a 5-6 redshirt senior PG (6.1/2.2) with 5 starts. Houpt is a transfer from San Diego State and favors the 3-ball: 42.5% so far in 2025-6.
The fifth starter for all but the last game was sophomore Lily Carmody, an Australian who transferred from Butler (12.8/3.2). She is both the leading scorer and leads in steals. For some undisclosed reason, she missed BC’s last game.
Other folks are available. Freshman Jocelyn Grier, a 5-8 G, has played in a backup role in all 14 games. She averages 7.2 ppg and is fond of the three: 18 for 61 (29.5%). Also contributing off the pine is Ohio State’s Kaia Henderson, a 5-6 redshirt junior reserve at PG. More likely to see extended action is 5-8 GS G Teionni McDaniel (10.5/4.1) a starter before Ava McGee pushed her to the bench. She played for Georgetown College (in Kentucky) but it’s a good bet that if anyone were to ask her where she played before BC the answer would be “Georgetown!” and never mind the Kentucky bit.
Less likely to appear in any contested game are freshmen Kennedy Hall, a 6-3 F and Eleanor Trout, another 6-3 F. Possibly, Lacrosse All-American Emma LoPinto may play. She is a 5-4 PG who was pressed into service after all the departures.
Boston College Head Coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee (aka “Coach Mac”) is in her eighth year and is 112-116 (42-78). Under her direction BC has had two 20-win seasons, earning COY honors in 2020. BC has been in postseason play just twice during her tenure, a trip to the WNIT 3rd round in 2022 and the trip to the WBIT last year. In truth, in the last three seasons BC has not finished higher than #11 in the ACC.
Between 2009 and 2013, Coach Mac stepped away from coaching to parent her two children.
Boston College should take some comfort in that UNC has lost three of the last four trips to Beantown. Also, anyone who watched the Charleston Southern game saw the Tar Heels give up 74 points to a team with a NET of 345 and a 40-50 point underdog. Further to Carolina’s discomfiture two players no one had heard of outside Charleston took the occasion to set career scoring highs.
Following this game UNC will host Cal and Stanford, and then head to Notre Dame. An 0-2 start to ACC play would be a real problem. That possibility is frankly remote but funnier things have happened. Coach CB most likely used Charleston as a teaching point Anyway, UNC last season was a road warrior, winning 8 of 9 on the road in ACC play.
Game time is Monday 8:00 PM EST. This game is scheduled for ACCN. There will be the usual radio link from GoHeels, starting a half-hour earlier.
NET 215 (NCAA) (UNC 20); Massey rating 198 (UNC 27); RPI 296 (Nolan) (UNC 41); Torvik 188. (UNC 13).
Last season 16-18 (6-12, 12th); 1-1 ACC Tournament; WBIT 0-1 (lost to Villanova 70-76)
An unusual Monday night game for the Tar Heels is with Boston College at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill. It will be meeting #24 with the Eagles. UNC leads the series 18-5. Last year Carolina took a pair from BC: 80-67 in regular season (Ustby 17) and 78-71 in round 1 of the ACCT (Donarski 20).
For this game, UNC is a 15 point favorite according to Massey but a 22 point favorite according to Nolan and 24 points by Torvik. It might be noted that Carolina has won just once in the last four games in Conte Forum – 2022.
Boston College has a weak Strength of Schedule at #179 (NCAA) - Carolina is at #92. The Eagles had a 13-game non-conference schedule, winning just four and losing nine. BC has traditionally played teams in non-conference that are based in New England that will give them home games and this year they had 10 of the 13 at Conte. This year’s n/c opponents were Holy Cross (L 71-72), New Hampshire (W 69-57), UMass Lowell (W 82-53), Rider (W 92-52), at Providence (L 61-70), Harvard (L 65-72), UMass Amherst (L 52-61), Merrimack (W 77-72), Quinnipiac (L 49-76), Bryant (L 71-80) and Northeastern (L 67-73)., BC had an invite to the Daytona Beach Tournament, losing to James Madison 53-73 and Murray State 77-82. The early season ACC game was with Virginia, another loss 55-81. There does not appear to have been an ACC-SEC Challenge game.
BC had their share of off-season issues. Of last season’s 13-player roster, only two returned. These were Athena Tomlinson, a 5-5 sophomore PG, and Ava McGee, a 5-10 sophomore G who did not appear in any games last season. Eleven left the program: some by graduation and others through the transfer portal. Last year’s team averaged 73 points and 71 of them were supplied by the departed eleven.
What may be more revealing is that BC replaced three of its assistant coaches and added a fourth as an assistant and Director of Operations. That’s a lot of changes at the top.
With all the new faces, a starting lineup has emerged. The above-mentioned Tomlinson has started every game (8.6 ppg/4.1 rpg). Ava McGee, the other returnee, has started the last six games (5.1/3.4). A transfer from William and Mary, Kayla Rolph, holds down another starting role (7.0/5.4). She’s a 6-2 senior F who was a 1224 point, 731 rebound performer in her three years at W&M. The fourth starter has been either true freshman Amirah Anderson, a 5-11 G (7.5/5.1) with 9 starts, or Erin Houpt, a 5-6 redshirt senior PG (6.1/2.2) with 5 starts. Houpt is a transfer from San Diego State and favors the 3-ball: 42.5% so far in 2025-6.
The fifth starter for all but the last game was sophomore Lily Carmody, an Australian who transferred from Butler (12.8/3.2). She is both the leading scorer and leads in steals. For some undisclosed reason, she missed BC’s last game.
Other folks are available. Freshman Jocelyn Grier, a 5-8 G, has played in a backup role in all 14 games. She averages 7.2 ppg and is fond of the three: 18 for 61 (29.5%). Also contributing off the pine is Ohio State’s Kaia Henderson, a 5-6 redshirt junior reserve at PG. More likely to see extended action is 5-8 GS G Teionni McDaniel (10.5/4.1) a starter before Ava McGee pushed her to the bench. She played for Georgetown College (in Kentucky) but it’s a good bet that if anyone were to ask her where she played before BC the answer would be “Georgetown!” and never mind the Kentucky bit.
Less likely to appear in any contested game are freshmen Kennedy Hall, a 6-3 F and Eleanor Trout, another 6-3 F. Possibly, Lacrosse All-American Emma LoPinto may play. She is a 5-4 PG who was pressed into service after all the departures.
Boston College Head Coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee (aka “Coach Mac”) is in her eighth year and is 112-116 (42-78). Under her direction BC has had two 20-win seasons, earning COY honors in 2020. BC has been in postseason play just twice during her tenure, a trip to the WNIT 3rd round in 2022 and the trip to the WBIT last year. In truth, in the last three seasons BC has not finished higher than #11 in the ACC.
Between 2009 and 2013, Coach Mac stepped away from coaching to parent her two children.
Boston College should take some comfort in that UNC has lost three of the last four trips to Beantown. Also, anyone who watched the Charleston Southern game saw the Tar Heels give up 74 points to a team with a NET of 345 and a 40-50 point underdog. Further to Carolina’s discomfiture two players no one had heard of outside Charleston took the occasion to set career scoring highs.
Following this game UNC will host Cal and Stanford, and then head to Notre Dame. An 0-2 start to ACC play would be a real problem. That possibility is frankly remote but funnier things have happened. Coach CB most likely used Charleston as a teaching point Anyway, UNC last season was a road warrior, winning 8 of 9 on the road in ACC play.
Game time is Monday 8:00 PM EST. This game is scheduled for ACCN. There will be the usual radio link from GoHeels, starting a half-hour earlier.
