CHESTNUT HILL, MASS — Boston College needed a response and finally delivered one. Four days after a one-point heartbreaker in the opener, the Eagles finished the job at Conte Forum, beating New Hampshire 69–57 with timely shot-making, composure, and the kind of late-game toughness that had been missing.

The start was choppy but promising. Lily Carmody set the tone as a two-way piece, taking a charge, then answering at the other end with a three. Boston College led 18–13 after the first quarter, then let momentum slip with missed layups and turnovers that invited the Wildcats back. New Hampshire hit back-to-back threes and tied it late at 21 before BC steadied to take a 28–24 lead into halftime.

The third quarter turned into a grind. A clean Eagle break pushed the cushion to 37–31, but UNH kept countering and pulled even at 39–39 right before the horn. When the Wildcats jumped ahead 42–39 to start the fourth, Conte tightened. Carmody answered with a corner three to tie it at 42. From there Boston College controlled the final seven minutes with spacing, patience, and paint touches. Amirah Anderson drilled a go-ahead three in the middle of the run, Kayla Tomlinson converted an and-one to make it 60–48, and the Eagles closed with rebounds, free throws, and smart possessions to the horn.

Head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee kept the message simple between quarters: “we have to play the way we practiced.” She added, “I thought that we really came together in the fourth quarter,” and later, “I’m glad they were able to pick that up and really end the game strong.” Asked about the swing from Monday to Thursday, she was blunt about who this team can be. “we are not a bad shooting team as a matter of fact, I know that we’re really good,” she said. “We can’t be a team that’s scared to make mistakes.”

Carmody’s fourth-quarter sequence mattered for tempo and for belief. She summed up her approach this way: “as long as I can do what I can on the defensive end and if I can make it up on the offensive end, then that’s also awesome.” On the late push she said, “coming off a loss last game, I think, honestly, everything was giving everything to my team and giving everything I had on the court… whether that was making shots or getting rebounds or playing on the defense, I’m just willing to do whatever.”

Freshman guard Teionni McDaniel helped set the early tone with pace and pressure, then backed it up with fourth-quarter poise. Her summary was as direct as her play: “I was trying to do my job.” A moment later she added that it was about “coming out, being focus… and doing what I need to do… on both ends.”

There was substance behind the emotion. BC’s spacing improved as the game wore on, which opened driving lanes and second-chance chances. The late-game composure was a step forward from the opener, where Boston College shot 53.5 percent on two-pointers and assisted on 60 percent of its field goals but could not close the final possessions. The difference Thursday was finishing. When the moment asked for it, the Eagles answered.

Context matters too. This roster has a different backbone. Carmody and fellow Australian Eleanor Trout bring a physical edge and maturity. Bernabei-McNamee is now the third-longest tenured head coach in the ACC, and the program’s identity has a clearer shape. Freshman Jocelyne Grier’s profile continues to rise as well; she entered the day as one of six freshmen nationally to post at least five steals in a debut and the only one among them to pair it with 10 points, five rebounds, and five steals.

The job now is to turn one response into a habit. The schedule cooperates. Boston College stays home to face UMass Lowell this Sunday, Nov. 9, at noon in Conte Forum. The charge is simple. Carry the fourth-quarter poise into the opening tip, keep the turnover count down, let defense and rebounding set the rhythm, and the shooting will follow. For a team that needed a reset, Thursday provided one. Sunday is the chance to build.

Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is the Multimedia Director of Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He may be reached at mac@thinklyn.com

CHESTNUT HILL, MASS — Boston College’s women’s basketball season opener was supposed to mark a fresh start, the unveiling of a deeper, faster, more mature team ready to climb back into ACC contention. For three quarters, the Eagles looked the part. For the final few minutes, they looked like a team still searching for the poise to finish.

On Monday night at Conte Forum, BC fell 72–71 to Holy Cross in a heartbreaker that left the crowd stunned and the players staring in disbelief. It was the kind of game that reminded everyone how thin the line between growth and heartbreak can be in November.

The Eagles came out fast, building a 26–18 lead after the first quarter. Their ball movement looked sharp, and the perimeter shooting clicked early. But Holy Cross clawed back in the second, tightening the defensive rotations and cutting BC’s lead to four at halftime. From there, it became a back-and-forth fight that wasn’t decided until the final seconds, when the Crusaders made just one more play than the Eagles.

Boston College showed flashes of what it can be. Kayla Rolph led the team with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting night, hitting three three-pointers that kept the offense afloat when Holy Cross pushed the pace. Jocelyne Grier added 13 points and six rebounds, while Lily Carmody continued to shine as a playmaker with 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Freshman guard Teionni McDaniel scored 10 in her debut, flashing the athleticism that could make her a long-term contributor in the rotation.

Still, the late-game execution faltered. Turnovers in the final minutes proved costly, as did missed box-outs that gave Holy Cross critical second-chance points. The defensive rotations broke down under pressure, and the energy that carried BC early evaporated when it mattered most.

Afterward, the mood inside Conte Forum was subdued. The loss was not about effort. It was about experience, focus, and finishing. In the long run, this kind of defeat can harden a team, but in the short term, it stings.

Scouting the next opponent: New Hampshire (1–0)

The good news for Boston College is that redemption comes quickly. The Eagles are back at home on Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m., hosting a New Hampshire team that dominated its opener with a 72–32 win over Worcester State.

The Wildcats looked sharp out of the gate. Eve DeChent led the way with 16 points, while Elizabeth Lavoie added 14 points, two rebounds, and two steals in her first start. DeChent, the 2025 America East Newcomer of the Year, returns as one of the league’s top scorers and provides a steady presence in the backcourt. New Hampshire brings back seven letterwinners, complemented by five transfers and three freshmen, giving head coach Kelsey Hogan an intriguing mix of experience and new energy.

For Boston College, the assignment is straightforward: take care of the ball, win the rebounding battle, and control tempo. The offense was balanced against Holy Cross, five players scored in double figures, but it needs to translate that rhythm into the final five minutes of games. Defensively, BC must limit second-chance opportunities and clean up its rotations.

The Eagles don’t need perfection Thursday. They need progress. They need to show fans that the opener was a stumble, not a sign.

The bigger picture

Heartbreak losses in November don’t define seasons, but they do reveal something about a team’s toughness. Boston College’s women’s basketball program has talent, shooting, and depth. What it needs now is belief and the resolve to prove that the Holy Cross loss was a lesson, not a warning.

Thursday’s matchup with New Hampshire is more than a non-conference game. It is a test of response. Win, and the Eagles reset their season before the schedule stiffens. Lose, and the questions grow louder.

For now, the opportunity is still in front of them. The message is simple: learn from Monday, play with poise, and finish what you start.

Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is the Multimedia Director of Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He may be reached at mac@thinklyn.com

FOXBOROUGH, MA –  On a chilly and rainy afternoon at Gillette Stadium, the stage was set for another dramatic chapter in the storied rivalry between Boston College and Northwestern women’s lacrosse. Two teams intimately familiar with the pressures and triumphs of NCAA Final Four play went head-to-head, leaving everything on the field. In the end, it was Northwestern that emerged victorious, overcoming a significant deficit to secure a stunning 12-11 comeback victory over Boston College in the national semifinal.

The Eagles found themselves in a hole early, trailing 4-1 shortly into the contest. However, in typical BC fashion, senior Rachel Clark and her teammates quickly rallied, responding with three unanswered goals to level the score at 4-4. The momentum swings characterized much of this matchup, with neither team willing to yield.

One particularly memorable moment came in the second quarter, courtesy of BC captain Mallory Hasselbeck. The daughter of Matt Hasselbeck—Boston College’s former star quarterback and 17-year NFL veteran, who himself had numerous memorable performances at Gillette Stadium—Mallory delivered a poetic and impactful moment. Her goal gave the Eagles their first significant breathing room, putting them ahead 7-5 and igniting the neon-yellow-clad crowd, a beloved tradition initiated by head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein back in 2017 to ensure her players could visibly feel the support from their families and fans.

The Eagles extended their lead to 9-6 in the third quarter thanks to Emma LoPinto’s clutch performance. Mia Mascone then further widened the gap, scoring to make it 10-6. Boston College goalkeeper Shea Dolce was instrumental throughout, steadily gaining confidence as the match unfolded, continuing her tradition of coming through in pivotal Final Four moments. The highlight reel expanded even further as McKenna Davis scored on a breakaway late in the third quarter, seemingly placing the Eagles comfortably in control at 11-6.

However, Northwestern demonstrated the resilience and tenacity befitting their storied program, initiating an impressive comeback that saw them score six unanswered goals to stun BC in the fourth quarter. Riley Campbell, a graduate transfer from Harvard, played hero for the Wildcats, scoring the tying goal midway through the final period to even things at 11-11. Moments later, Northwestern completed their improbable comeback by taking a decisive 12-11 lead—a margin they would not relinquish.

One of the game’s compelling subplots was the head-to-head competition between Northwestern’s Madison Taylor, the nation’s leading scorer entering the game with 105 goals, and Boston College’s Rachel Clark, just two goals behind her. Both athletes showcased their immense talents, underscoring the intensity and skill level of NCAA women’s lacrosse at its highest stage.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein reflected positively on her team’s remarkable run. Emphasizing her decade-long message of “DREAM BIG,” Walker-Weinstein spoke about the importance of aiming beyond the tangible. “Winning the national championship is almost impossible,” she noted, highlighting the magnitude of her team’s accomplishments—two national championships in the last four years and seven consecutive championship game appearances. Although the Eagles will miss their eighth straight championship game, the spirit of their ambitious pursuit remains unwavering.

Northwestern, buoyed by this extraordinary comeback, now advances to face undefeated No. 1 North Carolina in Sunday’s national championship game. For Boston College, the end was bitter, but the dream—and their place in collegiate lacrosse history—remains undeniably intact.

Mac Hutchinson, a columnist in Boston, is a reporter for Eagles Daily, co-host of Eagles Weekly Podcast, and the founder of @BCFootballFans. He may be reached at mac@thinklyn.com or @Mac_Hutchinson