GREENSBORO, N.C. — In the first matchup of the ACC Tournament, the Boston College Eagles made a comeback against the Syracuse Orange, winning 76-73. In a game of two different halves, Boston College prevailed. They will advance to face the 14th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels on Thursday, March 6th, at 11 AM EST. 

Syracuse started hot in the first quarter with a 27-14 lead, led by Kyra Wood. Wood scored 11 points in the quarter, finishing with 15 in the game. For the Eagles, Teya Sydberry led their scoring with six points while grabbing five rebounds. The Orange started hot, shooting 3/5 from the three-point line (60%), while shooting 11/21 overall (52.4%). Boston College dug themselves into a hole that was difficult to get out of by shooting 7/17 overall. They were unable to make a three-pointer, only attempting two in the quarter.  

After the second quarter, Syracuse increased their lead to 45-28. Boston College tightened up their defense after allowing 27 points, only surrendering 18 points in the quarter. However, they equaled their first quarter scoring with 14 points. In the second quarter, Dontavia Waggoner (WAGG-ner) led the Eagles with eight points in the quarter, adding one rebound as well. The Orange maintained their lead thanks to Georgia Wooley, who led the team with seven points. While Syracuse was up at halftime, Boston College decided to send them a message in the third quarter.

The Eagles clawed their way back into the game in the third quarter but still trailed 56-60. They came back thanks to three-point shooting in the period. Boston College’s negligence to shoot from outside cost them, and they gained momentum back thanks to a key shot. At the 7:40 mark in the quarter, Savannah Samuel made a three-pointer off an offensive rebound, which was a wake-up call in their run. Waggoner also played a big role in getting the Eagles back in the game. She scored 10 points in the third and 22 overall. Another player who was fueled by the momentum change was Sidberry, who scored 10 points, bringing her total to 18 through three. After Boston College had made it a closer contest with the Orange, the fourth quarter saw both teams fight to the final whistle.

The Eagles finished off their comeback win thanks to Waggoner scoring another 10 points and their defense holding Syracuse scoreless for the last two minutes. Despite the Orange not being able to score, the game came down to the final whistle. Syracuse had a chance to win after the first half, but they suffered in the second due to the rebounding battle. Showing more aggression leading to the win, the Eagles outrebounded the Orange 27-12. 

Waggoner finished with 32 points to lead the team, while Sidberry finished with 24 to complete the tandem effort. Thanks to their efforts on the glass and second-half momentum swing, Boston College has earned another day in the ACC Tournament.