Byline: George Kimball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - They're on the verge of moving to the ACC, and they're playing their first-round NCAA Tournament game in the Dean Smith Fieldhouse with the promise of a game against Duke right around the corner if they win.
The seventh-seeded Boston College women (19-9) wouldn't be human if they weren't tempted to look past this afternoon's game against 21-8 Houston (2:30).
'They know that Duke is looming there, but because they've been in this position before they know they have to take care of Houston,' BC coach Cathy Inglese said yesterday. 'I think they're really focused on the fact that they have to win this first game. They did it last year in the Big East tournament.'
In trying to keep her charges' eyes on the ball, Inglese has deputized senior captain Jessalyn Deveney, whose collegiate career ended on Feb.2 when she ruptured her Achilles tendon at Notre Dame.
'That's going to be part of Jess' job, focusing them on Houston,' said Inglese, noting that the Cougars are 'a good, solid team.'
When the draw came down on Selection Sunday a week ago, the Eagles were pleased by their seed, excited about going to North Carolina, but utterly baffled when it came to their opponent. Inglese spent the early part of last week viewing tapes of Houston in action, and the past several days devising a battle plan for combating a pronounced disadvantage in height.
'They're very athletic and they're tall,' said Inglese, noting that the presence of 6-foot-4 Sancho Lyttle, 6-5 Joann Overstreet, and 6-5 Kiemona Harris in the Cougars' frontcourt.
'They're not bulky. They're pretty light and athletic, and they've got some good speed,' said Inglese. 'They can also go with a smaller lineup with more quickness in the backcourt,' where guard Daphne Andre (10.5 ppg) is Houston's second-leading scorer behind Lyttle.
Although the size differential poses some matchup problems for BC, said Inglese, 'It depends on how we attack it. We don't want to let them sit back and use their height. I think if we attack their big kids from the perimeter and drive and dish we should be okay. The thing is, they do a lot of pressing. But if we attack the middle and use the quick pass off the dribble we should be fine.
'But they've got a player (Lyttle) who averages 19.1 points and 12.4 rebounds,' warned Inglese. 'They get a lot of stuff off second shots. They're so good that they can afford to throw up a lot of 3-point shots, because they're so good at getting the rebound and putting it up for a high-percentage shot.'
At 6-4, BC's Italian-born center Kathrin Ress frequently towers over opponents. Against Houston today, she could be the fourth-tallest woman on the floor.
'We saw them on film. They start two 6-5s and one 6-4, so they're pretty tall.'
With Deveney sidelined, senior G/F Clare Droesch is the only Eagle playing in her fourth straight NCAA tournament today. Droesch isn't worried about the Eagles looking past Houston.
'Everyone knows it's one and done,' she said. 'That's why we've been so successful in past years. We've had so much time off getting prepared for the NCAA, first waiting to see who you're playing and then having a week to practice. With this team everyone just loves to play, and we're all anxious to go.'
Caption: STAYING LOOSE: BC coach Cathy Inglese jokes with senior Clare Droesch during practice yesterday in Chapel Hill, N.C. BC plays Houston in their NCAA opener today. AP photo
