CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's basketball team (0-1, 0-0 AE) fell to the Boston College Eagles (1-0, 0-0 ACC) by a score of 81-53 on Monday night at Conte Forum.
 
Senior Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) led the team with 16 points and five assists. Junior Jaini Edmonds (Worcester, Mass.) added 10 points while senior Kaylen Banwareesingh (Bronx, N.Y.) had a team-high nine rebounds and added three points.
 
"I think in the first half we showed some grit and determination," said head coach Denise King. "We let fatigue and our lack of maturity shine through in the second half and that bit us. It was good to see Jaliena out there again and being our floor general. Overall, she had a solid game and we'll look to her going forward to lead us."
 
The Eagles got off to a quick start, taking a 10-2 lead two minutes in. Back-to-back offensive possessions with nice finishes from sophomore Ivory Finley (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Jaliena Sanchez gave the River Hawks life to keep the game within reach early, but Boston College held a 13-6 advantage the media break. Out of the timeout, the River Hawks picked up the pace of play and cut the deficit to four points and made two big stops on the defensive end. Freshman Ella Ner (Bene Atarot, Israel) scored her first collegiate points after knocking down a three to cut the lead again, but the Eagles led 23-16 after one quarter.
 
The River Hawks opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 24-23 lead behind big threes from Jaini Edmonds and Jaliena Sanchez. Boston College battled back to retake the lead before Kaylen Banwareesingh knocked down a deep three to give UMass Lowell a one-point edge at the media timeout. Out of the break, the Eagles went on a 9-1 scoring run to take a 38-31 lead with 90 seconds in the half. UMass Lowell trailed 40-33 at the halftime break.
 
Boston College got the second rolling with a 10-0 scoring run in the opening three minutes, forcing the River Hawks into a timeout. The Eagles continued to dominate the pace of play out of the break, keeping UMass Lowell off the board at the midway mark of the third quarter and extending their lead to 56-33 at the media timeout. Graduate student Mili Carrera (Lima, Peru) scored the River Hawks' first points of the quarter after knocking down a three. Boston College led 62-40 after three quarters.
 
In the final frame, the Eagles pushed the pace and limited the River Hawks' opportunities on the offensive end. UMass Lowell struggled to make shots while Boston College continued to score. The hosts used their size to their advantage, winning the battle on the glass and in the paint. UMass Lowell fell to Boston College 81-53.