GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com)  – Trailing Syracuse by 19 points in the fading seconds of the first half, Boston College appeared on the verge of calling it a season.
 
But come 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, March 6, the 12th-seeded Eagles will return to First Horizon Coliseum to face fifth-seeded North Carolina in the second round of the 2025 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament.
 
Fueled by Dontavia Waggoner’s career-high 32 points and Teya Sidberry’s 24 points and career-high 17 rebounds, BC rallied for a stunning 76-73 win over the 13th-seeded Orange in Wednesday’s (March 5) tournament opener.
 
The Eagles (16-16) took their first lead of the day at 74-73 on JaKayla Thompson’s short jumper with 1:27 to play. Sidberry padded the margin with a pair of free throws with 4.7 seconds left, and BC stifled Syracuse’s bid for a tying 3-pointer as time expired.
 
Rebounding proved key for Boston College, which held an overall 41-32 edge on the boards, while scoring 15 second-chance points in the second half.
 
Sophie Burrows led the Orange (12-18) with 23 points. Georgia Woolley added 16 and Kyra Wood had 15 points, including Syracuse’s first eight of the game.
 
In similar fashion to last Sunday’s (March 2) 82-57 win over the Eagles at the JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse bolted from the gate quickly on Wednesday, shooting 52 percent from the floor while building a 27-14 lead in the first 10 minutes. Wood scored 11 first-quarter points on 5-for-6 shooting, while Dominique Camp connected on a pair of 3-pointers.
 
Syracuse led 45-28 at the halftime break, but Boston College scored the first 10 points of the second half and pulled within two at 52-50 on Waggoner’s layup at the 3:11 mark of the third quarter.
 
The Orange clung to a 60-56 lead as the game entered the final 10 minutes of regulation and led 72-66 with 3:29 to play. But the Eagles closed the game on a 10-1 run.
 
BC’s regular-season meeting with North Carolina came back on January 12 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with the Tar Heels winning 80-67. The Eagles are now 12-18 all-time in ACC Tournament play, including a 12-17 mark in Greensboro.
 
Syracuse dropped to 9-12 all-time in the ACC tourney and 8-11 at First Horizon Coliseum.