NEWTON, Mass. (Interstat) — Mia Mancini scored 28 points to lead Bryant to an 80-71 victory over Boston College in a women’s nonconference basketball game Tuesday night at Silvio O. Conte Forum. The Bulldogs, who led 32-29 at halftime, broke the game open with a 25-point third quarter. The Eagles mounted a late rally with 28 points in the fourth but could not close the gap. Bryant capitalized on turnovers, scoring 23 points off them compared to just seven for Boston College. Mancini, a Mansfield native, added two assists in 39 minutes for Bryant (8-3). Maranda Nyborg contributed 18 points and five assists. Lily Carmody led Boston College (4-9) with 15 points.

NEWTON, Mass. (Interstat) — Mia Mancini erupted for a season-high 28 points, leading the Bryant Bulldogs to an 80-71 upset victory over the Boston College Eagles in a nonconference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Silvio O. Conte Forum. The Bulldogs, who entered as significant underdogs according to predictive metrics, improved to 8-3 by snapping a three-game losing streak. Boston College fell to 4-9 with its fourth consecutive defeat. The most important part of the game was Bryant’s immediate and sustained defensive pressure, which created a cushion the Eagles could never fully erase. The Bulldogs forced a flurry of early turnovers, converting them into a decisive 23-7 advantage in points off turnovers for the game. This set the tone for a contest where Bryant led for all but the opening moments. Bryant established control in the first quarter, holding Boston College to just 11 points while building an 18-11 lead. The Bulldogs extended their advantage to 32-29 by halftime, then delivered a critical blow in the third quarter. They outscored the Eagles 25-14 in the period, with Mancini scoring 11 of her points, to take a commanding 57-43 lead into the final frame. Boston College mounted a frantic fourth-quarter rally, pouring in 28 points and cutting the deficit to single digits multiple times in the final minutes. The Eagles got as close as six points, but Bryant consistently answered at the free-throw line to secure the win. The Bulldogs shot 23 for 28 from the charity stripe, including a perfect 8 for 8 from Mancini in the fourth quarter to ice the game. Mancini, a 5-foot-6 guard from Mansfield, Massachusetts, played 39 minutes and added two assists to her game-high point total. Her performance marked a return to form after scoring in single digits in two of her previous three outings. She was supported by a dominant inside presence from Maranda Nyborg. The 6-foot-3 forward from Bethel, Connecticut, scored 18 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out five assists and blocked a shot. Mimi Rubino added 15 points, and Nia Scott contributed 11 points and a key early block. Boston College was led by Lily Carmody’s 15 points. Kayla Rolph scored 13, and Erin Houpt added 10. Athena Tomlinson facilitated the offense with eight assists to go with eight points. Despite the late surge, the Eagles were hampered by 18 turnovers and an inability to contain Mancini in crucial moments. Bryant also won despite being outscored 32-28 in the paint, highlighting the impact of their perimeter defense and transition scoring. A crowd of 488 watched as Bryant handed Boston College its second home loss to an in-state opponent this season, following a one-point defeat to Holy Cross in the opener. The Bulldogs will look to build on the win when they host Georgian Court on Dec. 19. Boston College aims to regroup before facing Northeastern at home on the same date.

Preview: Bryant Bulldogs at Boston College Eagles NEWTON, Mass. (Interstat) — A surging mid-major program meets a struggling Atlantic Coast Conference foe when the Bryant Bulldogs visit the Boston College Eagles in a nonconference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Silvio O. Conte Forum. The Bulldogs (7-3) enter with the stronger overall record but are looking to snap a three-game skid. Their most recent outing was a 53-41 home loss to Holy Cross on Sunday. Despite the defeat, forward Nia Scott posted 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 37 minutes. Scott has been a consistent force for Bryant, recording double-doubles in three of her last six games, including a 25-point performance against Merrimack on Nov. 19. Bryant’s early-season success was built on a seven-game win streak, featuring decisive road victories at Boston University (83-56) and Stonehill (77-48). The Bulldogs’ defense held opponents under 60 points in five of those seven wins. Boston College (4-8) seeks to regain footing amid a challenging schedule, having lost five of its last six games. The Eagles are coming off an 81-55 home loss to Virginia on Sunday. Guard Athena Tomlinson led BC with 15 points in that contest. Tomlinson has shown flashes of high-level play this season, dishing out 10 assists in games against Providence and Rider and scoring 21 points in a win over Merrimack on Nov. 25. The Eagles’ season has been marked by offensive inconsistency, failing to reach 65 points in seven of their eight losses. Their schedule ramps up significantly after this game, with ACC play looming. For Bryant, this game represents a prime opportunity for a resume-building win against a Power Five opponent before returning to a stretch of regional nonconference games. For Boston College, it is a chance to steady itself before facing a gauntlet of conference opponents, including North Carolina, Duke and Stanford in January. The matchup in the backcourt between Bryant’s Scott and Boston College’s Tomlinson will be pivotal. Scott’s interior scoring and rebounding will test an Eagles defense allowing 71.8 points per game, while Tomlinson’s playmaking will challenge a Bulldogs squad looking to tighten its defense after recent setbacks. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.