BC freshmen come up big

Swords, Murphy stand tall in rout

Wright State's Kanisha Ward squeezes between BC's LaShaunda Pratt (22) and Victoria Jones, but BC won easily. (STEPHAN SAVOIA/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The basket must have appeared a little shaded for the Wright State women's basketball team yesterday, as taking a shot meant looking through the outstretched arms of two towering Boston College players.

Freshmen Carolyn Swords, 6 feet 6 inches, and Stefanie Murphy, 6-4, stuffed the middle and limited Wright State's opportunities, as BC captured a 68-36 victory in its season opener at Conte Forum.

Swords and Murphy combined for 13 of BC's 36 rebounds, compared with 15 overall for Wright State (0-1). Guard Ayla Brown led the Eagles with eight rebounds.

Offensively, the Eagles looked inside to Swords, who had a game-high 23 points. Murphy added 9. Swords, a lefthander out of Lincoln-Sudbury, displayed her ability to convert from either side of the basket, draining 11 of 15 shots from the field.

"She's just so composed for someone so young," said BC coach Cathy Inglese.

The Raiders did not have an answer for BC's two towers, as their tallest player yesterday (Erica Richardson) is listed at 6-1. The Eagles took advantage with Swords getting 16 points in the first half. She played 29 minutes, 18 in the first half.

"Because we were doing a good job moving the ball around as a team, everyone just had their own little opportunities," Swords said.

A true post presence was missing from last season's 13-16 team, Inglese said. The addition of players such as Murphy and Swords will give the Eagles more options.

"Our future is looking really good," Inglese said. "Look at Murphy and Carolyn the next four years and the combination they're going to be. We really just have to teach them and be patient this year, work through the battles and keep their spirits up."

Six freshmen are on BC's 13-player roster. Freshman guard Jaclyn Thoman played 23 minutes and collected eight assists.

"At this point, with them being young, we need to get them as much experience as possible and as much mental confidence as possible, and I think this game certainly did that," Inglese said.

Inexperience did not hinder the Eagles yesterday. Wright State led, 13-11, with 12:50 left in the first half, but Swords tied the score with a layup with 10:54 remaining. The Raiders would not lead again, as BC expanded its lead to 36-25 at halftime.

The second half proved no better for the Raiders, who shot 31 percent from the field (5 of 16).

Wright State freshman guard Sheylani Peddy made her college debut in her home state. Peddy, a Melrose High graduate, had 8 points, second for the Raiders only to guard Kanisha Ward's 14. Brookline High graduate Charné Dixon, a sophomore, also made her way into the game for Wright State, playing three minutes.

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com