39% shooting.
Outrebounded.
17 first-half points.
Down 21 at the half, lost by 9 to a 4-8 ACC team.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Boston College played at home last night in a pivotal game. The Eagles needed the victory to keep themselves in the bubble mix, but with the loss, they are almost certainly now on the outside of the field of 68, and the window is coming down fast.
Credit where credit is due, BC played much better in the second half, but college basketball games are two halves, and BC’s effort in the first half was non-existent. They’ve got no one to blame but themselves for the situation they’re in, but at least the guys can take post-game comfort in playing pitty-pat with their girlfriends. (Thank you Reggie Jackson for creating a new BC internet meme.)
I don’t blame anyone for being disgusted with the loss; the Eagles were favored and played a much better game against this Miami team on the road. The ‘Canes, however, looked like the team that had everything on the line, not BC. The urgency was not there for the whole game, and the effort wasn’t, either. Getting curb-stomped by an inferior team at home in crunch time is indefensible.
So, what’s next for BC? Not losing had better be a part of those plans, because if they lose any time between here and, let’s say, March 11, then they can start printing the NIT tickets.
