0 - 0 Obviously, there wasn't nearly as much on the line, but the 5,642 fans in Conte Forum had the same look on their faces as Duke fans did at the conclusion of their national championship game against Butler, horror. A half court heave from Providence sophomore Vincent Council, that would have stolen a game that the Eagles had controlled, was dead on. Fortunately the ending was the same as well. There shot simply had too much zip on it, as it caromed off the backboard, hit the front of the rim and rolled out. Everyone exhaled, and the Eagles came away with a hard fought 88-86 victory against a pesky Friars club that refused to quit despite trailing by double digits most of the game.
Reggie Jackson led the way for BC again with a brutally efficient 26 points on 9 of 12 shooting to go along with 7 rebounds, 4 assists and a couple of blocks. Josh Southern continued his resurgence as he filled in admirably for the suspended Courtney Dunn (violation of team rules) and the injured Corey Raji (concussion) by contributing 16 points and 9 rebounds. The Eagles placed 4 of 5 starters in double figures. Providence was led by top scorer Marshon Brooks who's monster second half allowed his team to nearly steal the game. He finished with 28.
What To Like:
Offensive Execution
Efficiency is not a word that was synonymous with Boston College basketball in recent years. They were prone to high turnovers against pressure, poor shot selection, and poor ball movement. Last night however, was a great look at what type of potential Steve Donahue's motion offense has when executed at a high level. The Eagles made 51% of their shots from the field to go along with 50% from 3 point range (12/24). The ball movement was terrific and allowed BC to get just about any shot it wanted. Were it not for the struggles at the free throw line, they may have broken the century mark.
Biko Paris
Jackson's consistent production and Josh Southern's improvement this season have been well documented, but one player who's been overlooked is Paris. His first 3 years were a demonstration of his great but ultimately untapped potential. This season though, after a slow start, he's really come on. His ball handling remains a little shaky, particularly when under duress, but his shooting has improved dramatically along with his defense on the ball. Biko is often asked to check the other teams primary scorer, and despite Brooks' big second half, the Friars star was forced to take 23 shots to get those 28 points. Paris has been a valuable contributor to this team and continues to get better.
What Not To Like:
Free Throw Shooting
Despite the late run from the Firars which was more a result of the inability of the bench to ice the game, the Eagles had multiple opportunities to finally put the game away from the free throw line. But, they consistently missed the front end of 1 and 1's or would only be able to convert 1 of 2 when in the double bonus. This allowed the suddenly hot shooting Providence team to trade 2 or 3 points for every 1 the Eagles would pick up. Thus the Friars found themselves in position (after Trapani split a pair at the line, naturally) to steal the game. Boston College has shot the ball well from the line all year, so this was probably an aberration, but it's something that needs to continue to be a strength as they enter ACC play.
Rebounding
It's been awhile since we've mentioned rebounding in this space, but last night, the Eagles biggest weakness reared its head again. Finishing with a 44-31 edge on the glass, the Friars were able to clean up a lot of their misses which prevented BC from blowing their doors off in the first half. As the game progressed, the defense for BC remained strong, but their work was for naught as they couldn't finish the possession with a defensive rebound. Some of this can be attributed to the absence of Corey Raji and Courtney Dunn, but it still remains the biggest obstacle to this teams success. With Raji's return expected on Saturday, hopefully it will help stabilize the situation.
What's Next:
The tour of college basketball in New England takes a hiatus this weekend as the Eagles open ACC play against Maryland in College Park. After suffering a concussion against Indiana, Raji is expected to return, which should help boost the beleaguered Eagles front line against the powerful Terps. Coach Gary Williams' club is 7-3 on the season, though their 3 losses are against highly respectable opposition (nationally ranked Illinois, Pitt, and against formerly ranked Temple). Jordan Williams leads the Terps this season, posting a double-double average of 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Terps won the only meeting between the 2 clubs last season, but the Eagles have won their last 4 ACC openers.
The game is Sunday afternoon at 4pm and can be seen locally on CSN New England.
