67 - 65 After treading dangerously over the past 2 weeks with close wins over Maryland, Providence, and Bucknell the Eagles flaws were finally exposed for all to see in a 67-65 loss to Rhode Island last night at the Ryan Center. Boston College had struggled with turnovers during the 3 game run, but had performed various Houdini acts of escape by virtue of their hot shooting from outside. Last night, 18 turnovers proved to be one too many to overcome. Reggie Jackson led the way for Boston College, but his 6th turnover of the night in rhe final 2 minutes proved to be incredibly costly as it allowed URI to gain an extra possession in a 2 point game which they promptly turned into an alley oop that extended the lead to 4 and cut off the Eagles comeback attempt. The loss can also be attributed in no small part to the loss of guard Biko Paris, who had been shooting the lights out over the past few weeks. He left the game early in the first half with what was deemed a sprained ankle and did not return until the final seconds, when he was the inbounder on the final play of the game (a missed Reggie Jackson 3). The loss is the first for the Eagles in their last 9 games and drops them to 10-3 on the season while Rhode Island improves to 9-4.
What to Like:
Composure
Once again the Eagles showed poise in the face of adversity, despite trailing by as many as 13 in the first half. Without one of their best long range threats and with mounting foul trouble they were able to erase that double digit lead before the 2nd half was 5 minutes old, and actually held a lead briefly. Much as they did against Bucknell, Boston College accomplished this by settling down in their defense and finding a way to get stops and then finish the possessions with a defensive rebound. Having to rally back on a consistent basis isn't advisable of the course of a season, but it's comforting to know that it can be done when necessary. This team plays with a great deal of heart.
Joe Trapani
The much maligned Joe Trapani finally displayed some of that all around ability that hasn't been seen since his freshman year. He converted 6 of his 8 field goal attempts including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc to go along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. He seemed to accept the challenge of trying to lead this team when it was clear that Reggie didn't have his best stuff and Biko was out with an ankle injury and the team was on the verge of being blown out for the first time. Joe did an admirable job leading the team back and very nearly stole it for them.
Gabe Moton
The true freshman was thrust into a more central role after the Paris injury and thrived. In 12 big minutes off the bench (most in the 2nd half) he came in and made 3 of his 4 shots including 2 of 3 from 3 point land to help spark the Eagles and keep them in the game in the 2nd half when it appeared that foul trouble and depth were going to be the teams undoing. Hopefully this will be a sign of things to come.
What Not to Like:
Defensive Intensity
For the 2nd consecutive game, the Eagles allowed an opponent to get hot from the outside early in the game by failing to close out on perimeter players or doing so very lackadaisically. As a result, the Rams got out to a double digit lead (much like Bucknell) and BC had trouble trying to turn them off. Akeem Richmond in particular proved to be a thorn in BC's side as he made 5 of 10 shots from the outside and seemed to come up with a big basket every time the Eagles threatened to turn the tide. Defense is clearly not going to be a strength with this team (to nobody's surprise), but they can not allow teams to get off to such fast starts as it severely hampers their ability to win ball games when constantly having to battle back from double digit deficits.
Reggie Jackson
It's hard to be too critical of Reggie's efforts this season because of how much he's been asked to take on, but the fact remains that the decision making needs to improve. The turnover numbers have soared over the last month or so and a lot of that has to do with the decision making by Reggie Jackson. Jackson still very nearly managed to win the game on the final play when his last second shot came up just short, but his 6th turnover of the game proved equally as devastating in the final minute. Simply put, when ACC play starts for real next month, Reggie will need to take better care of the ball if the team has real hopes of making the NCAA Tournament.
What's Next:
The Eagles most imposing non-conference game is on tap for New Years Day when they visit South Carolina. This game will conclude the home and home series that began last year at Conte Forum where BC blitzed the Gamecocks in the first half by 21 points before a late rally in the 2nd half made the final margin a more respectable 9 (85-76). The game can be seen on ESPN-U Saturday at 5:30pm.
