Eagles Play Sloppy, Continue Their Tumble
By Ben Neuwirth
Boston College came into Tuesday’s game looking for their first win in ACC play and after the final buzzer they walked down the steps of Conte Forum still looking, as they fell to Virginia Tech, 71-56.
BC was able to hang with the Hokies for most of the first half behind the strong play of Garland Owens, 9 points and 11 rebounds, and Dennis Clifford, 13 points and 12 boards. However, poor shooting ultimately doomed them, as they went 1-15 behind the arc and 12-36 from the floor in the first half.
With 4:53 left before the half, Seth Allen hit a free throw to put Tech up 28-18 and the home team would fail to get within single digits for the rest of the game.
The Boston College offense was plagued by a lack of creators, as lone point guard Eli Carter forced his way into 6 turnovers and dismal 6-for-19 shooting. Owens tried to inject them with energy, grabbing 5 offensive boards, 3 steals and throwing down two big slams, including a huge put back slam at the end of the half. The bench was a non-factor, as a Matt Milon three-ball with 3:47 left was the unit’s lone score.
Injuries to A.J. Turner and Jerome Robinson have left the team with a dangerous lack of depth. When Eli Carter and Matt Milon, 1-for-9, struggled out of the gate, the ball stopped moving and the Eagles began chucking up long, kick-out threes.
That left them unable to capitalize on 11 first half offensive rebounds and a multitude of Virginia Tech turnovers.
The visitors seemed to be on cruise control most of the game. Leading scorer Zach LeDay only played 26 minutes while 6’5″ sophomore Justin Bibbs got his double-double, 12 points and 10 rebounds, in only 31 ticks.
There was an opportunity here to trap Virginia Tech but Boston College was not up to the task. They’ll have to wait until Saturday to get their first conference win as they host Georgia Tech at 12 noon. Catch the broadcast of that game on WZBC Newton 90.3 FM. Anthony Iati, Michael Graziano, and Chris Noyes will bring you the call.
The Eagles better hurry– only 3 games left.
Long Rebounds:
Dennis Clifford has been terrific over the last few weeks, becoming a force inside defensively and off the Pick ‘n Roll….Matt Milon had a bad night, he seems to only get open when Ervins Meznieks is in, too….Jim Christian seemed frustrated, I’d expect rotation changes….The off-ball movement has all but died, Owens is the only one cutting anymore….Sammy Barnes-Thompkins played decent but more importantly is henceforth known as the Notorious SBT.
Photography courtesy of The Roanoke Times
Gif courtesy of Tom DeVoto
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