BC Basketball Drops Season Opener to Nicholls State
By Josh Eichenbaum
The Boston College men’s basketball team fought hard, but was unable to pull itself out of an early hole, losing its season-opener to Nicholls State 79-73 on Friday. The Eagles struggled out of the gate, with 4 turnovers in the game’s first 4 and a half minutes. With BC’s offense sputtering, the Colonels jumped out to an early 12-0 lead, and were up by as much as 17 in the first half. A pair of Boston College threes just before the half cut the deficit to 9, giving the team some much-needed momentum heading into the final 20 minutes.
The Eagles trailed by as many as 14 in the second half before eventually going on a late run to tie the game at 69 with just over 2 minutes remaining. Jerome Robinson and AJ Turner catalyzed the team during the run, with each making big plays on both ends of the floor. Robinson in particular showed the ability to create offense for both himself and his teammates, snaking into the lane several times to collapse the Colonel defense. Ultimately, the Eagles were unable to fully capitalize on the late momentum, as the Colonels escaped with the win.
The Eagles struggled to get out in transition for much of the game, a tactic coach Jim Christian had emphasized as key to the team’s success in the preseason. Nicholls State ran a relentless full-court press that forced the Eagles to slow down and play a halfcourt game offensively. The Colonels were also aided by a tremendous performance from DeAndre Harris, who finished with 28 points and made a number of difficult shots.
Looking forward, the Eagles will need to find a way to consistently create offense in the halfcourt—a tall task for any college team, much less one whose primary guards are all either freshmen or sophomores. The team also struggled occasionally with its defensive rotations—again, something that is to be expected for a young team that hasn’t seen much time together. Christian emphasized that the team will continue to grow together in his postgame press conference, adding that it takes time for young players to “…Understand how hard you have to play until you do it for awhile.”
The Eagles’ next game comes on Tuesday, the 15th against Maryland Eastern Shore.