It took only three ACC games for BC to win consecutive games against their in conference foes. Fresh off an exhilarating win against Clemson, BC battled in front of a quiet crowd of 5,038 fans--it looked like half of that on TV--the Eagles defeated a struggling Virginia Tech team 61-59.
The big news going into the game was that Hokies leading scorer Erick Green was out with a sprained left knee. It was clear that VT was off their game from the beginning as they struggled to put together quality offensive sets, and were atrocious beyond the arc (4-14). But VT's inability to stop Boston College when it mattered most is probably what doomed them.
BC and the Hokies kept the game close to start the game, but Jordan Daniels scored 5 quick points for the Eagles in the final minute of the half, and BC stormed out to an 11 point lead after half mostly on some great shots by Matt Humphrey and Dennis Clifford. VT at one point only scored 6 points in the second half, but made it close near the end hitting three pointers that trimmed the lead from 10 to the final of 61-59.
Individually Clifford was the star of the game. He handled his own in the paint against a solid ACC center in Victor Davilla, scoring 15 points and bringing in 4 boards. Clifford has an excellent shot, and great poise. If he develops a mean streak, and continues to bulk up, BC may have their next superstar. The other star of the game has to go to Matt Humphrey. As frustrating as he can be at times, Humphrey can be brilliant at others, and today was no exception. He dropped 14 points, yet on the other hand he turned over the ball 5 times.
There were a lot of reasons to get excited about the way BC played today. They played tough, shot well from the field, and were solid on the defensive and rebounding end. The turnovers were still there (BC had 17), but the Eagles' did a great job of causing turnovers as well. Another tough moment was an injury to John Cahill, who appeared to dislocate his shoulder guarding a defender. He returned to the bench shortly after with a giant ice wrap on his arm. Hopefully he will be healthy again soon.
Virginia Tech is now 0-3 in the ACC, and a loss to BC can not look good on their postseason resume. Going into the game VT was #40 on Kenpom's list, but this loss will skyrocket them down the charts. Before this game, there was a lot of chatter about Seth Greenberg's job security. Guessing that chatter could turn into "Fire Spaz" like screams relatively soon if the Hokies continue to struggle.
True this has only been two games, but BC has looked like a completely different team. They look confident, they are making plays when they need to, and aren't settling for bad shots. In the span of two games our expectations have gone from bleak, to excited. BC is well coached, and Steve Donahue has the Eagles' in position to win. Their next matchup is at NC State. Could another upset be in the cards?