Steve Donahue and the young Eagles rewarded the few fans that were willing to come out for this one. Going against #17 Florida State, I'll be honest, I didn't have much hope for this game. Fortunately, I know nothing and am usually wrong. The boys played with fantastic energy and hit a bunch of huge shots to grind out a 64-60 win. It was BC's first win over a ranked team in three years. The Eagles improve to 3-7 in ACC play and 8-16 overall.
Eagles Leaders: Points: Daniels, 21; Rebounds: Anderson, 6; Assists: Daniels, 5
Quick Thoughts:
The effort was phenomenal. I cannot stress this enough. After seeing this team play 35 minutes a game and then collapsing, it was incredibly refreshing to see them play a complete game. I kept waiting for the collapse. It never came. They just kept fighting and didn't give up on any possessions. They kept their composure and a fed off of each other. You could practically see them maturing on the court. It was a joy to watch.
The threes were falling. I'll be honest, BC is not better than FSU in any facet of the game, really. Tonight, however, they shot the lights out from behind the arc. 10 of 22 from deep and 57% in the first half will solve a lot of problems. Jordan Daniels and Lonnie Jackson were locked in and made FSU over-pursue on perimeter shooters to open up other shots. The offense was run to perfection at certain points.
It's amazing how much confidence I have in Steve Donahue. As I sat there in the press conference after the game, I just thought, "this guy gets it, we're gonna be alright". He is so calm, doesn't get caught up in the moment, good or bad, and flat out knows how to coach basketball. The kids respond to him and he gets them to buy into his system. He recognizes that we aren't going to be recruiting one-and-done freak athletes, so he recruits cerebral, high-character players. He implements his system and eventually it will work; that's the theory. I believe him when he says they are making progress. #InSteveWeTrust
BC benefitted from Benard James getting into foul trouble early. He's by far their best post player and basically lives in the paint. Dennis Clifford also got into foul trouble, so James probably could have done some damage....if he were in the game. But he wasnt. #Winning
Conrad's Player Of The Game:
Jordan Daniels
Hands down. Not even close. Was Lonnie Jackson awesome? Yes. Did Matt Humphrey blow by his defender on several possessions, have a ton of swag, and get a technical foul? Yes. Despite all of that, Daniels was still much better. He ran the offense efficiently with 5 assists to just 1 turnover. He was on fire all night and he poured in a game-high 21 points.
This was one of the most surprising BC wins I have ever experienced. I didn't see it coming at all, and I have a newfound respect for Donahue and company. The future for this team is certainly bright.