Boston College Men’s Basketball vs. LaSalle Final Score and Thoughts

Final Score: Boston College 82, LaSalle 61

This is a different Boston College team than the one that showed up yesterday. They limited to the Explorers to only eight offensive rebounds and it seemed as though the Eagles were getting much more comfortable rebounds than they were yesterday.

BC was able to win two of the three battles that I have identified for them all year. Both teams hit eight threes, but it took the Explorers nine more attempts to get to eight makes. The Eagles dominated the glass, 48-30, which was critical in their eventual 20-point win. Unfortunately, BC continued to turn over the ball too often, with 15 today after their 18 yesterday. If the Eagles, particularly Bowman and Robinson, can control their turnovers, that will go a long way towards winning games in the ACC, not just keeping them close.

Player of the Game

Jerome Robinson took over down the stretch, showing why he received a vote as the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, but it was Nik Popovic, with a career-high 18, who is my player of the game. For much of last year, the Eagles lacked a real post presence and now Popovic has a chance to give them a real interior presence. He appears to be noticeably stronger and smoother than he did last year, flashing a soft touch from the free throw line and a newfound ability to take his defender off the dribble and finish over either shoulder. As impressive as his offensive performance was, I was extremely impressed by his post defense today. On multiple occasions, he did a great job of remaining completely vertical and using his length to stymy LaSalle’s attempts around the basket.

Next up for the Eagles:

The Eagles will return to Chestnut Hill on Wednesday for a matchup with Colgate.