Defensive Gameplan Works, But Turnovers Cost Boston College in Blacksburg

The game was kept in the low 60’s, which is exactly what Boston College needed if they were to get a road win at Virginia Tech on Saturday.

However, it was a late put back by Dorenzo Hudson that made the difference in the tight, ACC battle between the Eagles and the Hokies.

Virginia Tech looked poised to blow BC out of Blacksburg after building up a double digit lead late in the first half, but the Eagles battled back, cutting the deficit to nine at the halftime intermission.

Virginia Tech finished the first half with 38 points, something the Eagles did not want to happen, but it was BC’s second half defense that allowed the lead to slowly wear down.

The focus for Al Skinner and Boston College had to be on Malcolm Delaney, who was averaging around 26 points through the first three ACC games for the Hokies. The Eagles did just that, pressuring Delaney, and limiting the star guard to 13 points on 4-for-15 shooting.

However, for Virginia Tech, the gameplan worked both ways. Boston College leading scorer, Joe Trapani, who scored 31 in a road win over Miami (FL) earlier in the week, was also kept in check, finishing with only six points on five total shots.

So, how was it possible BC lost when shooting 55 percent from the field, 93.8 percent from the foul line, and holding the Hokies go-to-guy to only 13 points?

The answer is simple: turnovers.

The Eagles turned the ball over a total of 19 times in the games, while Virginia Tech only had nine.

For Boston College, those turnover woes were about to be overlooked as the Eagles stole the lead 62-59 down the stretch. However, the Hokies cut the lead to one and got into their full court pressure.

To no surprise, the Eagles could not handle the pressure, inbounding the ball right under the Virginia Tech basket where Biko Paris was triple-teamed and tied up for a jump ball, possession arrow to Virginia Tech.

On the ensuing possession, the Eagles shut down Delaney, but a put back on the weak side by Dorenzo Hudson (18 points) put the Hokies up 63-62 with under 10 seconds to play.

Fittingly, the Eagles had one chance to win the game in the waning seconds, but Reggie Jackson dribbled the ball off a teammate’s foot, resulting in the Eagles final and 19th turnover of the game, giving Virginia Tech the one point victory.

Being unable to execute has cost the Eagles in games earlier in the season, but with an opportunity to snag a key road win in Virginia Tech, this one has to hurt.

The door is closing for Boston College, and closing fast. They will return to Chestnut Hill in preparation with a date with Clemson. The Tigers are coming off a loss to Duke on Saturday, but have already beaten the Eagles this season, 72-56 at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Boston College (11-9, 2-4) and Clemson (15-5, 3-3) will tip on Tuesday, January 26th, at 7:00PM from Conte Forum.