Eagles Hold on for Win in Conference Opener

Reggie Jackson led the Eagles with 18-9, and got it done in crunch time. He dunks on a helpless Cane, Ronnie Jackson with 0:20 to go.

It was a nerve-racking afternoon in Conte Forum, which ultimately ended joyously as the Eagles knocked off the Miami Hurricanes, 61-60. The Eagles were led by Reggie Jackson and Corey Raji. The duo combined for 35 electrifying points. Jackson demonstrated the pizzazz while Raji displayed his usual grit.

The Eagles seemed to have great control over the game midway through the second half. Their lead grew to sixteen with 12:07 left. Jackson and Raji were the only Eagles in double figures. Sanders was sidelined with a bummed ankle, Joe Trapani was sub-par due to the flu, and Josh Southern struggled. Biko Paris’ was underwhelming as well.

Raji’s grit was rewarded again. He was constantly around the glass, fighting for position and diving for loose balls. He put up an impressive 17-9. His hot play has kept the Eagles afloat with Sanders sidelined and Trapani ill. He recorded many unflashy points but his effort and production were impressive.

While Raji was the tough grinder, Jackson was his usual self. He danced around with his tongue out, his pants sagging and his headband barely resting on his dome. All that show led to another good game for the sophomore though. His explosiveness was on display against Miami. He dropped 18 points and brought down 9 boards. His leaping ability was truly extraordinary.

The last two minutes of the first half were the Reggie Jackson show. He almost touched the new banners hanging from Conte’s rafters while hauling in a rebound. His dunk with under a minute to go in the game that was called a charge was mind-boggling. He epitomized the phrase “jumping out of the gym” on that play.

While those two shined, it was not as rosy for the rest of Al’s boys. Trapani only contributed five points, but one must realize he was a game-time decision due to an influenza diagnosis. It is reasonable to give him a pass, but one must come down harder on some of the other strugglers.

Southern only contributed 6-7. He missed multiple opportunities for easy, close points. He also dropped many passes, which led to turnovers. Cortney Dunn played pretty well, however, off the bench. He added two very impressive blocks. His defense has been promising, and he should see more time as the season progresses.

Biko Paris added seven assists, but seemed inadequate compared to Jackson. It will be interesting to see how Al works his rotation when the whole squad is back and healthy. I would advocate for a lineup of Jackson, Sanders, Raji, Trapani and Southern, but my gut tells me that Al will choose otherwise. He picked Biko to start the year and he is usually a man of great faith. It will be hard for Skinner to reserve Jackson though if he continues to shine in the prime time.

The Eagles made things far more uneasy than they had to be, but a win is a win. They brought home their first conference win. This was as big of a win that you can have in December. It is the type of game that BC must win to get into the tournament. BC will probably have to win 10 ACC games and today was a good start. They must especially win their home conference games.

Harvard comes over next and then they will take on A-10 power University of Rhode Island. They do not have another conference game until January 9th when they travel down to Clemson. The game against Miami was a good start, but they must focus on these non-conference games ahead. While they cannot help a ton, they can certainly hurt.

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