Embarrassing. The only word that can suffice to describe the Boston College Eagles 72-56 loss to Clemson the last time these two teams met January 9th. Truly embarrassing. Coming off of a frustrating, last-second loss at Virginia Tech, the Conte faithful were not sure what to expect from the inconsistent Eagles going up against one of the premier teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Reggie Jackson led the Eagles with 18 points and 7 assists en route to a shocking 75-69 win over the 21st ranked Clemson Tigers. The Eagles stormed out to a 23-7 run early in the first half, brought home by an emphatic, and-one alley-oop slam by Corey Raji with 5:57 to go that electrified the crowd as Boston College enjoyed a sixteen point lead.
As the Eagles flew past the Tigers’ suffocating full-court press, fans could be overheard asking themselves if this was the same team that had lost four of its last five. Ranked second-to-last in the ACC in turnover margin, the Eagles maintained good ball movement across the perimeter and took advantage of the fast breaks offered by Clemson’s press. Whereas their stagnant flex offense had prevented them from getting to hoop all year, Clemson’s full-court pressure enabled the Eagles to push the ball. Their aggressive style of play resulted in the capitalization of free throw opportunities, making 24 of 35, including a perfect 10 of 10 by Mr. January, Reggie Jackson himself.
The Tigers struggled to trigger a comeback throughout the second half, yet remained close enough to alarm those fans that know their Eagles all too well. Trailing by double digits throughout much of the game, Clemson sparked a comeback, led by big man Trevor Booker. With two minutes to go, the Tigers had pulled within six points. However, like the Jojo song, it proved to be too little too late as the Eagles were able to somehow hold onto their lead.
While Boston College has a long way to go before even considering a bid to the NCAA tournament, this win was certainly a step in the right direction. Not only does it put a much-needed victory in the win column, but it also gives Coach Al Skinner and the Eagles the confidence they need to compete with the top-25 teams they will be up against all year in the cutthroat ACC. With Florida State, Duke, and Wake Forest coming up, the Eagles will take all the help they can get.
