Recap:

Last Saturday, the Boston College Eagles captured their first ACC win of the season, beating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on the road by a score of 95-87. This game was truly a tale of two halves, as the Eagles went into halftime trailing 51-38. However, thanks to the second half heroics of Devin McGlockton and Claudell Harris Jr., BC was able to come all the way back. The Eagles outscored Georgia Tech by an eye-popping 57-36 margin in the second half. 

McGlockton, a native of the Atlanta area, had over thirty friends and family in attendance, and led all scorers with a career-high 30 points on 12-15 shooting from the field. Harris Jr. added 26 crucial points, on an efficient 8-10 shooting. And Quinten Post also stuffed the box score, with 15 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. 

Second Half Resurgence:

After two disappointing losses at home, many fans felt this matchup in Atlanta was a “must-win” game. While the season is not going to be decided by 3 games, a 1-2 ACC start is worlds better than 0-3. And after an ugly first 20 minutes of basketball, 0-3 seemed all but certain. However, the Eagles came out of the locker room with a newfound sense of urgency, and were able to tie the game with 10:57 to play. After going back and forth down the stretch, BC was able to pull away in the waning minutes, thanks to some clutch shotmaking from Harris Jr. and McGlockton. 

While fans might have been surprised to see this second-half rally from the Eagles, this was not the first time they displayed this second half resilience. BC also overcame substantial second half deficits against The Citadel, Richmond, and Harvard. So this team that’s shown immense resiliency in the first half of this season. The Eagles’ ability to make second half runs will surely be crucial as they take on more competitive opponents going forward. 

Huge Homecoming for McGlockton:

Devin McGlockton was clearly the Eagles’ player of the game. The Georgia native put on quite the show for his friends and family that made the trip to Atlanta, obliterating his previous career high with a 30-point performance. The sophomore forward did his work both inside and out, showcasing some nice finishes around the hoop, and stepping outside to hit three of four attempts from behind the arc. 

McGlockton’s three point success is definitely something to monitor, as the big man had not not shot many prior to this season. But at the urging of the Eagles’ coaching staff, McGlockton has shown some more willingness to let it fly from distance. If McGlockton can become more of a perimeter threat, it would add an interesting wrinkle to the Eagles’ offensive scheme, which has already proven to be far more dynamic than in previous seasons.

Harris Jr.’s Shooting Symphony:

Speaking of dynamic offenses, Claudell Harris Jr. once again showed that he is the Eagle’s most electric scorer, as he knocked down jump shot after jump shot in the win. Harris Jr. ended with 26 points on absurd efficiency. The transfer guard only missed two shots all night, and knocked down all four of his three point attempts. The most impressive part of Harris Jr.’s game, however, was the variety of shots that he was able to convert on. Harris had a four-point-play off the hand-off, a step-back three from the corner, a turnaround fadeaway from the elbow, and many more. Since his early season struggles, the junior guard has been electric. Harris Jr. continues to raise his scoring average, and is now up to 15.5 points per game on the season, and 21 points per his last four games. 

Defensive Dilemmas:

While a road win in the ACC is never something to take for granted, the Eagles escaped Georgia Tech with much to work on defensively. It is nearly impossible to win a college basketball game after giving up 51 points in the first half, but the Eagles managed it thanks to Harris Jr. and McGlockton each having their best games of the season. However, the BC cannot always rely on McGlockton to score 30 points, or on its offense to score 57 in the second half. 

Ever since Coach Grant was hired, he has billed his teams as being “Gritty Not Pretty”, emphasizing the defensive end of the floor. However, in three ACC games, opponents have put up 85 points per game against the Eagles, which is neither Gritty nor Pretty. In the first half against the Yellow Jackets, BC could not guard the high pick and roll whatsoever. It seemed as if every possession in the first half either resulted in a good look at the rim, or an open three off of help defense. In the post game press conference, Grant agreed that his team’s defense has not been where he wants it to be, and will look to make some key adjustments before Wednesday’s game against Syracuse. 

What’s Next:

The Eagles return to action in Syracuse, where they will take on the Orange for a late night affair, looking to pick up its second win in the ACC. Syracuse enters Wednesday with an identical record to BC, coming in at 10-4 (1-2 ACC). The Orange hold a win over Pitt, and 20-point losses to Duke and Virginia. After losing starters Joe Girard and Jesse Edwards, the Orange do not appear to have the fire power they previously had under Jim Boeheim. But Judah Mintz and JJ Starling make up one of the best back courts in the ACC, so the Eagles will have their work cut out for them. 

Following their game Wednesday, the Eagles fly south to South Carolina, where they will take on the Clemson Tigers on Saturday. The Eagles finally return to Conte for a Monday night game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. With Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech, the Eagles kept their postseason hopes alive. But with two early home losses, they can ill afford to give away many more games to the middle of the ACC.