Boston College Athletics
Men's Basketball Travels To Notre Dame
January 10, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Boston College (9-4, 1-0) at Notre Dame (10-5, 1-0) January 12, 2000 -- 7:30 p.m. Joyce Center (11,418) South Bend, IN
WHO'S HOT
Freshman guard Troy Bell registered 28 points, including 11 of the Eagles' final 14 points (in the final 3:03), in BC's 67-62 come-from-behind win over Providence (Jan. 8). Bell shot 8-for-17 from the field, including 4-for-8 from three-point range. Bell was the lone BC player to register double-digit points.
BIG EAST HONORS
Troy Bell captured BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors for his performance against Providence (Jan. 8). Bell has now earned conference rookie accolades four times this season.
BIG EAST NOTE
Bell's 28-point effort against Providence in his BIG EAST debut marked the third-highest point total by a player in his first conference contest. Two players -- Notre Dame's Troy Murphy and Georgetown's Allen Iverson -- registered 30 points in their first BIG EAST contests. Two other players -- Connecticut's Khalid El-Amin and Villanova's Tim Thomas -- scored 29 in their conference debuts.
HIGH-SCORING TROYS
Through games of Jan. 9, two Troys were leading the BIG EAST in scoring. Notre Dame's Troy Murphy topped the list at 25.0 points per game, while BC's Troy Bell ranked second at 19.3 points per game.
LAST GAME
Freshman Troy Bell scored 28 points -- one shy of his career high -- to lead Boston College to a 67-62 victory over Providence in the Eagles' BIG EAST opener (Jan. 8). Sophomore Kenny Walls added nine points, and freshman Uka Agbai and sophomore Brian Ross tied for team-high rebounding honors with six apiece ... BC trailed 57-47 with 5:07 to play, but outscored the Friars 20-5 the rest of the way ... Down by 10 points, BC used a 10-0 run over the next 2:23 to even the score at 57-57 ... BC shot just 35.7 percent from the field, but made 22 of 29 free-throw attempts (75.9 percent) ... BC was outrebounded, 41-30, but forced 26 Friar turnovers. The Eagles scored 27 points off the PC miscues ... BC made 12 steals, its second-highest total of the season.
ON THE ROAD
Boston College has a 1-1 road record this season. The Eagles lost at Penn State (Nov. 27), before winning at Holy Cross (Dec. 7) ... BC will look to snap a 13-game BIG EAST road losing streak against Notre Dame. The Eagles last conference road win was a 64-61 victory over Seton Hall in Continental Airlines Arena on Jan. 24, 1998.
SERIES VS. NOTRE DAME
Boston College holds a 9-7 advantage over the Irish ... BC holds a 4-2 edge in the BIG EAST regular-season series ... The two teams split two meetings last winter, with each team gaining a victory on its homecourt.
BOSTON COLLEGE'S PROBABLE STARTERS
| Pos. | No. | Name | Yr. | PPG, RPG | Last Game | |
| F | 00 | Uka Agbai | Fr. | 5.5, 4.5 | 3 pts., 6 reb. | |
| F | 3 | Michael Cotton | Sr. | 3.7, 3.6 | 6 pts., 2 reb. | |
| F | 45 | Brian Ross | So. | 5.2, 4.8 | 6 pts., 6 reb. | |
| G | 2 | Troy Bell | Fr. | 19.3, 2.6 | 28 pts., 4 reb. | |
| G | 23 | Xavier Singletary | Jr. | 13.2, 3.8 | 5 pts., 4 reb. | |
Current Eagles vs. Irish
Seven Boston College players have seen previous action against Notre Dame. Senior Dwayne Pina, and juniors Jonathan Beerbohm and Kenny Harley have each played three games against the Irish. In those games, Harley has averaged 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Harley netted 21 points in the teams' last meeting -- on Feb. 28, 1999 ... Beerbohm has averaged 7.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He scored in double figures in each of last season's two meetings, and blocked five shots in the Jan. 27 game in Conte Forum ... Pina has averaged 5.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in the three meetings ... Three players -- senior Michael Cotton, and sophomores Brian Ross and Kenny Walls -- have each faced the Irish twice. Cotton averaged 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, including a 20-point effort in Conte Forum on Jan. 27, 1999 ... Ross averaged 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, including an 11-point performance in the Joyce Center on Feb. 28, 1999 ... Walls averaged 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, including a 16-point outing in Conte Forum last winter ... One player -- junior Nicolas Dunn -- has seen action in one game against Notre Dame.
In Joyce Center
BC has a 3-4 all-time record in the Joyce Center, including a 1-2 record in BIG EAST action ... The Eagles defeated Notre Dame, 73-61, on Jan. 11, 1997 ... ND defeated Boston College, 75-72, on Feb. 11, 1998, and 78-59 on Feb. 28, 1999.
BIG EAST OPENER
With its win over Providence, Boston College raised its all-time record in BIG EAST openers to 9-12.
REBOUNDING
Boston College enters tonight's game with a +2.4 rebounding margin, ranking seventh among the 13 BIG EAST schools. Last winter, the Eagles placed last in the league's rankings with a -7.1 rebounding margin.
FREE THROWS
Boston College has shot better than 80.0 percent from the foul line in five of its first 13 games this season ... BC shot a season-best 90.0 percent from the line (9-for-10) in its 71-63 loss to Iona (Dec. 30) ... In its 89-71 win over Michigan (Dec. 19), Boston College shot 22-for-25 from the foul line, 88.0 percent.
FIELD GOALS
In Boston College's 53.4 percent shooting effort against Massachusetts (Dec. 23), the Eagles made 62.1 percent of their first-half field-goal attempts, their best 20-minute effort of the season ... BC shot 61.3 percent from the field in the first half against Hartford (and 60.0 percent in the second half of the same game).
80 POINTS
After scoring more than 80 points just once in 27 games last winter, Boston College has scored more than 80 points in five of 13 games this season.
STEALS
Boston College has recorded 127 steals in its first 13 games, an average of 9.8 steals per game. The Eagles have registered 10 or more steals in each of seven games ... BC recorded a season-best 19 steals in the season opener against New Hampshire (Nov. 20) ... Most recently, the Eagles recorded 12 steals in a 67-62 BIG EAST win over Providence (Jan. 8).
DEPTH
Boston College's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in 11 of 13 games this season. BC has an 8-3 record in these games ... BC's reserves are averaging 27.0 points per game, while its opponents' reserves are averaging 16.5 ppg ... BC's bench scored a season-high 52 points in the season opener against New Hampshire (Nov. 20) ... BC's reserves scored a season-low eight points at Holy Cross (Dec. 7) ... BC's bench was outscored in its first meeting with Massachusetts (Dec. 4) and against Providence (Jan. 8).
BALANCE
The BC scoring attack is evenly balanced between points from returning players and points from the team's newcomers. Entering tonight's game, BC's returning players have scored 465 points, while the newcomers have tallied 500 points.
THE COACHES
THE HEAD COACH
Al Skinner is in his third season as the Eagles' head coach. Skinner assumed the head coaching duties at Boston College on April 17, 1997. A 1974 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, he starred on the Minutemen's basketball team. He finished his collegiate career with 1,252 points. A team captain as a senior, he has subsequently been elected to the University's Athletic Hall of Fame. Following his collegiate career, Skinner played professional basketball for six years -- with the New York Nets (ABA and NBA), Detroit Pistons (NBA), Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and Joventut (Barcelona, Spain) ... He has a 30-41 record in two-plus seasons at the Heights. Prior to coming to BC, he enjoyed nine successful years at the University of Rhode Island. In his tenure at URI, Skinner had a 138-126 record, leading the Rams to two NCAA Tournament (1992-93 and 1996-97) and two NIT (1991-92 and 1995-96) bids ... Skinner has a career record of 168-167.
vs. Notre Dame
Skinner has a 1-2 career record against the Irish, with all three meetings coming during his tenure at Boston College.
THE ASSISTANT COACHES
Skinner is joined on the BC bench by associate head coach Tim O'Shea, assistant coaches Bill Coen and Ed Cooley, and administrative assistant Pat Duquette. Three of the four -- Coen, Cooley and former BC star guard O'Shea ('84) -- came with Skinner from Rhode Island, while Duquette came to BC from St. Michael's College.
PLAYER NOTES
#00 UKA AGBAI
The freshman forward is averaging 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game ... After coming off the bench for the first four games of the season, Agbai has started each of the last nine games ... In the Eagles' win over Providence (Jan. 8), the freshman played a career-high 37 minutes. In that time, he contributed three points, tied for team-high rebounding honors with six, and became the first BC player to block five shots in one game since Jonathan Beerbohm recorded five against Notre Dame on Jan. 27, 1999 ... Agbai grabbed a career-high nine rebounds in a win over Illinois-Chicago (Dec. 22) ... In the Eagles' win over Michigan (Dec. 19), Agbai registered 10 points and five rebounds. His 10-point effort was his third double-figure game of the season (all with 10 points). His other double-digit efforts came against New Hampshire (Nov. 20) and Hartford (Nov. 29) ... Agbai came to Boston College from New York City's Archbishop Molloy High School, where he played for legendary head coach Jack Curran.
#2 TROY BELL
The freshman guard is the Eagles' top scorer, averaging 19.3 points per game. He has led the team in scoring in nine games ... He has already topped the 20-point mark in six games, including four games with more than 25 points ... He is the Eagles' top three-point threat, hitting 48.2 percent from long range (27-for-56).
BIG EAST leader
Bell ranks among BIG EAST leaders in several categories. Through games of Jan. 9, Bell led the conference with a .886 free-throw percentage (70-for-79). He ranked second in scoring and three-point field goal percentage (.482), tied for fourth in three-point field goals made (2.08 per game), and 12th in field-goal percentage (.464).
20 Points
When Bell registered 20 or more points in three consecutive games (Nov. 29-Dec. 7), he became only the sixth BC player since the 1989-90 season to reach the 20-point plateau in three consecutive contests. Bill Curley (twice), Danya Abrams (three times), Scoonie Penn, Antonio Granger and Kenny Harley are the others. Only Penn accomplished the feat as a freshman.
BIG EAST Rookie Honors
Troy Bell has garnered BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors four times this season.
#3 MICHAEL COTTON
The senior swingman is averaging 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game ... Cotton tallied six points in 16 minutes in the Eagles' win over Providence (Jan. 8) ... Against Iona (Dec. 30), he grabbed six rebounds, equaling his season high (also against Massachusetts and St. Francis) ... He registered a season-high nine points against Tulsa (Dec. 21) in the first round of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic ... He contributed four points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in a home win over Michigan (Dec. 19) ... He registered seven points in 25 minutes against Massachusetts (Dec. 4).
#4 JONATHAN BEERBOHM
The junior forward is averaging 9.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game this season. He has scored in double figures in seven games this season ... He recorded 14 points, a game-high 11 rebounds and two steals in a season-high 29 minutes against Michigan (Dec. 19). The game marked his first collegiate double-double ... Most recently, he registered eight points, three rebounds and three blocked shots against Providence (Jan. 8).
Puerto Rico Holiday Classic
Beerbohm earned All-Tournament honors after averaging 12.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in three games. He recorded nine points and five rebounds against Tulsa (Dec. 21) ... Against Illinois-Chicago (Dec. 22), Beerbohm tallied 13 points, including the decisive three-point field goal with 18 seconds remaining in the game that lifted BC to the victory ... Against Massachusetts (Dec. 23), the junior equaled his career high with 14 points, while falling one rebound shy of a double-double.
Ironman
Tonight will mark Beerbohm's 72nd consecutive game at Boston College. The junior from Fairbury, Neb. has played in every game since his arrival in Chestnut Hill in the fall of 1997.
#5 DWAYNE PINA
The senior guard is averaging 1.4 points and 0.8 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game this season ... After missing three games because of a left hip injury, he returned to action against Massachusetts (Dec. 23) in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic. He contributed one rebound, one assist, two steals and steady ballhandling in 15 minutes of action ... Pina tallied five points (all free throws), two rebounds, two assists and three steals in 19 minutes against New Hampshire (Nov. 20) ... 1998-99: He averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 assists in a team-high 30.0 minutes per game last winter. He played in and started all 27 games ... Pina, who began the 1999-2000 season with two seasons of eligibility remaining, joined the team as a walk-on prior to the 1997-98 season, but quickly earned a scholarship.
#10 NICOLAS DUNN
The junior guard, who joined the team as a walk-on prior to the 1997-98 season, scored his first collegiate points in the Eagles' home win over Hartford (Nov. 29). Dunn sank a three-point field goal as time expired in BC's 104-62 victory. The shot was Dunn's third career field-goal attempt, his first three-point field-goal try.
#13 KENNY HARLEY
The junior guard is averaging 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 18.9 minutes per game this season ... Harley recorded nine points, two rebounds and three assists against Tulsa (Dec. 21) ... Two days later, he contributed five points (2-for-2 FG, 1-for-1 trey) in 19 minutes against Massachusetts ... He registered four points and a season-high six rebounds against St. Francis (Dec. 11) ... He scored a season-high 14 points (5-for-10 FG, 4-for-4 FT) in the Eagles' win over Hartford (Nov. 29) ... Harley registered eight points and four rebounds at Penn State (Nov. 27) ... In the Eagles' win over Vermont (Nov. 23), he handed out a career-high six assists in 22 minutes.
#21 KENNY WALLS
The sophomore swingman is averaging 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in five games this season ... Most recently, Walls contributed nine points, three rebounds and four assists in the Eagles' win over Providence (Jan. 8). He played a season-high 32 minutes against the Friars ... He registered 11 points and six rebounds against Iona ... In the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic, Walls averaged 11.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He netted 14 points in each of the first two games (vs. Tulsa and Ilinois-Chicago). Against Illinois-Chicago, he also contributed six rebounds, four assists and two steals. He finished the tournament with a seven-point, four-rebound effort in the win over Massachusetts ... Walls recorded 14 points and nine rebounds against St. Francis (Dec. 11). His nine rebounds equaled his career high ... He scored a team-high 18 points in the Eagles' season opener against New Hampshire (Nov. 20).
#32 ANDREW DUDLEY
The freshman forward/center recorded four points (2-for-3 FG) and four rebounds in six minutes against Vermont (Nov. 23) ... Dudley averaged 17.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game at Life Center (N.J.) Academy last winter.
#45 BRIAN ROSS
The sophomore forward is averaging 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game ... He has scored in double figures in three games ... Ross notched six points, six rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes against Providence (Jan. 8) ... He netted three points in BC's win over Illinois-Chicago (Dec. 22) in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic, snapping a string of three games without a point ... He grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds against St. Francis (Dec. 11) ... Ross recorded eight points and a game-high eight rebounds at Holy Cross (Dec. 7) ... He netted 10 points (3-for-4 FG, 1-for-1 trey, 3-for-3 FT) in a season-high 32 minutes against Massachusetts (Dec. 4) ... Ross registered 14 points (6-for-10 FG) and eight rebounds against Vermont (Nov. 23).
#23 XAVIER SINGLETARY
The junior guard is the Eagles' second-leading scorer, averaging 13.2 points per game. He has scored in double figures in 11 games, including two games with 20 or more points ... He has led the team in scoring in two of the last three games ... Singletary led the Eagles in scoring in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic, averaging 16.3 points per game. He netted 12 points against Tulsa (Dec. 21) and 11 against Illinois-Chicago (Dec. 22), before exploding for 26 points against Massachusetts (Dec. 23). He shot 8-for-17 from the field against UMass, including 7-for-14 from three-point range. His seven three-pointers were the most by a BC player in one game since Dana Barros made nine treys at Pittsburgh on Jan. 7, 1989 ... In the Eagles' 89-71 win over Michigan (Dec. 19), Singletary registered 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. He scored 10 of his 16 points in the final 20 minutes ... He scored 20 points (7-for-12 FG, 3-for-7 three-pointers) in the Eagles' win over Vermont (Nov. 23).
Three-Pointers
Singletary is tied for fourth among league leaders in three-point field goals made per game, averaging 2.08 per game.
Steals
Singletary leads the Eagles (and is tied for seventh among league leaders -- through games of Jan. 9) in steals, with 27 in 13 games. He made four steals in each of two games in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic -- against Tulsa (Dec. 21) and Illinois-Chicago (Dec. 22). Most recently, he made three steals, including two in the final 1:02, against Providence (Jan. 8).
Before BC
Singletary played his first two collegiate seasons at Howard, before transferring to Boston College and sitting out the 1998-99 season ... At Howard, he scored 933 points in two seasons (50 games). As a sophomore, he ranked ninth among the nation's Division I scoring leaders with a 22.3 ppg average.
UP NEXT
Boston College plays at Villanova on Saturday, January 15. Game time is noon in The Pavilion.
BENCH SCORING
| New Hampshire | 52-15 |
| Vermont | 22-18 |
| at Penn State | 23-22 |
| Hartford | 38-30 |
| Massachusetts | 17-22 |
| at Holy Cross | 8-4 |
| St. Francis | 33-11 |
| Michigan | 31-9 |
| Tulsa (Puerto Rico) | 28-15 |
| Illinois-Chicago (Puerto Rico) | 29-8 |
| Massachusetts (Puerto Rico) | 28-22 |
| Iona | 23-18 |
| Providence | 19-20 |
STARTING LINEUP
| W-L | |
| Agbai, Cotton, Ross, Bell, Singletary | 6-3 |
| Cotton, Harley, Ross, Bell, Singletary | 3-1 |
OUR RECORD WHEN...
| BC shoots 50 percent or better: | 3-0 |
| BC shoots 40-49 percent: | 4-1 |
| BC shoots 30-39 percent: | 2-3 |
| BC shoots below 30 percent: | 0-0 |
| Opponent shoots 50 percent or better: | 0-1 |
| Opponent shoots 40-49 percent: | 5-2 |
| Opponent shoots 30-39 percent: | 4-1 |
| Opponent shoots below 30 percent: | 0-0 |
| BC shoots better from field | 6-1 |
| BC shoots same/worse from field | 3-3 |
| BC leads at half: | 8-0 |
| BC is tied at half: | 0-0 |
| BC is losing at half: | 1-3 |
| BC commits fewer turnovers: | 6-1 |
| BC commits more turnovers: | 2-3 |
| Turnovers are even | 1-0 |
| BC outrebounds opponent: | 6-2 |
| BC is outrebounded: | 3-2 |
| Rebounds are even | 0-0 |
| BC shoots 70 percent or better FT | 4-3 |
| BC hits more free throws | 9-2 |
| BC scores less than 50 points | 0-0 |
| BC scores 50-59 points | 1-1 |
| BC scores 60-69 points | 2-3 |
| BC scores 70-79 points | 1-0 |
| BC scores 80 or more points | 5-0 |
| Opponent scores less than 50 points | 1-0 |
| Opponent scores 50-59 points | 1-0 |
| Opponent scores 60-69 points | 6-0 |
| Opponent scores 70-79 points | 1-2 |
| Opponent scores 80 or more points | 0-2 |
| BC bench outscores opponent bench | 8-3 |
| Game is decided by 1-4 points | 0-0 |
| Game is decided by 5-10 points | 4-2 |
| Game is decided by 11 points or more | 5-2 |
| In overtime | 0-0 |
LEADING THE EAGLES...
Led team in scoring
Bell (9)
Walls (2)
Singletary (2)
Led team in rebounding
Ross (5)
Agbai (4)
Beerbohm (3)
Walls (2)
Cotton (2)
Millar (1)
Singletary (1)
Double-Figure Rebounds
Ross (1)
Beerbohm (1)
Double-Figure Scoring
Bell (12)
Singletary (11)
Beerbohm (7)
Walls (5)
Ross (3)
Agbai (3)
Harley (1)
20+-point Games
Bell (6)
Singletary (2)
Double-Doubles
Beerbohm (1)
THE LAST TIME BOSTON COLLEGE
Won in overtime 97-87 over Seton Hall, 3-4-98
Lost in overtime 68-65 at Villanova, 1-6-98
Played two overtimes at Louisville 89, BC 85, 12-29-96
Beat a top ten opponent BC 75, (1) North Carolina 72, 3-20-94
Beat a ranked opponent BC 64, at (21) Marquette 54, 1-17-98
Won by 30+ points BC 104-62 over Hartford, 11-29-99
Won by 40+ points BC 104-62 over Hartford, 11-29-99
Won by 50+ points BC 132-79 over Bentley, 12-11-82
Scored 100 points 104 vs. Hartford, 11-29-99
Scored 90 points 104 vs. Hartford, 11-29-99
Scored fewer than 50 points 75-45 vs. Massachusetts, 12-12-98
Both teams scored 100 points BC 107, at Rhode Island 105, 1-12-65
Allowed 100 points 103-89 vs. Georgia Tech, 3-17-96
Allowed fewer than 50 points 43 at Holy Cross, 12-7-99
Allowed fewer than 40 points 37 vs. Georgia Tech, 1-19-80
Shot over 60% FG 60.7% vs. Hartford, 11-29-99
Shot under 35% FG 34.0% at Holy Cross, 12-7-99
Held opponent under 30% FG 27.7% vs. Buffalo, 11-25-95
Made 10 3-pt FGs 12 vs. St. John's, 3-5-98
Attempted 40 FTs 40 vs. Pittsburgh, 3-6-97
Made 30 FTs 31 vs. Fairfield, 12-10-97
Had 50 or more rebounds 53 vs. Holy Cross, 12-20-97
Had 25 or fewer rebounds 23 vs. Syracuse, 3-3-99
Had 20 or more assists 22 vs. Seton Hall, 3-4-98
Made 15 or more steals 19 vs. New Hampshire, 11-20-99
Blocked 10 or more shots 10 vs. Holy Cross, 12-20-97
THE LAST TIME A BC PLAYER
Scored 40 points Danya Abrams, 41 at Hartford, 12-22-94 (OT)
Scored 30 points Danya Abrams, 31 vs. Syracuse, 3-7-96
Two players had 20 points Troy Bell (27) and Xavier Singletary (20) vs. Vermont, 11-23-99
Hit 6 3pt FGs Xavier Singletary, 7 vs. Massachusetts, 12-23-99
Hit 9 3pt FGs Dana Barros, 9 at Pittsburgh, 1-7-89
Attempted 20 FTs Danya Abrams, 20 at Syracuse, 1-7-97
Made 10 FTs Troy Bell, 12 vs. Massachusetts, 12-4-99
Made 15 FTs Danya Abrams, 17 at Syracuse, 1-7-97
Had 20 rebounds Danya Abrams, 20 vs. Providence College, 1-22-94
Had 15 rebounds Danya Abrams, 16 at Syracuse, 1-7-97
Two players had 10 rebounds Kostas Maglos (12) and Antonio Granger (11) vs. Miami, 1-28-98
Shot 100% from the field (minimum 10) Martin Clark, 13-for-13 vs. Bentley, 12-11-82
Had 10 assists Duane Woodward, 11 at Marquette, 1-17-98
Had 15 assists Jim O'Brien, 18 vs. LeMoyne, 12-16-70
Had 8 steals Dominic Pressley, 8 vs. New Hampshire, 12-2-86
Had 5 blocks Uka Agbai, 5 vs. Providence, 1-8-00
