Boston College
BIG EAST Tournament(Villanova)
Eagles Advance To Big East Semifinals
March 08, 2001 | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2001
Postgame Audio
T. Bell | Coach Skinner | K. Harley
By HAL BOCK
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP)- A year ago, Boston College was at the bottom of the Big East Conference, anchored there with a 3-13 record achieved strictly on merit.
Now the No. 10 Eagles are on the other end, owners of a league-best 13-3 record and in the semifinals of the conference tournament after Wednesday's convincing 93-79 wipeout of Villanova.
The Eagles (24-4) will face either Seton Hall or Georgetown Friday night. The Pirates and Hoyas met in the second game of Thursday's afternoon doubleheader.
Coach Al Skinner credited his players for BC's stunning turnaround.
"Attitude, intensity and approach made this team successful," Skinner said. "Attitude is extremely important. It's hard to get it every night but we've had it consistently throughout the year. Our players were embarrassed about finishing 13th last year. They wanted to make that change."
Most of Skinner's players have been through the hard times. It's not like they weren't warned.
"Understand that we're in a marathon," he said. "This is not a sprint. Don't get frustrated There are going to be some tough times. We'll continue to work at it. That's the only way it's going to get better."
They've done it with a relentless devotion to fundamental basketball. They scrap and scramble and they prevail.
BC wore down Villanova with a long range attack that included 10 3-point baskets. It was the third time in the last four games the Eagles had hit 10 or more from beyond the 3-point line.
Troy Bell, the conference's co-Player of the Year, led BC with 25 points and made 10 of his 15 shots. Kenny Harley had 19 while Ryan Sidney had 13 and Jonathan Beerbohm 12 off the bench.
"We pressured Villanova and forced them into turnovers," Bell said. "It was exciting for me. Last year, I was out with a knee injury. I would have loved to come out there and play. I know my team needed me. To be out there this year in the situation we're in, top of the Big East, we're clicking. The chemistry's going and everything. It feels real good."
Villanova (18-12) stayed with BC through the first half and trailed 40-34 after 20 minutes. It could have been closer but Ricky Wright, who hit all four shots from the field in the first half, missed a pair of free throws after the buzzer.
BC quickly extended the lead at the start of the second half with Bell, Harley and Xavier Singletary all nailing 3-pointers in a 17-8 run that opened the lead to 57-42. Later, Bell and Harley hit consecutive 3's that simply squeezed the life out of the Wildcats.
Typical of BC's approach was a play when Harley missed a free throw and then dashed in to tip the rebound away from Michael Bradley and turn the play into another field goal. Later, with BC coasting 19 points ahead, Beerbohm caught the Wildcats napping and threw a length of the court pass that created an easy basket for Harley.
Wright, who made all nine of his shots from the field, led Villanova with 21 points while Bradley had 14 and 12 rebounds.
