Eagles Moving Onto Maine

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- Last week's Syracuse game was as disastrous as possible for Boston College's basketball program. The Orange blew out the Eagles with a 101-63 score and handed the program its worst home loss in Conte Forum history. The 38-point deficit stretched as high as 48 points in the game's final two minutes, and it left an indictment of the entire maroon and gold side prior to the team's off week for final exams.

A subsequent 10-day break faded the result as much as possible and needs to be in the rear view mirror on Tuesday when BC takes the court for the first time since that resounding loss. The Eagles will host Maine with the scars of that loss in its ears but with an opportunity to flip the script on a four-game losing streak.

"I think we came out and started lethargic," head coach Jim Christian said after last week's loss. "I have no idea why. We had been playing really hard and played really hard (against Minnesota). Sometimes as a head coach, you just have to take responsibility for things you have no answer for. There was no way I saw that coming and no way anyone saw that coming. I tried a bunch of different combinations, but if you're not going to play hard, it's hard to play anyone, let alone a good team."

This game is the last non-conference opportunity for BC to forge forward and answer questions about its identity. The Black Bears missed five potential matchups, including a game against No. 4 Virginia at the Mohegan Sun Bubbleville event, after the university paused all activities in November. They returned to the court this past weekend with a pair of games at Hartford, both consecutive losses, including a three-point defeat on their opening day game this past Saturday.

Maine struggled with rust in both of those games and the early results reflected the Black Bears' continued offensive woes from last season. They shot 40 percent from the floor and lacked consistency at the free throw line, and Hartford's 48 points off the bench and plus-12 advantage in the paint contributed to a 19-point deficit with under seven minutes remaining in the game.

That conceivably establishes a clear advantage for BC after James Karnik offered the Eagles their first glimpse into his potential with a breakout performance last week. The Lehigh transfer went 8-for-13 from the floor and 4-of-7 at the free throw line after grabbing seven offensive rebounds. He finished with 20 points and eight boards, both team highs in a game where the entire offense attempted half of its shots from outside but went 8-for-31 on triples.

"James wants to be a good player," Christian said. "He's in the gym and puts in the extra time, and he's trying to get comfortable. I thought he rebounded well, and he's getting used to finishing against longer, more athletic guys. It's effort, and his effort and attitude are great. Because of it, I thought he contributed. It has to spread."

It's at least a cornerstone for BC after the dismal day against Syracuse's fabled 2-3 zone, and it's a building block for the team's return to the roots established in the first week of the season. The offense shot almost 52 percent from the floor in the first half against Villanova and finished the game around the 50 percent mark, and it defeated Rhode Island by combining a clear advantage on 3-pointers with free throws. In the loss to St. John's, BC shot 61 percent from the floor in the second half.

That energy dissipated against Syracuse when the Orange wore the Eagles down with its monotone, efficient style, and the game quickly escalated from the opening minutes. The score was a sizable disparity and required mention for bearing rotten fruit, but it's still only one game. A loss is still a loss regardless of the discrepancy on the board, and even though it's a mark against the team's overall performance, Tuesday represents the next step in moving beyond it.

"It's not the easiest time, but without question, we need to reform our identity that we were getting," Christian said. "We were getting it, and we took huge strides even though we didn't in Minnesota. I thought we took huge strides defensively, and we just totally regressed back (against Syracuse).

"I still have total confidence in our team," he reinforced, "but we have to get back to being who we were. We just did not come to play with the intensity and effort. I take responsibility for it. I'm sure there are reasons for it, but there are sometimes in this business. There are times things happen that you don't see (coming)."

Boston College and Maine will tip off on Tuesday, December 22 at Noon. The game can be seen on ACC Network with streaming available via the ESPN online platform for cable subscribers with access to the channel. Radio broadcast is also available locally in Boston on WEEI 850 AM.

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Players Mentioned

James Karnik