Saint Louis 62, BC 51: Eagles Stuffed by Billikens on Turkey Day

The Boston College Eagles played better in Anaheim on Thursday than in Boston on Monday. Unfortunately, neither effort has been enough for a victory.

On Thanksgiving afternoon, while the Packers picked apart the Lions, the Eagles were defeated by the Saint Louis Billikens, 62-51.

For the Eagles, the first half was much better than anything they had done in the previous two games.

Though BC ultimately fell behind by six at halftime, they rebounded better and played much better defense. The Eagles had 27 rebounds in the entire game against UMass; they had 21 at the midpoint of this game, with 32 for the whole contest. With regards to the boards, BC had no offensive rebounds in the second half after gaining seven in the first.

Turnovers continue to be a serious problem for Boston College. Whereas the Billikens only had 6 turnovers, the Eagles had 21. This comes after a game where BC committed 22 in a crushing home loss to UMass.

The Eagles, for the most part, played respectable defense. Of concern, however, was freshman star Patrick Heckmann not starting the game (possibly due to injury concerns) and being mostly invisible off the bench for the duration of the game. To be honest, outside of the turnovers (and the occasional string of missed free throws, which I still don’t quite understand), I think they played a respectable game. The major problem here for the Eagles is that they turn the ball over so many times that even when they play a decent game otherwise, they make it nearly impossible for them to win.

Other than Heckmann not having much of a game, some players had Jekyll & Hyde-type performances. Anderson, Clifford, and Humphrey all had their good moments and bad moments.

The other good news for BC is that they did not lose by 36, or at home. It was definitely an improved effort, but at the end of the day, it’s another one of those pesky losses. There is, however, something to build off of here. Had the Eagles cut down on the turnovers, they might well have had a chance to win. These are the problems you have with a freshman-heavy team.

It would appear BC’s next opponent will be UC-Riverside tomorrow, assuming Villanova beats them.