Boston College men's basketball faced another tough outing on Saturday, marking their eighth consecutive loss in a challenging season. As they continue to struggle, their path to the ACC Tournament becomes increasingly difficult.
In a matchup against Southern Methodist, the Eagles fell 94-70. Despite the lopsided final score, the game began on a competitive note.
BC, unable to dominate inside, turned to their perimeter game. Key three-pointers from Boden Kapke, Fred Payne, Luka Toews, and Chase Forte kept the Eagles in the fight, and they found themselves tied at 17 with just over ten minutes left in the first half.
Fred Payne shone brightly, leading all scorers with 20 points.
Head coach Earl Grant highlighted the importance of the 3-point shot, saying, “I think the 3-point shot is a weapon, something that we could utilize.”
The Eagles managed to take control as the first half progressed, largely due to their continued success from beyond the arc. They built a 36-29 lead with under three minutes to go in the half, the largest lead they would hold all game.
Coach Grant noted, “I thought we controlled the game to start. We kept the crowd out of it. And 2:30 left in the first half, they made a big three, kind of got them on a run.”
That pivotal moment came when SMU’s BJ Edwards nailed a three-pointer, igniting a shift in momentum. The Mustangs closed the half with a buzzer-beater three, taking a 40-36 lead into the break.
Coach Grant reflected on the second half, saying, “I thought their zone [defense] in the start of the second half stymied us. We usually get excited when we see a zone-we didn’t get excited today.
It stymied us. We missed some stuff at the rim.
We missed a couple of threes.”
As the second half unfolded, the Eagles found themselves outscored 12-6 in the opening five minutes, falling behind 52-42. Unable to halt SMU's momentum, BC watched the deficit grow to 68-52 with just over ten minutes remaining.
Grant observed, “[SMU’s momentum] kind of carried over to the second half, where those seven minutes-starting with that three, and then the first four minutes in the second half-I thought they made a big run. And we let the crowd get really excited…Then the game got away from us.”
The second half collapse was a familiar story for BC this season, yet Saturday’s unraveling felt particularly swift and decisive. The Eagles trailed 73-52 with under nine minutes to go, as their defense, a rare bright spot this season, faltered. SMU capitalized, scoring with ease and sealing a 94-70 victory.
Compounding their challenges, the Eagles were without Donald Hand Jr., their second-leading scorer, who missed his third straight game due to injury. Without his presence, BC struggled in the paint, managing just 20 points inside.
As the season progresses, the Eagles will need to regroup and find ways to overcome these hurdles if they hope to make a push in the ACC Tournament.