Boston College didn’t need a highlight reel to handle Maryland Eastern Shore on Tuesday night. The Eagles leaned on the unglamorous stuff - rebounds, free throws, and enough second chances to keep the Hawks buried - and rolled to an 82-54 win at home.
BC entered as a 27.5-point favorite and finished the job, but the separation came from work that doesn’t always jump off the page. The Eagles grabbed boards in bunches, protected their advantage at the line, and stayed steady when the game got choppy.
“Really pleased with the rebounding, because that’s been a sort of sticking point for us through our first couple games,” BC head coach Luke Murray said. “We missed 31 shots in the game, and we got 19 offensive rebounds, so that’s a big-time effort.”
That edge showed up early. Boston College outworked Maryland Eastern Shore on the glass 24-9 in the first half, including 12 offensive rebounds, and used that extra possession game to build a comfortable cushion.
The Eagles also turned the free-throw line into a weapon, finishing 23 of 24 there. As the first half slowed under a steady stream of whistles, BC kept its composure and kept cashing in.
“We shoot a lot of free throws,” Colby Duggan said. “The night before the game, we all have to shoot 100 free throws, and you have to make at least 75.”
Money Williams helped close the opening half with a pair from the stripe after being fouled on a fast-break layup with 0.3 seconds left, sending BC to the locker room ahead 43-25.
Williams, who had exploded for 35 points in last week’s win over Massachusetts and picked up ACC Co-Player of the Week honors, was quieter this time around. He finished with eight points, and five of them came at the line.
That opened the door for others to drive the offense. Murray leaned into 20-year-old Žak Smrekar, who spent the past four seasons with KK Krka in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. Smrekar answered with 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting and gave the night its loudest finish when he sprinted out on a fast break and dunked with about a minute left, right in front of the BC bench.
Duggan and Luke Hunger also gave the Eagles a lift from deep. Boston College had been just 21 of 73 from 3-point range across its first three games, but the pair caught fire against the Hawks, combining for six threes. Duggan opened the scoring with a triple on BC’s first possession, and Hunger followed a few minutes later to push the Eagles ahead 12-6.
“We’ve been practicing for so many months now-when you get out there, it’s kind of muscle memory,” Hunger said. “But, of course, when the lights are on, it’s different.”
Hunger ended up with a team-high 20 points after managing single digits in each of his first two games as an Eagle.
Boston College’s offense found another gear after halftime, opening the period with a 23-12 burst over the first 10 minutes. Duggan drilled his fourth three of the night from the right corner with 8:01 left to make it 69-40.
Maryland Eastern Shore answered with an 11-3 run and trimmed the margin to 21 with 4:38 remaining, but the Eagles had enough in reserve to finish strong. Senior guard JB Frankel knocked down two threes late, Smrekar delivered the exclamation point, and BC kept its perfect record intact.
Murray wasn’t thrilled with everything on the defensive end, though.
“Inconsistent,” Murray said when asked to describe his team’s defense. “Probably a B-.”
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