Boston College fell to the SMU Mustangs on Saturday, 94 to 70. This loss marks the eight straight loss in a row for the Eagles – and their seventeenth straight road ACC loss.
The game opened up with BC relying heavily on three pointers, with four of their first five made field goals coming from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Mustangs primary source of offense came from attacking inside in the paint, where the Eagles couldn’t find answers down low defensively. It became a back and forth contested battle throughout the first 12 minutes with several lead changes between both squads – neither led by more than four points. By the 8:00 mark, SMU led 26-25 and outscored the Eagles inside 22-6 to start.
Luka Toews showed promise early in the game as he dished out 4 assists in his first 13 minutes. His early playmaking headlined the Eagles half court offense, primarily on drive and kicks. The three pointers continued to fall, with Fred Payne and Jason Asemota drilling back to back shots from deep. On top of the threes, Aidan Shaw and Boden Kapke pulled down multiple offensive boards which created a couple of successful second chance possessions. Boston College led 33-29 with 3:44 to go following the Asemota three.
As the first half dwindled down, BC led 36-29 after a second Asemota three point make. SMU responded immediately with a made three by B.J. Edwards– but what makes this play significant is the manner in which it transpired. Eagles coach Earl Grant was on the floor during the play telling his guys to get back defensively, and nearly made contact with Edwards as he made the deep shot. Grant was issued a warning by the officials, and not only did this play eliminate the Eagles momentum, it sparked an 11-0 run by the Mustangs– including a buzzer beater three to add insult to injury. SMU led 40-36 in the first.
Payne opened the second half with his third made three of the game. SMU opened their offense up with higher intensity and speed, which the Eagles defense couldn’t match. Offensively the Eagles began struggling to convert on shots from the Mustangs zone defense. Jermaine O’Neal Jr was the catalyst of SMU’s surge with impressive shot making, and the Mustangs took a 54-42 lead with 14:24 to go with a Grant timeout.
The Eagles tried to match the Mustangs speed following the timeout. Payne found Kapke on a smooth alley oop, and Asemota added a quick 1 foot dunk of his own. Despite trying to play at the Mustangs pace, they were no match for SMU’s elevated play. BC’s defense began allowing made threes from Edwards, O’Neal Jr, and Jaron Pierre Jr. On the other end, SMU completely took away the Eagles jumpers. By this point BC was down 75-52 with 7:24 to go – the clock couldn’t hit triple zeroes fast enough.
The remainder of the contest remained much the same with SMU continuing their second half dominance. In just the second half, SMU outscored the Eagles 54-34.The final score was SMU 94, Boston College 70.
Payne led the Eagles scorers with 20 points on 6-19 shooting. Kapke and Asemota added 10 points each, and Chase Forte dished out seven assists. The team shot an ugly 33% from the floor and 31% from three. Up next they travel back home and face Wake Forest on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7:00 pm ET.