Eagles start fresh with a rousing comeback
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - This time there were no second-half defensive collapses, no breakdowns in communication. For Boston College, last night's opening-round game against Maryland in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament at Charlotte Bobcats Arena was regarded as a chance to start the Eagles' second season.
"We're 0-0," said BC junior guard Tyrese Rice, trying to wipe out the memory of a 13-16 regular season that will probably keep the Eagles out of postseason play for the first time in nine years.
Make that 1-0, because the Eagles put together a remarkable second-half run to burst past Maryland, 71-68, which will carry them into tonight's quarterfinals against third-seeded Clemson.
"It shows what the potential is," BC coach Al Skinner said. "We knew it was a one-and-done situation. We didn't execute as well as we wanted early in the game, but we still had some fight in us. We started executing better."
Maryland coach Gary Williams made his strategy clear from the start: Rice would not be the catalyst.
The Terrapins hounded him every time he came near the ball, picking him up at half court and daring his teammates to score.
That strategy, combined with a rough first half by Rice and the Eagles, worked midway through the half, as the Terrapins used an 18-2 spurt to take a 22-7 lead.
"We had a chance to put them away in the first half and we didn't do it," said Williams.
With Rice held to 2 points in the first 20 minutes, the Eagles, losers of six straight, clawed their way back, aided by some sloppiness by the Terrapins, who ended their regular season with four losses in their last five games. With as many turnovers (12) in the first half as baskets, Maryland managed only a 31-25 lead.
For BC, the halftime message appeared optimistic. Rice had only one basket, making only 1 of 7 shots, and the Eagles were only down 6.
"I was struggling individually, but as a team we were still playing good," said Rice. "Just because I wasn't scoring doesn't mean we weren't playing."
As the second half began, the Eagles had to reverse a trend of second-half collapses in the last three games, which contributed to losses to North Carolina, Miami, and Georgia Tech.
The Eagles' second-half problems centered around defense - or lack of it. Last night, the Eagles came up with a couple of stops and held their own through the first five minutes as Rice slowly found an offensive rhythm, scoring BC's first 9 points.
"I told my teammates all week it's going to be a dogfight and it comes down to who plays harder, who wants it more," said Rice, who scored 17 points in the second half and played all 40 minutes. "I wasn't down. I knew it was very early [when BC trailed, 21-5]. I knew if we could play aggressively, we could do something."
At the first television timeout of the half, Maryland (18-14) held a 39-34 lead. But when John Oates blocked a shot and helped turn it into a transition layup for Biko Paris, the Eagles had the lead for the first time since the 18:20 mark of the first half. When Corey Raji added another layup with 12 minutes left, the Eagles led, 42-39.
"This is a new season," said Skinner. "It's an opportunity for us to feel good about ourselves. We were fighting to feel good about ourselves. I think the guys went out and did not want to give it away as easily as we had in previous games."
Trailing, 50-49, with eight minutes remaining, the Eagles went on an 11-0 run that gave them some breathing room.
But as has been the case all season for the Eagles, it wasn't easy. Two quick Maryland baskets and a pair of BC turnovers soon cut the margin to 3.
The Eagles hung on to the lead at the foul line. When Paris made both ends of a one-and-one with 1:24 left, the Eagles' lead was 7. And when Rice converted a breakaway layup with 45 seconds left, the Eagles' lead was 9, enough to stave off a late Terrapin charge.
"Our defense was the difference," said Rakim Sanders, who had 13 points and two steals.
Mark Blaudschun can be reached at blaudschun@globe.com.
