M. Hoops: BC takes 3rd in Pre-season NIT Tournament

Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, Dec 02, 2008 (The Heights/UWire via COMTEX) -- ZZHQD | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- The bright lights of Madison Square Garden in New York City came with formidable competition. Boston College men's basketball faltered against the stout defense of the No. 9 Purdue Boilermakers in the semi-finals, but took over the second half of their consolation game against the Blazers of UAB to secure their 3rd place position in the Pre-season NIT Tip-off Tournament.

The first half of BC's semi-final round game against Purdue Wednesday night was a tight one, with neither team leading by more than six points. Purdue made a defensive statement early, blocking a 3-point field goal attempt by Tyrese Rice 2:20 into the game.

"Our goal was to pressure him, wear him out, and take him out of the game," admitted Purdue point guard Keaton Grant who, along with freshman guard Lewis Jackson, played phenomenal defense on Rice, holding the All-ACC preseason guard to only four points in the first half.

This pressure defined the overall Purdue mentality. The tight, stable defense of Purdue disrupted the flow of BC's methodical flex offense. The pressure on Rice and smothering defense took BC out of its comfort zone, causing players to rush and make poor decisions, leading to 16 Eagle turnovers.

Despite being down by only four as the second half commenced, BC endured a scoreless stretch nine minutes into the half that lasted for over four minutes. The consistent, balanced offensive attack from Purdue, who had four players scoring in double digits, gave the Boilermakers a 20-point lead during this scoring drought, a deficit from which BC could never quite recover.

On a positive note, BC big men Southern and Trapani put in solid efforts for a combined 19 rebounds and 23 points in BC's 71-64 loss to Purdue. Vermont transfer Joe Trapani has added an interesting dynamic as a tenacious, athletic post option with outside shooting ability. He has been a dangerous complement to Southern's size and rebounding skill.

Head coach Al Skinner and his young Eagles had some soul-searching to do in preparation for their consolation game against the feisty UAB team that gave Blake Griffin and Oklahoma a run for their money in their semi-final bout.

As BC's second game at the Garden commenced Friday afternoon, UAB put immediate pressure on the Eagles. Tyrese Rice was silenced early, committing two fouls within a minute, resulting in a substitution at the 12:50 mark that kept Rice on the bench for the remainder of the half without having scored any points.

UAB showed determination and hustle in the first half, out-rebounding BC 24 to 16, and scoring 11 of their 37 points off turnover and second-chance baskets.

With their star player Robert Varden struggling from the field, senior forward Lawrence Kinnard took the reigns, posting 16 points in the half. Overall, UAB shot 14/31 (45 percent) from the field compared to BC's 11/30 (37 percent).

Despite their successes, UAB could not keep the pressure on BC as the half neared its conclusion. Leading by ten points, the Blazers went cold missing six field goals in a row. Experiencing offensive troubles of their own, BC was unable to fully capitalize on this opportunity, but the damage was limited as BC headed into the locker room down by eight.

BC played the second half with a fire that had been lacking in their two previous outings against St. Louis and Purdue. Southern and Trapani went to work on the glass, giving BC second and third chances on offense and keeping the ball out of UAB's hands on defense.

Sanders displayed athleticism and persistence in the low post, fighting for baskets and drawing fouls, setting a positive tone early in the half. His post efforts, combined with those of Southern and Trapani, challenged the experienced UAB defenders under the basket.

With BC working harder on the boards, recognizing opportunities in the low post and freeing up space on the outside for their shooters, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place five minutes into the second half. After hitting a 3-pointer at the 14:49 mark, Rice went on fire hitting eight consecutive field goals, drawing three fouls and tallying five free-throws. Having scored no points in the first half, Rice ended the game with 24, leading the Eagle's offensive effort.

Coach Skinner also noted how their defensive stops created more opportunities on offense, where effective play on the wings became critical: "Our wings really ran the floor extremely well. When our wings stand around, it allows the defense to really settle in on [Rice]. Because they ran the wings, and ran hard, it created some opportunities for him." The Eagles were able to spread the floor and keep UAB on their heels, which allowed BC to play their brand of ball, controlling the tempo of the game, maintaining the flow of their flex offense, and recognizing opportunities rather than forcing them as they had on Wednesday.

Rice and Paris also showed the ability to manage the emotions of the game. Coming off their 16-turnover game against Purdue, BC focused on ball control, committing only nine turnovers against UAB.

All of these factors generated more open looks, and as a result BC shot 18/27 (67 percent) from the field compared to 11/30 (37 percent) in the first half. Four players finished with double-digit scoring efforts, two of them being newcomers Joe Trapani and Reggie Jackson.

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