January 30, 2013

BC Can't Run with UNC

Turning Point

It's tough to believe that the Eagles jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, but that's exactly how this game started. Within 1:30 though, P.J. Hairston (14 points) and Reggie Bullock knocked down a total of three treys and UNC grabbed an 11-10 lead. Hairston and Bullock got clean looks on all three of those baskets.

Just 8:00 after UNC got the lead by 1 it increased it to 12, and the Eagles struggled to get within 10 for the remainder of the ball game.

What Went Right

Since the Tar Heels were so efficient on offense it didn't seem like the Eagles had a very good offensive night. That wasn't the case though as BC scored 11 more points than its season average and shot a respectable 44.6% from the field.

BC took advantage of UNC's defensive ineptness with high ball screens for Olivier Hanlan to free him up to get to the hoop. Hanlan consistently got into the paint for easy buckets.

What Went Wrong

BC's defense and rebounding was flat out awful in this game. UNC shot 53% from beyond the arc, but many of those shots were completely uncontested. BC's defense wasn't much better from inside the arc either, as UNC's guards got consistent penetration to set up easy buckets for others all night.

"Obviously we are poor defensively and that bothers me, trust me. It's an awful feeling," said Donahue.

Without Clifford on the floor for much of the game the Eagles were dominated on the offensive glass allowing 13 offensive boards, which lead to 20 second chance points.


Biggest Surprise

Eddie Odio starting over Patrick Heckmann was not expected. Maybe even more surprising was how much playing time Danny Rubin and Andrew Van Nest received. After the game, Donahue said the changes were made because of two factors

"Carolina plays a lot of possessions. I think they are top 4 in the country in terms of possessions for game so we knew we'd be up and down. Andrew is healthy for the first time since his concussion and to be honest Dennis is struggling physically," said Donahue.

While Van Nest and Rubin didn't give the Eagles much, Odio had a nice game on the defensive end. The sophomore forward finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

"I think you are starting to see what Eddie Odio will look like as we start to progress here," said Donahue.

Three Stars of the Game

1. Olivier Hanlan-the freshman point guard was by far the best player on the court for BC. Hanlan seemed like the only player willing to go in and score against the UNC bigs.

2. Ryan Anderson- Anderson finished with 16 points, but scored 5 of them in the first minute or so of the game when the Tar Heels hadn't woken up yet. UNC forced Anderson into many difficult shots, which reflected in his 6-for-14 performance from the field.

3. Eddie Odio- Donahue made a risky move by inserting Odio into the starting lineup against UNC. Odio didn't let his coach down and turned in one of the best performances of his career.


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