Neighbors Boston College, Harvard on mission to snap short skids

Boston College coach Earl Grant will be looking for significant improvement from his team when the Eagles face Harvard at home in Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Wednesday afternoon, and no area needs to improve more than the team's offense.

Boston College (3-4) ranks last among ACC teams in scoring (70.1 points per game), field goal percentage (40.2%) and 3-point percentage (25.0%). The Eagles were 3-of-21 from behind the 3-point arc during a 59-49 loss to Davidson last Friday in the Charleston Classic.

They bounced back to make 10 threes Sunday vs. Tulane, but allowed the Green Wave to shoot 51.7% in a 93-90 Boston College loss.

"We're going through adversity, but we have to keep pushing forward and try to learn from this adversity and get ready for the next one," Grant said.

Boston College will be facing a Harvard (4-3) team that's tied for first among Ivy League teams in points allowed per game (66.7). The Boston College defense will also be tested since Harvard has two of the top nine scorers in the Ivy League: Chandler Pigge ranks eighth (15.0 points per game) and Robert Hinton is ninth (14.6).

Hinton scored a career-high 34 points in a 75-74 loss to Boston University on Saturday.

"Robert did not play well in the last game (an 84-80 loss to Penn State)," Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. "He was in foul trouble and had a tough shooting day, so he responded. It's a shame that we can't celebrate a win with that kind of performance out of him. He was outstanding."

Each team will be attempting to end a two-game losing streak. Two of Boston's College's four losses have come in overtime and the Eagles lost another game by one point.

Donald Hand Jr. (16.3 points) and Fred Payne (12.3) are the Boston College players scoring in double figures.

"It isn't ever as bad as you think it is and it isn't ever as good as you think it is," Grant said. "The close games are obviously heartbreaking because you have chances to win those games and we didn't finish. The only message I have is stay the course, continue to learn from every game. Hopefully, we'll be able to reach our full potential at some point."

--Field Level Media