Protecting the ball key for Virginia Tech, Boston College

Boston College will try to end a four-game losing streak Tuesday when it plays an Atlantic Coast Conference contest against Virginia Tech in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

The Eagles (10-15, 2-12 ACC) have lost 10 of their last 11 games, but are a respectable 7-7 at home this season.

Turnovers may be the key for each team. Virginia Tech (11-14, 6-8) leads the ACC in turnovers per game (12.9), and BC ranks fourth (12.3). The Eagles turned the ball over 14 times in the first half of Saturday's 70-62 loss to North Carolina State. Five of those turnovers came in the game's first four minutes, when the Wolfpack took a 10-2 lead.

"That was our No. 1 key coming in -- we had to take care of the basketball," BC coach Earl Grant said. "You gotta take care of the ball and we didn't do that early.

"Look at the final score and it's a three-possession game as bad as we started. So there was some frustration. We played a great second half. They scored (26) points. We only had two turnovers. But we need to do that for two halves."

Virginia Tech is averaging 70 points per game, which is 16th in the 18-team ACC. Tobi Lawal leads the team in scoring (13.3) and rebounding (6.9), but no other Virginia Tech player has a scoring average in double figures.

The Hokies are coming off Saturday's 73-70 loss to visiting Virginia. Virginia Tech battled back after trailing by seven at the half.

"We had an opportunity to tuck tail and go away, but they're not gonna do that," Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said. "They're gonna play really hard, connected and fight.

"We gotta play better basketball and go find a way to win (at BC)."

BC's Donald Hand Jr. is 11th among ACC players in scoring (16.5) and 16th in rebounding (6.5), but the Eagles are allowing an average of 77.1 points per game (16th in the conference).

--Field Level Media