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Boston College coach Earl Grant liked what he saw from his defense in the second half of a 68-61 triumph over visiting Richmond on Wednesday.
He hopes to see a similar defensive effort when the Eagles play host to Harvard on Saturday.
Boston College (3-0) trailed 34-30 at halftime, but held Richmond to 37 percent shooting from the field and 27 points in the final 20 minutes. The Spiders entered that contest averaging 91.5 points per game and shooting 51.6 percent.
“I want to score,” Grant said. “I want to score a lot of points, but I know at the end of the day you have to have a staple. You have to have something you can stand on, and we have to stand on our defense to the best of our ability because it gives you a chance.”
That defense will likely have its hands full with Harvard guard Malik Mack, who scored 32 points in the Crimson’s 78-75 overtime victory against Massachusetts on Friday. Mack entered the game averaging 18.3 points per game, tied for fourth among Division I freshmen.
“If you ask me if I’m surprised, no, I’m not,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said when asked about Mack’s production this season. “That’s what we knew. The kind of person and player he is, he’s been able to kind of lead us.”
Harvard (4-0) made 11 of 24 3-point attempts against UMass, which had a 37-28 lead at halftime. Chandler Pigge added 15 points and 11 rebounds while Louis Lesmond put up 14 points in the victory.
Center Quinten Post is Boston College’s leading scorer (19.3 points per game) and rebounder (7.7 boards per game). Jaeden Zackery (12.3 ppg) and Claudell Harris Jr. (10.3 ppg) add to the Eagles’ attack.
The Saturday game will be the 52nd meeting between Boston College and Harvard. The Eagles have a 35-16 edge in the series. The teams haven’t met since the Crimson recorded a 74-66 road win on Dec. 7, 2016.
–Field Level Media
