For the first time in what seems like a while, BC managed to win the rebounding battle on Saturday. Ryan Anderson grabbed 12 rebounds on his way to a double double and the Eagles outrebounded the Tar Heels by a 32-29 margin. They still let up nine offensive rebounds, but managed to grab 10 of their own and kept themselves in the game until the last few minutes. Interestingly, nobody besides Anderson had more than three rebounds, with most of the team grabbing two or three throughout the game.
More Minutes for Magarity and Owens
Will Magarity saw a drastic increase in his minutes, reaching double digits for the first time since the middle of December. Magarity logged 16 minutes and scored three points, but only pulled down two rebounds. Meanwhile, Garland Owens found his way back into the rotation after battling a minor injury in recent days. Owens played seven minutes and missed his only shot along with two free throws, but he added defensive energy and grabbed three rebounds including one on the offensive board. As arguably the best athlete on the team, it will be interesting to see if he sees any more minutes as the season continues.
Strong Showing from Odio
Eddie Odio, normally known for his defensive prowess, had a strong game on the other side of the court. Odio set a season high with 12 points on 4-6 shooting, three of which came from three-point range. At one point in the first half, Odio hit an NBA range shot from several feet behind the arc. He worked hard on improving his jump shooting over the offseason, and has increased his three-point percentage to just under 40 percent. While his low post game still needs fine tuning, his numbers on offense have certainly helped this season.
LoJack Stays Hot
Lonnie Jackson continued his recent strong play, dropping 14 points on 5-7 shooting while going 4-6 on threes. While the results are still not there for the Eagles, the team is noticeably better when Jackson is contributing at a high level. In addition to some hot shooting, Jackson added three steals on the defensive end. However, he turned the ball over four times and failed to get to the free throw line in 32 minutes of playing time. He also forced a few shots early in the play clock that led to some empty possessions.
Turnovers and Free Throws Kill
In what has become a bit of a worrying trend, the Eagles continued to struggle at the free throw line and to protecting the ball. BC turned the ball over 18 times and ended the game with seven fewer shots than the Tar Heels as a result. In addition, the team struggled mightily at the free throw line. The Eagles went just 18-26 from the charity stripe, with only Ryan Anderson hitting all of his attempts. Luckily for BC, North Carolina missed 10 of its shots and was unable to really pull away until late, but the continued problems at the line has come as a surprise after the team’s hot start this season.
Cellar Dwellers
Despite having a record well below .500, the Eagles were not technically in the basement of the ACC because the Tar Heels were winless in conference. The loss on Saturday dropped BC down into last place. UNC avoided dropping to 0-4 in the conference for the first time in the program’s history.
