Louisville @ Boston College Preview
Silvio O. Conte Forum
Last Meeting ( Mar 9, 2024 ) Boston College 67, Louisville 61
Louisville will attempt to avoid back-to-back losses Wednesday when it continues its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule with a game against Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
The Cardinals (16-6, 9-2 ACC) were ranked No. 21 last week, but they fell out of the AP Top 25 following Saturday's 77-70 setback against Georgia Tech. It was Louisville's first loss since it dropped a 93-85 decision at Kentucky on Dec. 14 and ended the team's 10-game winning streak.
"The most important thing is that we stay extremely consistent, which is, I think, a hallmark of this team," Louisville coach Pat Kelsey said Monday. "They're extremely steady.
"Boston College is playing very well. Very well-coached. Very talented. So we have to have a couple great days of preparation going into a very tough place to play and figure out a way to get a road win."
BC (10-11, 2-8) is coming off arguably its best victory of the season. The Eagles trailed Florida State by eight points with less than a minute to play but rallied for a 77-76 victory and improved the team's home record to 7-5.
Donald Hand Jr. had a career-high 31 points and nine rebounds in the win. Hand leads the ACC in free-throw percentage (90.8) and paces BC in scoring (15.5 ppg).
"This season has been difficult, this journey has been difficult, but it ain't because of a lack of effort," BC coach Earl Grant said. "We've been laboring for a lot of days and a lot of months, so I believe that the fruits of your labor is a real thing and when you stay resilient, you believe and have great courage, good things happen."
Louisville guard Chucky Hepburn is averaging a team-high 15.1 points and 6.4 assists per game. BC will also have to pay close attention to Reyne Smith, who leads the conference and ranks third in the country in made 3-pointers per game (3.8).
Elijah Strong, BC's No. 3 scorer (10.5) and rebounder (4.7), has missed the last four games with an illness.
--Field Level Media