Wake Forest @ Boston College preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 7, 2017 ) Boston College 78, Wake Forest 92

After knocking off top-ranked Duke in its ACC opener, Boston College has fallen just short against two other top 25 conference foes. The Eagles hope to get back to .500 in league play against an unranked ACC opponent when they host Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon.

Boston College followed up a one-point loss at then-No. 9 Virginia last weekend with a 74-70 setback at home against No. 25 Clemson on Wednesday, struggling out of the gate and then falling short with a second-half rally. "We can't take our eye off the prize," coach Jim Christian told reporters. "We can't have a three-minute lull or a four-minute lull like we had in the first half. You can't dig those type holes." The Demon Deacons were able to hold off Syracuse on Wednesday for their first ACC win but lost then-leading scorer Keyshawn Woods to a knee injury in the first half. "He didn’t look right," coach Danny Manning told reporters. "Usually, when I take him out of the game, there is some type of look that I like to see and he didn't have that. We'll get him evaluated and hopefully he will be ready to go against Boston College."

TV: 4 p.m. ET, RSN, NESN

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (8-6, 1-1 ACC): Bryant Crawford tried to fill the void left behind by Woods' injury and took over the team's scoring lead at 15.6 points per game after he attempted a season-high 20 shots and scored 19 points. Crawford also leads the team with 4.7 assists per game and 7-0 Doral Moore provides 9.9 points on an ACC-high 77.9 percent shooting and a team-high 7.7 rebounds. Mitchell Wilbekin is the team's top perimeter threat and has buried 9-of-15 from 3-point range over his last four games.

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (10-5, 1-2): Jerome Robinson has carried the Eagles in their back-to-back losses, first scoring a season-high 29 points at Virginia and then adding 28 versus Clemson. Jordan Chatman averaged 19.8 points over a six-game span before he was held scoreless in 40 minutes against the Tigers, the third straight game that the junior guard has played every minute. Ky Bowman ranks second to Robinson (18.1) in scoring with 16 points per game, but he is just 8-for-25 from the floor and has nine turnovers over his last two games.

TIP-INS

1. Wake Forest swept all three meetings last season, including a 92-78 triumph in the first round of the ACC tournament.

2. Eagles F Steffon Mitchell has at least eight rebounds in five straight games.

3. The Demon Deacons have had a lead in the second half in 12 of their 14 games.

PREDICTION: Boston College 78, Wake Forest 76