Pittsburgh @ Boston College preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 13, 2018 ) Boston College 81, Pittsburgh 58

Teams who have a combined losing streak of 11 games meet Tuesday when old Big East foes Pittsburgh and Boston College tangle outside Boston in an ACC matchup. The Panthers, who have dominated the series in recent years, have lost seven straight games while Boston College has fallen on hard times since an impressive start in non-conference.

Pitt lost 79-76 at home to North Carolina State on Saturday, and has dropped 20 consecutive road contests, including 17 straight conference games away from home. “It’s frustrating because we’re always right there,” senior sharpshooter Jared Wilson-Frame told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the losing streak, the last two by a combined three points. “There are things in close games where there might be in the last couple possessions things you can say ‘If I would have done this better, we would have won.’" Boston College fell 67-56 at Syracuse on Saturday, as the Eagles shot just 33 percent from the field and committed 18 turnovers. The Eagles were looking to close non-conference play 10-2 but lost at home to Hartford in overtime on Dec. 31 and dropped their first four conference games before consecutive wins against Florida State and at Wake Forest led to the recent losing skid.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT PITTSBURGH (12-12, 2-9 ACC): Freshman Xavier Johnson (17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists) had 17 points, five rebounds and two assists, while Wilson-Frame scored 16 points against N.C. State, but Sidy N'Dir's off-balance 3-pointer from outside of the top of the key at the buzzer was off the mark. Wilson-Frame (12.0 points, 63 3-pointers, 40.4 percent from 3-point range) connected on 6-of-7 shots from the field, including 4-of-5 beyoind the arc, and has drained at least four 3-pointers in five consecutive games (21-of-43) while scoring in double figures in seven straight. Forward Terrell Brown (6.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks), a 6-10 sophomore, blocked five shots against the Wolfpack after registering just one in his three previous games.

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (11-11, 2-8): Junior guard Ky Bowman (20.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists), who sat the first 5:03 of the game due to a violation of team rules, led BC with 21 points Saturday, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, and also recorded seven boards, two assists and two steals. Bowman is one of four players in Division I to average at least 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists (R.J. Barrett, Duke; Justin James, Wyoming; Tres Tinkle, Oregon State). Jordan Chatman (13.9 points) added 12 points, while Nik Popovic (13.6 points, 7.2 rebounds) had 10 points and five boards before leaving the game to enter concussion protocol.

TIP-INS

1. Boston College posted an 81-58 victory last season to snap an 11-game losing streak in the series. The Panthers have won seven straight at Conte Forum.

2. The Eagles were without freshman G Wynston Tabbs (13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists) against Syracuse for the fifth straight game due to a knee injury.

3. Prior to losing their last two games by a combined three points, Pitt lost their first five games of the losing streak by an average of 12.6 points.

PREDICTION: Pittsburgh 77, Boston College 74