Boston College will be looking to end a four-game losing streak when it faces visiting Stonehill on Tuesday in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
The Eagles (5-6) struggled to score from the perimeter during Saturday’s 77-56 loss to Villanova. They shot 13.3 percent (2-for-15) from 3-point range during the second half, and they’re shooting 27.3 percent from behind the arc this season (53-for-194).
BC has a 3-2 record at home, but the losses were upsets against two America East opponents — Maine and New Hampshire.
“Our identity is always going to be defense and rebounding — that’s something we strive for,” BC coach Earl Grant said following the Villanova loss. “With a lot of new players and a lot of youth in the program we’re just not there yet, but we’re not at the end of the journey. The journey ends in March, so the excitement is we have time to grow.”
BC guard Makai Ashton-Langford has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury. Ashton-Langford, a graduate student, is averaging 11 points in nine games and is the team’s leading scorer.
Stonehill (4-7) is in its first year as a Division I program, having previously competed in the Division II Northeast 10 Conference. The Skyhawks have played a difficult nonconference schedule with two of their losses coming against No. 3 UConn (85-54) and Providence (100-76).
“We’re just excited to have this opportunity to go into becoming a Division I school and playing a Division I schedule,” Stonehill coach Chris Kraus said. “We decided we’re going to go play people. That was always our mindset as a Division II program. We tried to play a really tough schedule.”
Stonehill has four fifth-year seniors on its roster, including leading scorer Andrew Sims (16.9 points per game). Graduate student Max Zegarowski (12.8 ppg) and fifth-year senior Isaiah Burnett (12.5) also have scoring averages in double figures.
The Skyhawks have a 2-4 record in road games this season.
–Field Level Media