Boston College Beats Louisville Without Quinten Post in ACC Tournament 1st Round

On Tuesday evening, Boston College upset Louisville 80-62 in the first round of the ACC Tournament despite missing ACC Most Improved Player Quinten Post. They will now advance to face 7th-seeded North Carolina for a second-round matchup on Wednesday night.

The Eagles had a dominant first half, outscoring the Cardinals by 15 points to take an impressive 43-41 lead. Things got even better in the second half as BC scored five straight points to start off the second period, led by TJ Bickerstaff's pair of free throws.

TJ Bickerstaff

Boston College came out on top despite missing key players, defeating Louisville without Quinten Post in Tuesday's ACC Tournament 1st round. Makai Ashton-Langford led BC with 16 points while Jaeden Zackery contributed a career high eight assists as the Eagles advanced to the second round for a matchup against No. 7 seed North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon.

The Eagles still have a ways to go before reaching the ACC Tournament final, but they took an impressive step in that direction on this night thanks to some impressive performances. Players that didn't play against Georgia Tech on Saturday got their chance to shine during this year's ACC Tournament as Makai Ashton-Langford, Devin McGlockton and Prince Aligbe led scoring with 46 points combined.

Aside from those players, the Eagles also received a boost on defense from TJ Bickerstaff who filled up the stat sheet with 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-5 FT), 10 rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes of action. Although he was slightly undersized for the Eagles' undersized five-guard lineup, Bickerstaff showed his versatility by finishing on defense and providing some extra help when necessary.

Bickerstaff has been putting up impressive numbers this season, averaging just 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. His knack for grabbing big rebounds is showing, as is his shooting efficiency which continues to improve.

Thus far, he's helped the Eagles improve on the glass by averaging 7.8 rebounds per game over his last five games. Additionally, with his two-way abilities and potential scorer on offense, he should continue to get chances on offense if more touches can be found on the glass.

Boston College faced off against an impressive Louisville team that entered the game ranked in the top 15 and had won four straight games, so Bickerstaff needed to come up with some big plays in the closing moments of the game. He made some memorable rebounds and an and-one 3 pointer off DeMarr Langford's pass which cut Louisville's lead down to five with just over four minutes left on the clock - hopefully we will see more of that on the court for the Eagles during their ACC Tournament next week.

Devin McGlockton

Boston College (13-17) won its second straight ACC Tournament game and made its first appearance in the tournament's 1st round with an 80-62 victory against Louisville on Tuesday night. BC was led by guards Makai Ashton-Langford, Jaeden Zackery and DeMarr Langford Jr. who combined for 31 points. Prince Aligbe added 14 points while Devin McGlockton scored 11 as the Eagles improved to 12-11 overall and 12-11 in conference play.

At 16:11 in the first half, Ashton-Langford hit two 3-pointers to take a commanding 6-3 lead. A 9-0 run followed, including Jaeden Zackery's layup and McGlockton's dunk, stretched that lead to 12-6 with four minutes left before an 18-6 Louisville run pulled them level with 15:30 left in regulation time.

McGlockton then hit a hot streak and helped the Eagles take control of the game with 10 points over eight minutes, mostly from free throws. He nailed a 3 with 18 seconds remaining to break a tie, followed by two foul shots with eight seconds left to secure their victory.

He played six minutes less than Mason Madsen, the starting guard, but his impact on the game was significant--particularly during a pivotal first half when Philadelphia trailed by as many as 14 points early in the quarter. The redshirt freshman from Philadelphia has been averaging 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds off the bench this season--a team high.

It was the first time he played more than 25 minutes this year and it showed that he is ready for an increased role with the Eagles. Additionally, the 6-7 forward had seven rebounds and was 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.

McGlockton, a redshirt freshman who started in two games last year before suffering a knee injury, has emerged as an impressive star this season and earned himself the title of ACC co-rookie of the week. His hustle and ability to move well off the ball make him an invaluable asset to Philadelphia's offense.

Makai Ashton-Langford

Makai Ashton-Langford led BC's comeback in the second half, scoring 16 points to help the Eagles overcome Louisville without senior forward Quinten Post. Additionally, he added five rebounds to his stat line.

Boston College had an uneventful first half, but made a strong start to the second with two Jaeden Zackery 3s that ignited an 16-0 run that turned a 10-9 deficit into 22-16 victory. Though Boston College shot 48 percent from the field in the first half, they only 15-of-36 from the field during the second.

Louisville's JJ Traynor hit a dunk to tie the game at 34-all. Boston College then responded with an 8-0 run to go on an 8-0 run and go on a 19-6 run, culminating in Jaeden Zackery's layup to give BC a 35-29 advantage at halftime.

As the half progressed, Boston College improved from the free throw line, going 12-of-16 from the charity stripe. This was encouraging news for BC, who often finds ways to make clutch shots.

At 43-43, Boston College went on a 12-3 run to take control of the game and lead 55-48 with 15:55 remaining. That allowed BC multiple baskets off offensive rebounds - an essential factor in beating Louisville, especially given their struggles in rebounding this season.

BC improved to 15-16 overall and 9-11 in ACC play with this win, setting themselves up for a quarterfinal matchup against rival North Carolina this weekend. Though they've been somewhat of a surprise so far in the tournament, BC has earned some quality wins that could push them towards making it into the final four.

Jaede Zackery

Boston College Eagles upset Louisville without their star player, senior center Quinten Post. Despite not having their star player, BC did a commendable job on both sides of the ball to come out on top 80-62 and advance to the second round of ACC Tournament against North Carolina.

Jaede Zackery led the Eagles (24-8) with a game-high 22 points and made his first ACC Tournament hat trick of his career to help them secure their place in the Sweet Sixteen. Additionally, Zackery made some key shots in the paint for an 18-20 advantage and contributed significantly to their 40-24 second-chance point advantage.

Zackery's performance on Friday night was nothing short of extraordinary. He scored 14 points in the first half alone and completed a double-double by game's end.

He did an admirable job defending against Virginia Cavaliers' high-flying squad. After some early missteps, he took charge in the second half and hit two three-pointers that helped BC open up a 49-37 lead.

Zackery and his team outshot Virginia by over 20 points to secure the victory. Virginia was superior across many categories, but BC made the most of its opportunity to play at Dean Smith Center - a stunning facility!