Boston College hasn’t won a basketball game since Jan. 21, but the Eagles can end that drought when they face visiting Cal on Saturday afternoon.
Boston College (9-15, 2-9 Atlantic Coast Conference) will be attempting to end a five-game losing streak but may have to do so without guard Donald Hand Jr. Hand injured his leg with 7:45 remaining in the first half of Wednesday’s 70-64 loss to Stanford. He left the court and didn’t return to the game.
Boston College coach Earl Grant said Hand was scheduled to have an MRI on Thursday.
“He walked around pretty good in the locker room at the end,” Grant said following the loss. “I don’t know about (a time frame). I’m not a doctor.”
Hand, who is in his fourth season with Boston College, has started in each of his team’s 24 games. He’s averaging 13.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Cal (17-8, 5-7) has lost two straight games, including Wednesday’s 107-100 setback at Syracuse in double overtime. Dai Dai Ames led the Bears with 23 points in the loss. Ames is averaging a team-high 17.2 points per game and has scored at least 20 points 10 times this season.
“(Ames) is the ultimate warrior,” Cal coach Mark Madsen said. “He’s the guy that’s going to attack. He knocks down shots. He knocks down the three. He makes the long two, and he finishes well at the rim. He made some key plays to help put us in a position, which is all you can ask on the road.
“We have to rebound the ball better. We gave up 13 offensive rebounds to Syracuse. We also put them to the free throw line 42 times. That’s inexcusable. We have to clean that up, and we will clean that up.”
Cal’s John Camden is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers per game, which ranks fifth in the ACC.
