Karnik fuels Boston College's comeback win over Hokies, 68-63

By Sam Alves

Staff Writer

January 22, 2022

In the span of 30 seconds, Justyn Mutts and Keve Aluma retreated to the bench for the remaining six minutes of the first half after picking up their second personal fouls. While two of Virginia Tech’s best scorers sat on the bench, its lead thinned from eight points.

Tech head coach Mike Young called it “a big flip” in the game and the team’s management of it “disheartening.” It might just be a big flip in the trajectory of the Hokies’ season.

Boston College’s (8-9, 2-5 ACC) senior forward James Karnik scored a career-high 26 points to pair with nine rebounds, handing the Hokies (10-8, 2-5 ACC) a devastating loss on the road at Conte Forum, 68-63, on Saturday afternoon. The Lehigh transfer teamed up with junior guard Makai Ashton-Langford (18 points) to account for nearly two-thirds of the Eagles’ offense in a battle of top-heavy ACC squads.

“I thought the story of the game was our inability to get it off the glass and to defend Karnik with better, rigid defense that we’ve done time and time and time again with really good players through the non-conference and league play,” Young said.

Karnik, who tallied four points and two rebounds against the Hokies for Lehigh in 2019, made 10-of-12 shots from the floor — including a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key — shot 5-of-6 from the free throw line, and drew five fouls. His triple was one of only four the Eagles made all game on 12 attempts.

“We played him [Karnik] two years ago when he was at Lehigh, and I was nervous about him,” Young said. “He’s a good player...A big, physical kid. Our inability to rebound the ball, I’m mystified.”

The Eagles racked up 16 offensive boards, the most the Hokies have allowed all year.

“We gotta do a better job [rebounding] with our guards,” Young said. “Now Keve got a little nicked up in the second half. Hunter — I rely on riding him like a horse — didn’t have any rebounds. Mutts is a terrific rebound and only had three today. He’s typically… six-and-a-half, seven, eight [rebounds per game.]

“What is the issue there? We’re not physical enough. We’re not sustaining that box out. That hasn’t been something I thought, “Man, we got to sure that up.’ That was surprising and disappointing today, certainly.”

Still, the Hokies led by two at the half, thanks to an efficient 3-of-4 effort from behind the arc. In the second half, that figure dropped to 3-for-11 (27.3%). Hunter Cattoor led the way from deep, making four of his five shots for 14 points in 37 minutes of action.

Of Tech’s last seven three-point tries, the only make came from Nahiem Alleyne (10 points on 3-of-10 shooting), who tied the game at 61 with 4:23 remaining. The Hokies only scored one more bucket, a driving layup from Storm Murphy with Tech down three, the rest of the way.

“We got the guys shooting it that we have faith in,” Young said.

The shots just didn’t go in when it mattered most.

It certainly won’t get any easier for the Hokies, who play a make-up game in Chapel Hill against North Carolina Monday night, host Miami on Wednesday and then travel to Tallahassee on Saturday to face Florida State.

What’s the message Young has for his team?

“[Focus on the] next one…. It’s what the schedule calls for. Suck it up and go.”