A few quick-hit thoughts from Maryland's 73-57 win over Boston College on Saturday, a win that dropped the Eagles to 1-3 in ACC play:
* BC forward Tyler Roche made a beautiful cut to the basket and wasted no time in taking a rifle pass from Dallas Elmore and going to the basket with it. It was picturesque ball movement -- right up until Maryland's Dino Gregory drove the ball between the rim and the glass with the heel of his hand.
It was that type of afternoon for the Eagles, who couldn't figure out how to get anything going offensively against the Terrapins. Al Skinner's team failed to shoot 40 percent and failed to score 60 points for the third straight game, and never looked like it had any rhythm at that end of the floor.
* BC made it a game at halftime thanks to the work of Elmore and Reggie Jackson, perhaps its best high-energy guards. Jackson drew a foul on a drive to the basket and hit two free throws. Elmore then drew a charge at the defensive end and followed it with a nifty move to get free for a basket deep in the post.
It wasn't until the final moments of the first half, though, that the Eagles signaled their intention to make a run. Jackson did just enough to alter a fast-break layup by Maryland's Adrian Bowie, forcing a miss that Joe Trapani rebounded. Trapani then handed off to Jackson, and Jackson threw a pass the length of the court for a Corey Raji dunk.
Raji finished the first half with a team-best nine points and played more than respectable defense on prolific Maryland scorer Greivis Vasquez.
Jackson started the game on the bench, giving way to center Josh Southern the same way he did against Duke. By the end of the game, though, he appeared to have supplanted Biko Paris as Al Skinner's preferred option at point guard.
Jackson wasn't exactly a walking highlight with the ball in his hands, turning it over three times in a two-minute span early in the second half. Paris, however, turned the ball over four times in his 20 minutes of action and never showed the type of initiative at the offensive end that Jackson did.
It will be interesting to see what Skinner chooses to do in the future because, even as uneven as Jackson can be, it's getting difficult to see what Paris brings to the table that makes him a better option than the sophomore coming off the bench behind him.
* By the waning moments, Maryland was so comfortable with its lead that Vasquez waved and flashed a grin when two fans shouted out, "Happy birthday, Greivis!"
The ACC Player of the Year candidate actually did more giving than receiving on his 23rd birthday, dishing out nine assists to go along with his 17 points.
Brian MacPherson is a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. His email address is brianrmacpherson@gmail.com.