Feb. 23--SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Bad weather in the Boston area grounded Notre Dame's flight after an 87-70 victory over Boston College on Saturday.
It wasn't so bad for the Irish, especially freshman forward Bonzie Colson, a Massachusetts native who spent a little extra time celebrating his big day.
With nearly 60 friends and relatives in attendance, Colson played the best game of his young Notre Dame career. He scored 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting, grabbed six rebounds and had several yells of excitement after big plays. And he did it against a school where his father, Bonzie Sr., spent time as an assistant coach under Al Skinner.
"It was a great feeling to play in front of my family and friends," Colson said. "Obviously BC had a huge impact on my life growing up. It brought back a whole lot of memories, me playing as a young kid. I just wanted to play hard with a lot of energy."
Colson is one of three Irish players from New England -- Zach Auguste and Pat Connaughton are the others -- who had a little extra motivation to silence the Eagles on the road.
"That's a school that a lot of Boston-area people feel should be good with the talent that comes out of the Boston (and) New England area," Connaughton said. "And they don't go as hard after the guys in that area as some of the other schools. We felt we should come out and handle this game as businesslike as we can."
Colson's game was another big step in his development. When the Irish played two games in November in a tournament in Uncasville, Conn., Colson rode the bench. Now he is an integral part of the rotation. He is the first off the bench to relieve Auguste when he needs a break or is in foul trouble.
The 6-foot-5 Colson makes up for his lack of height in the post with a long wing span, hustle and a deft shooting touch around the rim.
"The tough plays he makes, every single team needs a guy like him," Connaughton said. "He's really going to help us in being that X-factor, doing stuff that may not show up in the stat sheet. That's what we need on a nightly basis."
Colson helped the Irish salvage a victory at Georgia Tech in January when Auguste served a one-game academic suspension. Since then, he has earned significant minutes and said his defense has improved.
"I'm understanding communication is the most important part," Colson said. "My teammates have my back with that, and I feel like we're doing better as a team."
Colson was never better than he was Saturday.
"Most freshmen, when you bring them home, they're a mess," coach Mike Brey said. "They're a basket case, and he has his best game. It tells you the psyche we're dealing with here, his confidence and his belief. We just want to make sure he still feels good because we need him."
chine@tribpub.com
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