Van Nest averaged 2.3 points per game in 39 games with the Crimson, including two minutes of play in last year’s victory over the Eagles. This year, he has played in all seven games for the Eagles and is averaging 5.7 points per game.

Harvard will look to continue improving from the charity stripe after shooting a season-low 65 percent in its loss to Vermont. On Saturday, the team improved to 74 percent shooting on 39 attempts with Saunders scoring 13 of his 17 points on free throws.

The Crimson will also focus on putting the game away early. In the 73-64 victory over Fordham, Harvard led by only three points at the break, and against Vermont the team had been outscored 48-34 by the end of the first half.

“We’ve got to have a good start to the game, which is something we haven’t had in a while,” junior co-captain Laurent Rivard said. “It’s always harder to battle back in a game.”

A win against the Boston College would give Harvard its first road victory and put the team over .500 for the first time since its season opening victory against MIT.

“We have a young team, so I was kind of expecting that it was going to be a little up and down,” Saunders said. “I think if we just stay together and keep working every day we’ll figure it out.”