AMHERST -The University of Massachusetts men's basketball team will try to continue its strong start and keep Boston College reeling at the same time.

UMass hasn't beaten the Eagles since 2007 when Tyrese Rice's would-be game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark and UMass escaped 83-80 in Chestnut Hill. Junior wing Javorn Farrell was eager to end that streak when the teams square off tonight at 7 p.m. in Chestnut Hill. "We want revenge from the last two years. They beat us in Boston twice in a row. We're going to their place with a chip on our shoulder," he said. "We want to show them we mean business this year."

At 3-0, UMass coach Derek Kellogg thought this was the next step for his team.

"This is an opportunity to play a road game against an ACC team. That would be the next step in our season to play well down there. It would bring some credence to how we're playing and our style of play," Kellogg said. "You can put a lot of things aside when it's a UMass-BC game. Both teams usually give a good effort and it's usually a highly competitive basketball game. I think it's going to be a battle. Anytime you go on the road against an ACC team, that's a tough game." When star guard Reggie Jackson elected to turn pro early after last season, it sent the Eagles into full-fledged rebuilding mode. They lost their top five scorers from last year and their roster features nine freshman. They were picked last in the Atlantic Coast Conference's preseason poll.

The Eagles struggled to beat AIC, 70-66, in their preseason game and narrowly edged New Hampshire, 67-64, in their season opener before being trounced by Holy Cross, 86-64, Friday in Worcester.

Patrick Heckman, a native of Germany who scored 19 against New Hampshire, missed the Holy Cross game with a sprained ankle. His status for tonight is uncertain.

Kellogg thought the Holy Cross game could be a wake-up call for the Eagles.

"That's how a coach can get their attention and their leading scorer didn't play in that game. That combination means they're going to be ready to play on Monday night," he said. "Sometimes you play a style when you're shooting a lot of threes and they don't go in you can lose on the road to a team like Holy Cross. Our job is to make sure those same shots aren't going in on Monday."

Junior Terrell Vinson thought UMass' addition of Chaz Williams would turn the tide in the Minutemen's favor.

"Last I checked, BC doesn't have a point guard. I don't see how they can guard Chaz. Last year they had Reggie Jackson. He's gone. Chaz can push tempo and we can follow right after."

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com.