Boston College Athletics
Boston College
Providence*
Men's Basketball Defeated By Providence, 93-80
January 02, 2003 | Men's Basketball
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. (AP) - Donnie McGrath scored seven of his career-high 23 points in a game-breaking run late in the second half Thursday, sparking Providence to a 93-80 win over Boston College in the Big East opener for both schools.
Ryan Gomes scored 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for the Friars (7-3, 1-0 Big East), who won a league opener for just the fifth time in 21 tries. Sheiku Kabba chipped in with 17 points and Romuald Augustin had 12.
Craig Smith led Boston College (6-4, 0-1) with 25 points. Ryan Sidney added 23 and Troy Bell finished with 17.
After Boston College took a 65-63 lead on Jermaine Watson's one-handed baseline runner with just under eight minutes to go, Gomes' consecutive baskets triggered a 15-1 Friars' run over the next 4:03. McGrath then followed with a pair of baskets 45 seconds apart, the second his fifth 3-pointer of the game. He finished 5-for-7 on 3-point attempts.
Kabba then hit a driving runner. Kotti and McGrath added baskets after Sidney's free throw, pushing PC's lead 78-66 with 3:44 left.
BC was held without a basket for 6:40 in the closing eight minutes.
The Eagles led 41-33 at the half and raised their lead to 57-47 on Bell's 3-pointer before the Friars went on a 14-4 spree, tying the game at 61-61 on Kabba's breakaway layup with just under 10 minutes to play.
The score was tied twice after that before the Friars went on their game-breaking run.
Game Notes: Boston College shot 34-for-73 from the field, 46.6 percent. The 34 made field goals is the team's second-highest single-game total of the season ... Both teams committed 11 turnovers. BC had six first-half turnovers and five second-half miscues. Providence committed all 11 of its turnovers in the first 20 minutes ... BC shot just 6-for-16 from the foul line, marking season lows in both makes and attempts ... Providence shot 50.8 percent from the field, the highest single-game percentage by a BC foe this season ... Craig Smith registered his fourth double-double of the season, including his second in a row. Smith finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds. His 16 rebounds is the highest single-game total by a BC freshman since Danya Abrams grabbed 20 rebounds against Providence on Jan. 22, 1994 ... Providence took the lead for good at 67-65 with 7:18 to play. The Friars' only previous lead was a 3-2 advantage less than two minutes into the game.
