Boston College
Umass
Men's Basketball Cruises Past Massachusetts, 67-48
January 02, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2005
AMHERST, Mass. (AP) - Craig Smith scored 20 points and the Boston College offense ended with a 13-2 run during the last four minutes in a 67-48 win over Massachusetts in the 10th annual Commonwealth Classic Sunday.
The victory lifted the unbeaten Eagles to 11-0 in the classic. It was BC's sixth straight success over UMass, which fell to 6-4.
Smith was helped by 13 points from Jermaine Watson and 12 by Sean Marshall. BC led 30-22 at halftime.
Rashaun Freeman, who was held to 5-for-13 from the field, ended with 13 points for UMass. Anthony Anderson, returning from a three-game suspension, scored 12 for the Minutemen.
After two free throws, a basket by Freeman and a three-pointer by Anderson, UMass came within five of a tie at 42-37.
But Watson countered with two baskets and the Eagles gradually pulled away.
BC led by as many as 14 points (28-14) in the first half, but a late 8-0 run by UMass got things closer. Art Bowers and Brennan Martin had back-to-back three-pointers, and Anderson followed with a basket to get UMass within 28-22.
Smith hit from underneath for BC to create the 8-point halftime margin for the Eagles.
UMass shot 24.2 percent from the field in the first half, while BC was shooting 44.4.
