Boston College
Maryland
Maryland Holds Off Boston College, 70-65
February 06, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 6, 2008
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Senior forward John Oates tallied a career-high 21 points and junior guard Tyrese Rice registered 13 points and seven assists to lead Boston College in a 70-65 ACC loss to Maryland before 6,449 fans in Conte Forum.
Maryland's victory gave the Terrapins a split of the teams' regular-season series. BC had downed Maryland, 81-78, in College Park, Md., on Dec. 9, 2007.
The loss drops BC's record to 12-9 overall, 3-4 in ACC play. The win raises Maryland's mark to 15-8 overall, 5-3 in ACC action.
Oates enjoyed a career night, shooting 8-for-8 from the field, including 5-for-5 from three-point range. The senior also contributed four rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals in career-high 37 minutes of action.
After seeing seven lead changes in the first seven minutes of the second half, Maryland gained the upper hand with a 10-0 run that turned a 48-47 BC lead into a 57-48 Maryland advantage with 9:22 to play.
The Terrapins extended their margin to 10 points three times - including 64-54 with 5:17 to play. Maryland still held a nine-point lead with 3:19 remaining, before the host Eagles scored eight straight points to pull to within one point, 66-65, with 1:38 to play. Rice hit two three-pointers in the rally, while Josh Southern converted a Rice feed for the other field goal.
Maryland sophomore Eric Hayes answered with a three-pointer at the other end to cushion the visitors' lead.
BC did not score again.
In the first half, Maryland led by as many as nine points, but BC used the long-range shot to trim the margin to just two points - 36-34 - at halftime.
Game Notes: Maryland shot 51.9 percent from the field, including 60.9 percent in the second half. BC shot 41.8 percent from the floor ... BC outrebounded Maryland, 33-28 ... BC committed 12 turnovers, while forcing 10 Maryland miscues ... BC sank 10 three-pointers, including eight in the first half. Oates led the way with five treys, while Rice sank three three-pointers and freshman Rakim Sanders sank two treys ... Rice, battling a sore back throughout the game, played 35 minutes (his lowest minute total in an ACC game since playing 35 minutes at Duke on Jan. 28, 2007) ... BC debuted a new starting line-up: Oates and Sanders at the forward positions, Tyrelle Blair in the middle, and Rice and Biko Paris at the guard slots ... The Maryland victory gave Gary Williams his 600th career victory. Williams achieved 76 of those wins during his four-year tenure at BC's head coach (1982-86).
