Boston College
North Carolina
Eagles Fall To No. 3 Tar Heels, 90-80
March 01, 2008 | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2008
AP Photo Gallery 
| Box Score 
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Junior guard Tyrese Rice scored a career-high 46 points, including 34 points in the first half, to lead Boston College in a 90-80 loss to third-ranked North Carolina before a sellout crowd of 8,606 in Conte Forum.
Rice shot 14-for-25 from the field, including 8-for-12 from three-point range. He also shot 10-for-11 from the foul line.
After the Eagles took an early 4-2 lead on field goals from seniors Tyrelle Blair and John Oates, Rice took control of the contest. The junior guard scored 23 consecutive BC points in a 5:21 span to give the host Eagles a 27-12 cushion. Rice converted six three-point field goals, one old-fashioned three-point play and one two-point field goal in this run.
BC extended its lead to 18 points - 42-24 - on two free throws from Corey Raji with 4:42 remaining in the opening half. The Tar Heels quickly answered with seven straight points to narrow the margin to 42-31.
BC closed the half with a 12-9 run to claim a 54-40 halftime lead. Rice netted seven points, including his eighth and final three-pointer of the half, in the closing rally.
Rice opened the second half with four straight points to help the Eagles regain an 18-point margin. After North Carolina answered with four points, Raji hit a three-pointer from the left side to give the home team a 61-44 advantage.
The third-ranked Tar Heels then used an 18-0 run - holding BC scoreless for more than six minutes - to take their first lead of the day at 62-61. The game remained a one-point contest for nearly three minutes as the two teams traded points. Shamari Spears and Rice each sank field goals and Rice hit two free throws in this stretch.
North Carolina then scored 16 of the game's next 19 points to claim an 82-70 advantage with 4:17 to play. BC never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.
Game Notes: In his record-setting first half, Rice shot 10-for-15 from the field in the first half, including 8-for-9 from three-point range. He also sank 6-of-7 free-throw attempts ... Rice's 14 field goals made marked a career high ... Rice's 46 points set a Conte Forum record and marked the highest point total ever scored against North Carolina by an ACC opponent (Dick Groat of Duke scored 48 against UNC (in Feb. 1952) prior to the formation of the ACC, and Rich Yunkus of Georgia Tech scored 47 against UNC (in Feb. 1970) before Georgia Tech had joined the ACC).
