
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Eagles Suffer First Loss of Season to Belmont
November 16, 2019 | Men's Basketball
Nik Popovic leads four BC players in scoring with 23 points
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- Belmont outscored Boston College 32-9 over a 12-minute span, closing the first half and into the second, earning a 100-85 win in game two of the Gotham Classic.
It was a back-and-forth first half that saw eight ties and 16 lead changes. The Eagles led by as many as five - 22-17 with 12:59 to play - and held onto a one-point lead after a CJ Felder jumper made it 45-44 with just over a minute left in the half.
But Belmont would close the opening frame with five straight points, beginning the run that proved costly for Eagles.
The Bruins built as much as a 25-point cushion - 81-56 - midway through the second half. BC would chip away, getting as close as 15 points on two occasions after two 3-pointers by Kamari Williams.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
It was a back-and-forth first half that saw eight ties and 16 lead changes. The Eagles led by as many as five - 22-17 with 12:59 to play - and held onto a one-point lead after a CJ Felder jumper made it 45-44 with just over a minute left in the half.
But Belmont would close the opening frame with five straight points, beginning the run that proved costly for Eagles.
The Bruins built as much as a 25-point cushion - 81-56 - midway through the second half. BC would chip away, getting as close as 15 points on two occasions after two 3-pointers by Kamari Williams.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Nik Popovic led BC with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting. The 6-11 center made 3-of-5 from the perimeter to go with five rebounds in 31 minutes.
- Derryck Thornton had 15 points, seven assists (three turnovers), three rebounds, and two steals.
- Jay Heath added 10 points in a foul-added 27 minutes of play.
- Kamari Williams came off the bench to score a season-best 10 points (3-4 FG; 2-4 3FG; 2-2 FT).
- Offensively, BC put up some of its best numbers of the season - 85 points, 55.9% shooting (33-59), 44.4% from the 3-point line (8-18), 84.6% from the FT line (11-13), and 18 assists.
- On the other side of the floor, Belmont became the first opponent to score 100 points on the Conte Forum hardwood since an overtime affair vs. Providence on Dec. 4, 2018.
- The Bruins' 15 made 3-pointers tied for the most by an opponent at Conte Forum and guard Adam Kunkel's 35 points ranks sixth all-time by an opponent.
- 42 - Boston College scored 42 of its 85 points in the paint.
- Nik Popovic (21) and Steffon Mitchell (20) led the way for the Eagles in efficiency rating.Â
- Two others - Derryck Thornton (15) and Kamari Williams (10) - each registered double-figures in the EFF column.
- Efficiency rating is calculated using the following formula: (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK - Missed Shots - TO)
- Boston College plays the third of five straight at home, hosting Eastern Washington on Wednesday, Nov. 20.Â
- The game is the third of four games as part of the Gotham Classic MTE.
- Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be seen live on ACC Network Extra.Â
- The game can also be heard live on the Boston College Learfield IMG College Sports Network with Josh Maurer and Danya Abrams.
Team Stats
BEL
BC
FG%
.532
.559
3FG%
.577
.444
FT%
.864
.846
RB
36
22
TO
14
12
STL
6
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Players Mentioned
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