Field Level Media
Dec 16, 2018
Chris Herren, Jr. scored a career-high 22 points Sunday as Boston College withstood Fairfield's 3-point barrage for a 77-67 nonconference win at Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Wynston Tabbs added 20 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Eagles (8-2), while Ky Bowman hit just 4-of-17 shots from the field but still finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Nik Popovic also contributed a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.
Calvin Whipple came off the bench to pace the Stags (2-9) with 21 points, going 7-of-14 from the 3-point line. Jesus Cruz contributed 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Fairfield hit only 40.6 percent of its shots from the field, but used the 3-point line at will. It canned 14-of-40 from distance, making its effective field goal percentage just over 51 percent. That helped keep it in the game despite being outrebounded 43-35 and being outscored 21-1 at the foul line.
Whipple's seventh 3-pointer with 1:57 left in the game enabled the Stags to pull within 71-67. But Whipple missed a 3 that would have enabled them to cut the lead to one, and Popovic dunked on the other end for a 73-67 advantage with 52 seconds left.
Popovic then rejected a Cruz shot and Bowman turned it into two free throws for an eight-point margin with 42 seconds remaining, finally ending Fairfield's upset bid.
Boston College grabbed an early 9-2 advantage on free throws by Bowman just over four minutes into the game. The Stags didn't score for nearly 3 1/2 minutes before Whipple perked up their attack by hitting a 3 to end the Eagles' spurt.
A 3-ball by Whipple with 7:15 left in the first half gave Fairfield a 23-21 edge, and the Stags still led as late as the 2:21 mark thanks to another 3 by Wassef Methnani. But Herren's transition 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:09 remaining in the half allowed Boston College to take a 34-31 lead to halftime.
--Field Level Media