PROVIDENCE - Boston College played a relatively consistent game from start to finish, hanging around for most of the came, but the Eagles could not keep pace with the Providence Friars in a 64-57 loss on Thursday night at the Dunkin Donuts Center.
Boston College (2-7) dropped its fourth game in a row and now trails the all-time series against Providence, 58-48. The win for the Friars (8-2) was their first over the Eagles since a 98-89 overtime victory on December 1, 2007.
LaDontae Henton led all scorers with a career-high 21 points and had seven rebounds while Vincent Council added 17 points for Providence, which made 24-of-55 field goals (43.6 percent). Brice Kofane had a remarkable defensive outing, finishing with seven blocks despite being held scoreless for the Friars.
"I thought we did a lot more things in terms on competing for 40 minutes," said Boston College head coach Steve Donahue. "I thought we guarded them very well for the most part. I think [Vincent] Council is a very good basketball player and you've got to make him do some things. I thought we did a good job especially in transition and didn't give any easy baskets. I thought we did a lot of good things. [We] didn't do great in terms of execution on offense, but I thought we got a lot done."
Ryan Anderson scored 16 points to lead Boston College, which was limited to 3.3 percent shooting (17-for-51). Patrick Heckmann (six rebounds) scored 12 points despite making one-of-nine field goals, as he made 9-of-10 free throws. Dennis Clifford added 10 points and six rebounds. Matt Humphrey and Lonnie Jackson each had six points for BC.
"I think we keep getting better every day, but overall we've just got to make more of the little plays to win the game," said Anderson, who made an efficient 5-of-8 field goals and 3-of-4 three pointers in the loss.
The Eagles found themselves in a 10-4 hole after a Henton three seven minutes in, but Jackson and Anderson hit back-to-back threes to tie the game at 10-10 with 12:14 to play. BC fell behind again, 17-12, but fought back to take a 23-22 lead with 2:36 to play in the first half before the Friars closed out the half on an 8-3 run to take a 30-26 lead at the half.
Providence distanced itself from Boston College in the early stages of the second half, taking a 44-27 lead with 12:38 remaining. Yet the determined Eagles once again found a way to get back into the game, trimming PC's lead to one, 49-48, with 8:17 remaining. BC kept pace and had the Friars' lead down to three, 56-53, with 3:32 to go, but that was as close as the Eagles would get as Providence closed out the game with an 8-4 run.
Boston College returns home to host the Stony Brook Seawolves on Sunday afternoon.
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