CHESTNUT HILL - It was arguably one of the last chances for the Boston College Eagles to notch a win. Facing a mightily struggling Rhode Island Rams team that entered the game with a 2-12 record, it looked like a relatively easy task. Well, think again.
Billy Baron scored 24 points and Mike Powell added 21 points as Rhode Island edged Boston College, 78-72, in double overtime in the non-conference finale for both teams on Monday afternoon at Conte Forum.
Boston College shot 48.1 percent for the game (26-of-54) and held Rhode Island to 30.9 percent shooting from the floor (21-of-68), but the Rams held a significant 22-6 advantage on the offensive boards - including an 8-3 advantage in OT.
Ryan Anderson had one of the better games of his young career, scoring 18 points and grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds for Boston College, which had five players reach double-digit scoring. Dennis Clifford and Lonnie Jackson each finished with 12 points and Jordan Daniels and Patrick Heckmann scored 11 points apiece in the Eagles' loss.
Jonathan Holton and Orion Outerbridge were the only other Rams to reach double dibits, with Holton scoring 11 and Outerbridge scoring 10 and collecting 11 rebounds. T.J. Buchanan totaled five points and four rebounds.
Boston College (5-9) opened the game with a 7-4 run, but Rhode Island (3-12) quickly erased the deficit and used a 16-3 run of its own to take control of the game, 20-10, with 8:27 left in the opening half. Both teams kept the game close for the final eight minutes, and the Rams took a 31-28 lead into the break.
The Rams built a nine point lead, 51-42, with 11:01 remaining in the game and held onto a lead for nearly 10 minutes until Heckmann's lay up gave the Eagles a 59-58 advantage with 1:12 to go. Powell made one of two free throws with 21 seconds left, and Baron missed the potential game-winning three with two seconds left in regulation.
BC and URI each scored six in the first overtime period, with Outerbridge scoring three points on three free throws and Powell hitting a three to give Rhode Island a 64-59 lead with 3:49 left. Clifford's dunk and a tip-in by Heckmann with 1:28 left put BC down by two, 65-63. Heckmann scored the tying basket on a lay up as time expired to send the game into a second overtime, tied at 65. Rhode Island outscored BC, 13-7 in the second overtime period to capture the win.
BC opens ACC play when it battles the No. 3/4 North Carolina Tar Heels on January 7.
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