Late Rally Falls Short As Virginia Falls To Boston College, 78-73
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Jan. 13, 2007
BOSTON (AP) -Jared Dudley had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Sean Williams scored 19 and the two combined to make 25 free throws on Saturday as Boston College held off Virginia’s late charge to win 78-73.
Dudley was 16-for-19 from the line as BC (12-4, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) won its fifth consecutive game and third straight since he returned from a three-game absence due to a foot injury. Williams was 9-for-12 from the line as the Eagles got all 12 of their points over the final 4:22 on free throws.
Virginia’s Sean Singletary had just 12 points, far below his average of 19.1 that is the highest in the ACC, before fouling out in the final minute. J.R. Reynolds scored 21 with seven assists for Virginia (9-6, 1-2), which had never before lost to a team from Massachusetts and had been 4-0 against BC.
The Cavaliers cut it to five points in the final minutes and Mamadi Diane had a breakaway with 54 seconds left. But he was fouled, missed both free throws and, after Williams lost the rebound out of bounds, Diane drew his fifth foul and a technical. Tyrese Rice sank two free throws and Williams made one to ice the game.
The Eagles’ were 12-for-16 from the line down the stretch, and 35-for-45 for the game.
The Cavaliers were coming off a loss to top-ranked North Carolina in which they led by nine in the first half and trailed by one midway through the second before the Tar Heels broke the game open. On Saturday, Virginia scored the first nine points of the game before BC answered with a 9-0 run of its own to tie it.
The Cavaliers led 33-29 at the half and 39-33 two minutes into the second before Williams scored two baskets and Dudley hit a pair of free throws to tie it. Jamil Tucker made a jumper in the lane before Williams tied it on a pair of free throws, then gave BC its first lead of the game when Dudley drove, dished it back to the line and Williams pulled up for a jumper.
BC went on to score 16 of the next 19 points to complete a 23-6 run and take a 62-47 lead with 7:30 left in the game.