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University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Boston College
Eagles Outlast Tar Heels, 81-74
January 25, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Craig Smith scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half to help No. 20 Boston College hold off North Carolina 81-74 on Wednesday night.
Jared Dudley scored 17 points for the Eagles (15-4, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who used a big run late in the first half to build a double-digit lead they would not relinquish and give coach Al Skinner his 300th career victory.
Tyrese Rice added 16 points for Boston College.
Freshman Tyler Hansbrough had a career-high 26 points to lead the Tar Heels (11-5, 3-3), who cut a 12-point halftime deficit to two late in the game but couldn't complete the comeback.
Boston College had lost its first three ACC games, including a 78-60 home loss to North Carolina State two weeks ago. But the Eagles appear headed in the direction everyone expected in the preseason, when they were picked to finish second behind Duke in the league.
They beat Florida State and Miami by a combined seven points, and followed that by having five players score in double figures against the Tar Heels to get themselves back to .500 in the ACC.
Smith, a preseason All-America, had averaged 22 points and 15 rebounds in the past three games. He didn't have the same kind of success early, scoring two points in the first half and picking up his third foul early in the second.
But Smith made several key plays late, finding open teammates for scores or providing the much-needed basket himself. He went 6-for-8 from the field and had four of his seven assists in the second half.
The Tar Heels, after twice pushing within five points, closed the gap to 65-63 on two free throws from Reyshawn Terry with 5:35 left. But Smith answered with an inside score on the next play to push the margin back to four.
He followed that by kicking the ball outside to Rice, who buried a 3 to make it 70-63 with 4 1/2 minutes left. Then, after Rice got free for a layup inside, Smith drove past Byron Sanders and scored in the lane to make it 74-67 with 2:25 left. North Carolina got no closer than five points.
The Tar Heels led by nine points early before the Eagles pushed ahead with a 27-6 run that gave them firm control of the contest. The Eagles hit 12 of 14 shots while holding the Tar Heels without a field goal for nearly 7 minutes to take a 42-30 halftime lead en route to handing the Tar Heels their second straight home conference loss.
