WINSTON SALEM (AP) — Wake Forest didn’t give Ky Bowman many opportunities, double-teaming the Boston College star on the perimeter throughout much of Saturday’s ACC matchup.
But Bowman supplied a knockout blow, anyway. The 6-foot-1 guard connected on a desperation 3-pointer over two defenders with 16 seconds to play to lift BC to a 65-61 victory.
Wake Forest had a final chance to tie, but Brandon Childress’ desperation 3-pointer with eight seconds left bounced harmlessly off the backboard. Jared Hamilton sealed the victory for BC with a foul shot.
The Eagles (11-7, 2-4 ACC) rallied from a seven-point deficit with 6:17 to play, holding the Demon Deacons (8-11, 1-6 ACC) scoreless during a 9-0 run over the final 4:30.
Surrounded by two defenders on the right wing on the game-winning possession, Bowman looked for a teammate without success. With only one second left on the shot clock, he launched a shot that was in the air when the buzzer sounded, and gave the Eagles their first lead of the second half.
“My last opportunity was to shoot it, so I shot it,” said Bowman, who was held to 14 points – about seven points below his season average.
Boston College coach Jim Christian noted that Bowman, a North Carolina native, had missed a better 3-point opportunity a few possessions earlier.
“I thought he had a cleaner look on the possession before,” Christian said. “He usually makes Shot A, and not many people make Shot B. That’s what makes him a really good player.”
Jordan Chatman, who scored 18 points for the Eagles, tied the game at 61 with a 3-pointer with 2:24 left.
Forward Nik Popovic scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Eagles. Battling the double team after scoring six early points, Bowman made only 6 of 15 shots – he missed his other five 3-point attempts.
Jaylen Hoard scored a game-high 22 points with 10 rebounds for the Deacons.
Childress, the Deacons’ leading scorer entering the game, had an off-day, finishing with only eight points on 3 for 16 shooting and eight turnovers against seven assists.
BC committed only seven turnovers. Wake Forest committed 16, including two costly ones by Childress down the stretch.
“At the end of the day, we turned the ball over too many times,” Wake Forest coach Danny Manning said.
The Deacons fought back after falling into an 8-0 hole – the game’s biggest margin — in the first two minutes to take a 35-31 halftime lead after holding the Eagles scoreless for more than five minutes late in the half.
BIG PICTURE
Boston College: The Eagles won their second straight after five consecutive losses and go home for games against Syracuse and Notre Dame with a chance to rise to .500 in league play. They should expect coming opponents to try a similar double team on Bowman.
Wake Forest: The Deacons, who have lost three straight since their upset of N.C. State, squandered one of the best chances they’ll have for an ACC victory. The freshman Hoard’s 9 for 13 shooting performance, including 2 for 3 from 3-point distance, with 10 rebounds was reason for encouragement.
STAT PACK
Boston College won on the road despite making only 4 of 10 free-throw attempts and getting outrebounded 43-31. Wake Forest was 6 of 6 from the foul line, but fell victim to 5 for 23 3-point shooting, including 0 for 9 from Childress.
CRUNCH TIME
Wake Forest went scoreless the final 4:30 after Hoard’s tip-in gave the Deacons a 61-56 lead, missing their last six shots.
