Boston College pulls away late to beat California 64-60
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jairus Hamilton scored 18 points and made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:35 left, and Boston College held off California 64-60 in the Al Attles Classic on Saturday.
Julian Rishwain and Jared Hamilton had 10 points apiece for Boston College (8-5). The Eagles have won four straight following a four-game losing streak.
Matt Bradley scored 21 points for California (6-6).
Boston College trailed 50-39 with 10 minutes remaining but went on a 17-2 run to take control in the Eagles first game against a Pac-12 team since 2014.
Rishwain sparked the surge with 10 points including a pair of 3s and two free throws that gave Boston College a 56-52 lead.
California rallied to tie the game at 58 on a basket by Bradley before Jairus Hamilton’s shot just beyond the arc put Boston College ahead for good.
Derryck Thornton and Jay Heath combined for four free throws in the final 39 seconds for the Eagles.
Boston College has won all three games against California, though this was the first between the two teams since 2010.
Neither team shot well from the perimeter in the first half, but both went on big runs.
Bradley had seven points as part of California’s 15-0 burst that put the Bears ahead 21-10. Boston College bounced back with six free throws during a 10-0 run.
The Eagles repeatedly got to the line before halftime and cut the lead to 29-26 following four consecutive free throws by Hamilton.
BIG PICTURE
Boston College: The Eagles sputtered midway through the first half, steadied themselves then pulled away down the stretch. That’s a significant step for coach Jim Christian’s team, which has been on the wrong side of several lopsided losses.
California: The Bears made progress offensively but needs to find a complementary scorer to take some of the pressure off Bradley. That lack of balanced scoring hurt down the stretch. Coach Mark Fox was called for a technical foul for the second consecutive game.
UP NEXT
Boston College: The Eagles play at No. 4 Duke on New Year’s Eve.
California: Play Harvard at Hass Pavilion in the Bears final non-conference game of the year on Dec. 29.
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