Nwora scores 37, leads No. 6 Louisville past BC 86-69

BOSTON (AP) — Jordan Nwora scored a career-high 37 points — two shy of Richard Hamilton’s record for an opponent at the Conte Forum — and the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason player of the year added nine rebounds on Wednesday night to lead No. 6 Louisville to an 86-69 victory over Boston College.

Darius Perry scored 14 points and Malik Williams had 13 rebounds for Louisville (18-3, 9-1 ACC), which has won seven straight and is off to its best start since the 2008-09 team also won nine of its first 10 conference games while a member of the Big East.

Derryck Thornton scored 17 points and Jay Heath had 16 for BC (10-11, 4-6). The Eagles have now lost five of their last six.

Louisville led 53-49 before putting together a 12-5 run — with eight of the points by Nwora. BC cut it to five, 67-62, with eight minutes remaining before the Cardinals scored 14 of the next 16 points, getting six free throws from Nwora and back-to-back 3 pointers from Samuel Williamson and Ryan McMahon.

Nwora scored 16 of his 21 first-half points during a 24-13 run that turned a five-point deficit into a six-point lead. Louisville scored 10 straight points while holding BC scoreless from the 12:05 mark until Jairus Hamilton drove to the basket to give the Eagles a 27-26 lead with about eight minutes left in the half.

BIG PICTURE

Louisville: The Cardinals avenged last year’s loss in Chestnut Hill, a game coach Chris Mack called “sickening to watch.”

Boston College: The Eagles trailed by two at the half with two chances to tie it or take the lead. But in the second, they missed five free throws and turned the ball over seven times.

UP NEXT

Louisville: At North Carolina State on Saturday.

Boston College: At North Carolina on Saturday.