Boston College Eagles @ South Carolina Gamecocks Basketball Recap

Boston College 85 – South Carolina 70

Boston College (11-3) defeated the University of South Carolina (8-4) 85-70 in Columbia SC less than 24 hours after the football Gamecocks lost the Chick-Fil-A Bowl to another ACC foe, Florida State, in Atlanta.

The Eagles trailed 16-18 with 9:37 left in the first-half before going on a 28-13 run to lead 44-31 at halftime. Joe Trapani led all scorers at the break with 14 points, including three for four shooting beyond the arc. Biko Paris had 11 points for the Eagles, also hitting three of his four three-point attempts. Corey Raji had six points and seven of the Eagles 19 rebounds in the first half. As a team, the Eagles hit nine of 17 threes for 53%.

South Carolina guard Bruce Ellington had 11 points and three rebounds to lead the Gamecocks in the first half. Coach Darrin Horn’s squad shot 43% in the half to Boston College’s 52%, The Eagles out-rebounded the Gamecocks 19 to 11.

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Boston College extended their lead to 29 points with 8:16 remaining before rotating their top players out of the game. The final margin was 85-70. The Eagles were led in a clinical performance by forward Joe Trapani with a career-high 23 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Biko Paris had 18 points, shooting four for seven threes, four rebounds and three assists. Corey Raji finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Reggie Jackson had 14 points and six rebounds to round out double-digit scoring for the Eagles.

South Carolina shot only 38% from the field, and was out-rebounded 41 to 27. Guard Bruce Ellington produced 21 points, three rebounds, and three assists to lead the Gamecocks. Ramon Galloway with 15, Malik Cooke with 13 (seven rebounds), and Lakeem Jackson with 12 points (five rebounds, five assists) rounded out the top point producers for South Carolina. Only three others scored for the Gamecocks, totaling nine points.

Boston College exhibited excellent ball movement and control during the game. 23 assists led to 33 baskets, with only 14 turnovers. The Eagles have won eight of their last nine games, and appear to be gaining steam heading into the heart of the ACC schedule.

By: David Minter
DFN Sports Staff Writer