Robinson's 24 points carries BC past Towson, 80-70
BOSTON (AP) — Boston College coach Jim Christian saw his team play very well with the game tight in the closing minutes.
It's something that was rare for the Eagles last season.
Jerome Robinson scored a career-high 24 points, Ky Bowman had 14 and Boston College beat Towson 80-70 on Tuesday night for its third consecutive victory.
The Tigers had just grabbed a 57-56 edge on John Davis' hook in the lane with 8:35 to play. Christian called timeout and was pleased with what he saw.
"I was proud of our guys when they took the lead with that timeout," he said. "There wasn't any heads down. There was just talk about what they needed to do to fix the defense and they did it."
Connar Tava scored 13 points and Jordan Chatman added 10 points for the Eagles (3-1).
Mike Morsell led the Tigers (2-2) with 24 points. Amaud William Adala Moto had 18 before fouling out in the final minute.
Neither team held more than a two-possession lead for over 15 minutes until BC went on an 8-0 spree, pushing it to 74-65 with 53 seconds to play.
"We tried to make some hero plays," Towson coach Pat Skerry said. "We did some things that we must get better at to be honest with you."
Tava's basket in the lane pushed BC up 68-65. Nik Popovic hit a jumper before Bowman sealed it with four free throws.
"They took the lead and we didn't back down," BC forward A.J. Turner said. "We didn't let that affect us. We just fought right back."
The Eagles led 45-27 at halftime.
BC used an 11-3 spree to pull ahead 33-20 in the first half, with Robinson's 3-pointer from the top capping the run. Chapman also had a pair of 3s - one from each side of the court - coming 1:32 apart.
BIG PICTURE
Towson: The Tigers looked a little flat at the start and played very soft defensively, giving BC numerous easy looks before they clamped down over the final 20 minutes.
"Give them credit. They were more ready to play than us," Skerry said. "We just didn't play Towson basketball. We let an opportunity slip. We didn't guard. We historically guard and rebound. We didn't do either one of them well enough tonight."
Boston College: For the second straight game the Eagles showed immediate confidence, played with poise and got off to a fast start before fading. It's something that was lacking most of entire games last season and likely shows a team that's maturing.
"We're starting to gain confidence," Christian said. "They're starting to see when we execute things work."
POUND THE GLASS
BC owned a 36-26 rebounding edge, collecting 10 on the offensive glass.
"The one thing that's happened the last two games is we've rebounded the ball," Christian said. "I think they're understanding that if we do these certain things we've got a chance to win the game."
Tava led the way with eight boards.
PERFECT
The Eagles were 20 for 20 from the free throw line in the second half.
SLOWER PACE
Both teams tightened up defensively in the second half after an up-and-down, wide-open first, causing longer possessions and a much slower pace.
It also slowed things when BC switched to a zone defense for about five minutes late in the half, forcing Towson to move the ball around the perimeter.
UP NEXT
Towson: Faces Stony Brook in the Barclays Classic on Friday.
Boston College: Plays Kansas State Friday at the Barclays Center.