Boston College Edges Men’s Basketball, 63-56

Zackery and Penha, Jr., combined for 31 points to lead the Eagles

Sims scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half to lead the Skyhawks’ comeback (PHOTO: Jim Pierce)

CHESTNUT HILL, Mess. (December 13, 2022) – Boston College rode an 18-point run late in the first half to secure a 63-56 victory over Stonehill College in a nonconference men’s basketball game at the Silvio O. Conte Forum tonight.

Postgrad ahead CJ Penha Jr. and a sophomore guard Jaeden Zackery combined for 31 points to lead Boston College, which snapped a four-game skid with the win. Zackery scored a team-high 16 points, including 11 in the first half, on 6-of-15 shooting, including 3-for-6 from 3-point range, with three rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Penha Jr. , scored 10 of his 15 points off the bench in an important first during the half that the Eagles were able to ride to victory. He shot 5-of-9 with two rebounds and two assists. Senior TJ Bickerstaff scored seven points and seven boards.

Fifth year Andrew Sims Powered Stonehill scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, when he shot 7-14, and converted 5-8 free throws, to go with five rebounds. After graduation Max Zegarowski added 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 3-5 from 3-point range and three rebounds, while the Fifth-year Shamir Johnson dished out seven points, five boards, two assists and an assist.

Stonehill held a two-point lead (16-14) when Johnson capped a 7-0 run with 7 minutes left in the first half. BC responded with the next 18 points, including ten by Penha, Jr., to take a 16-point lead (32-16) after a Penha, Jr. jumper with 3:26 left in the frame. The Skyhawks survived a media timeout and outscored the Eagles 10-3 in the second half to pull within nine (35-26) at halftime with Johnson and the junior. Thatcher Stone ended the run with a three-pointer.

Zegarowski added 12 points and hit three of five three-pointers for the Skyhawks (PHOTO: Jim Pierce)

Boston College scored the first four points of the second half to regain a 13-point lead (39-26) and kept Stonehill at arm’s length until Sims followed with a Zegarowski three-pointer to pull the visitors back within seven (49-42) midway through the second half. The Skyhawks crept back within four on three downs and were back within three (59-56) after Sims’ 3-pointer with 24 seconds left, but the Eagles were able to seal the win from there.

Noteworthy

• Stonehill and BC met for the first time since 1984, as the Eagles improved to 16-0 in the series dating back to 1951. Tonight’s seven-point final margin is the closest in the series all-time.
• Sims posts his fifth 20-point game of the season (13^th career), who has scored in double figures in 17 straight games dating back to 40 games in double figures last season.
• Sims is within 100 points of reaching the 1,000 career point plateau with 904 points in 84 games.
• Zegarowski had his seventh double-digit game of the season (42^n.d career, including his time at Lynn and Franklin Pierce).
• Burnett matched his career-high with five steals for the second time in three games and has now recorded at least one steal in 18 straight games dating back to last season, and has three-plus steals in 13 career games — seven this season. .
• Stonehill finished 36-31 on the rebounding edge, outscoring the Eagles 6-0 in second-chance points.
• BC outshot Stonehill 14-7 at the free throw line and went 14-of-19 (73.7%) while the Skyhawks finished 7-14 (50%).

Next

Stonehill (4-7, 0-0 NEC) heads to the Midwest for a two-game swing beginning on Monday, December 19th with a game at Bradley University at 8 pm (EST). The Skyhawks’ next home game isn’t until Thursday, Jan. 5, when they host Wagner College for the third time. Northeast Conference season game at Merkert Gymnasium at 7 p.m. Boston College (6-6, 0-1 ACC) is off until next Wednesday, Dec. 21, when it hosts Virginia Tech at 6:30 p.m.

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