Junior guard Wynston Tabbs had 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds to lead Boston College to a 69-64 win over Rhode Island in the consolation game of the 2K Empire Sports Classic on Thursday night in Uncasville, Conn.
Tabbs, playing his second game after missing 20 months because of a knee injury, shot just 4 of 11 from the floor but got to the free-throw line 10 times, making seven.
Steffon Mitchell added 15 points for Boston College (1-1). Rich Kelly gave the Eagles a big boost off the bench, scoring all 11 of his points in the final 10:07. He made two free throws with 25.5 seconds left for the final points of the game.
Fatts Russell scored 23 points to lead Rhode Island (0-2), which made only 3 of 18 shots from 3-point range. The Rams didn't help themselves from the line, either, making 9 of 18 free-throw attempts.
A key sequence came around the two-minute mark as Boston College, with a 64-60 lead and possession, had to chase the ball into the backcourt. Makai Ashton-Langford rushed up a long 3-point attempt that missed, but Steffon Mitchell had inside position for the offensive rebound.
He scored and was fouled, finishing a three-point play with 1:46 to go.
Boston College guard Jay Heath, who scored a team-high 16 points in the Eagles' 76-67 loss to No. 3 Villanova on Wednesday, did not play Thursday because of a foot injury. Freshman DeMarr Langford Jr. started in his place and scored seven points.
Rhode Island took its biggest lead at 48-42 with 11:39 left, but Boston College tied the game on consecutive 3-pointers by Luka Kraljevic and Kelly. That was the beginning of a 12-3 run that gave the Eagles a 54-51 advantage at the 8:01 mark.
Rhode Island, which committed 29 fouls in a 94-88 loss to No. 18 Arizona State a night earlier, sending the Sun Devils to the free-throw line 46 times, was whistled for 27 fouls against Boston College. The Eagles were 20 of 34 from the line.
The Rams led 31-30 at halftime after finishing on a 10-1 run. Boston College went scoreless for the final 4:35 of the half.
--Field Level Media
