Hokies can’t hold on to lead in 2nd half at BC

Boston College 61,

Virginia Tech 56

BOSTON — Jairus Hamilton scored a career-high 23 points Saturday, Jay Heath added15 points and the Eagles snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over the Hokies (14-6, 5-4 ACC).

Jared Hamilton, Jairus’ brother, had his only two baskets of the game in the final 3 1⁄ minutes for the

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Eagles (10-10, 4-5).

Virginia Tech had opened a six-point lead with 8½ minutes to play, but the Eagles sliced it to 49-48 on Jairus Hamilton’s 3 from the right wing with 5:05 left. Steffon Mitchell went to the line with a chance to put BC ahead on the next possession, but he missed both free throws. But Jairus Hamilton did end the Eagles’ miserable day temporarily at the free-throw line at the end of the next possession, hitting both to give the Eagles a 50-49 edge.

Boston College had trailed by five at halftime, but tied it at 35 on Derryck Thornton’s 3-pointer.

Syracuse 69,

Pittsburgh 61

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Buddy Boeheim scored

21points, Marek Dolezaj added17, and the Orange held off the Panthers.

Syracuse’s Elijah Hughes, the ACC’s leading scorer, had just10 points to match his season low, all coming in the second half.

Quincy Guerrier had10 points and eight rebounds and Dolezaj had seven rebounds.

Justin Champagnie led Pitt with14 points and Terrell Brown had11. Leading scorer Trey McGowens had seven points.

Pittsburgh (13-7, 4-5) fell behind early by double digits and never closed within striking distance until late. Guerrier scored five straight points for the Orange (13-7, 6-3) for a 49-35 lead midway through the second half.

But a 3-pointer from the top of the key by Ryan Murphy and a foul-line jumper by Brown narrowed the gap to 59-56 with 2:43 left. Hughes converted a drive through the lane and Dolezaj put back a miss by Hughes with1:43 to go to keep the Panthers at bay.

No. 6 Louisville 80, Clemson 62

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Darius Perry set career highs with19 points and five 3-pointers, and the Cardinals rolled over the Tigers.

The Cardinals (17-3, 8-1) pulled away with an18-0 first-half run and shot 66% before halftime. Louisville hit 10 of 21from long range for the game, including Perry’s two 3s before the spurt ended in a 31-9 lead.

Freshman Samuell Williamson scored14 points off the bench, Steven Enoch had11points with seven rebounds, and Jordan Nwora scored10 points as Louisville avoided becoming the Tigers’ latest upset victim. Clemson (10-9, 4-5) had won four of five, including victories at North Carolina and over then-No. 3 Duke.

Georgia Tech 64,

N.C. State 58

ATLANTA — Jose Alvarado scored 24 points and made two dazzling steals in the closing seconds to lead the Yellow Jackets to an upset victory over the Wolfpack.

It was an ugly loss for

N.C. State (14-6, 5-4) after a dramatic victory Monday at Virginia. The Wolfpack got no points from senior C.J. Bryce, who went 0 for 4 from the field and didn’t take a shot in the second half. N.C. State allowed 20 points on14 turnovers.

Alvardo won it by himself at the end. He hit two free throws after taking the ball away when Bryce was trying to pass it to Markell Johnson along the right sideline and drew a quick foul. He followed by stealing the ball from Johnson and hitting a layup at the buzzer.

Georgia Tech (9-11, 4-6) played without its leading scorer as Michael Devoe appeared to be sidelined by a sore foot.