NEW YORK (AP) Boston College has the ultimate season of streaks. Three straight wins to start the season then came a six-game losing streak. Now the Eagles have another three-game winning streak and the latest victory featured some solid defense.
''The defense was phenomenal for 40 minutes which we have not done,'' Eagles coach Jim Christian said Tuesday after Boston College beat Fordham 64-55 at Barclays Center. ''We knew they would make a run and we kept our composure and made free throws at that point.''
Jerome Robinson scored 19 points and Boston College made five of six free throws in the final 30 seconds to snap the Rams' nine-game winning streak.
Eli Carter added 12 points for the Eagles (6-6). He and Robinson made two free throws each in the closing half-minute while A.J. Turner went 1 for 2.
The Eagles led throughout the second half and the Rams (9-2) closed to 59-55 with 33 seconds to play. The Eagles sealed the win in an ACC-Atlantic doubleheader with Robinson and Carter making two free throws each in the closing half-minute while A.J. Turner went 1 for 2.
Antwoine Anderson had 14 points for Fordham and Ryan Rhoomes added 10 points and nine rebounds.
''We really struggled to score inside and BC's defense was the major reason for that,'' Fordham coach Jeff Neubauer said. ''We had a couple of bad possessions offensively down the stretch and BC attacked the rim and got layups. I thought we played well enough defensively to win.''
Boston College, of the Atlantic Coast Conference, kept the pace to its liking throughout, holding Fordham well below its season average of 87.4 points per game. The Eagles spread the court and used a lot of each shot clock.
Dennis Clifford, the Eagles' 7-foot center, had five points and nine rebounds in a foul-plagued 20 minutes.
''This was a game you had to win in the paint and we did,'' Christian said.
Boston College was 3 for 18 from 3-point range while the Rams made 8 of 24. The difference came in the paint where the Eagles finished with a 28-14 advantage.
''Defensively we're ready to compete with teams on this level,'' Neubauer said. ''I have to get things right on the offensive end.''
TIP-INS
Boston College: Boston College leads the all-time series 19-10 and has won four straight. The last meeting between the schools was in 1998. ... Both Robinson and Carter went 7 for 7 from the free throw line and the Eagles were 17 of 25.
Fordham: The Rams' lone loss had been at Texas-Arlington in the season opener. .. The Rams had 16 steals in their last game against Maine. ... Rhoomes entered the game leading the nation in field goal percentage (71.1). He was 4 for 10 from the field against Boston College. ... The winning streak was the longest for Fordham since a 14-game run in 1990-91. Fordham's last 9-1 start came in the 1969-70 season.
UP NEXT
Boston College: hosts New Hampshire on Dec. 30.
Fordham: at No. 20 George Washington on Jan. 3.
