BC sends Pitt to 21st straight road loss, 66-57

BOSTON -- A leaking roof, blood on the floor from one of Boston College's starters that sent him to the locker room and two more starters sitting out with an injury.

Not your average way to get a victory.

Ky Bowman scored 14 points, with eight rebounds and seven assists, and the Eagles overcame the loss of three injured starters to beat Pittsburgh 66-57 on Tuesday night, sending the Panthers to their 21st straight road loss.

"You've got to find a way to win games and we were lucky enough to find a way to win with timely shots and stops," BC coach Jim Christian said.

Jairus Hamilton added 11 points for the Eagles (12-11, 3-8 Atlantic Coast Conference). BC snapped its four-game losing streak.

Jared Wilson-Frame led Pittsburgh (12-13, 2-10) with 12 points and seven rebounds. The Panthers shot just 29 percent (20 of 69) in losing their eighth straight game.

"It was obviously a very poor offensive performance by us," Pitt first-year coach Jeff Capel said. "We didn't shoot the ball well. That's an understatement."

Neither team held more than a two-possession lead from 13 1/2 minutes to go until Jared Hamilton's 3-pointer from the right wing gave BC a 63-56 lead with 3:37 to play. He followed with a jumper from the right corner.

The matchup between two of the ACC's bottom teams got extremely sloppy at times, and had an interesting side note in the first half when there was a leak in roof that had two of BC's team managers wiping the floor with towels near the foul line in front of the Eagles' bench when play was up the other end and during stoppages.

"I thought that was the blood," Christian said. "I didn't notice it."

Bowman did, and even credited a student manager named Bobby Clarke, saying he "did a great job."

It was played in front of just a few hundred fans with a major snowstorm blanketing the area. One person that did get through the snowy roads and made his way to the game was Celtics president Danny Ainge, who was seated courtside until halftime.

BC used a 13-0 run early in the opening half en route to a 36-32 edge at intermission.

BIG PICTURE

Pittsburgh: The Panthers have three more shots to end their dismal road woes -- Feb. 20 at Georgia Tech, March 2 at No. 4 Virginia and March 5 at Miami. They've now lost 18 consecutive league road games.

"Obviously it's taking a toll," Capel said. "Anytime you lose it takes a toll on your group."

Boston College: There seems to be very few favorable matchups the rest of the way for the Eagles, especially if they're missing key players like they were for this game. Starters guard Wynston Tabbs and forward Nik Popovich, two of their top four scorers, were sidelined with an injury. Tabbs (13.9 points per game) missed his sixth straight with a left knee injury and Popovich (13.6) is in concussion protocol. Later, guard Jordan Chatman (also 13.9 points per) left twice and didn't return after the second time because of a cut left index finger. Starting forward Steffon Mitchell was sidelined for a stretch after getting poked in the eye.

KEEP IT DRY

A leaking roof has happened before at Conte Forum, which opened in 1988.

Like a previous incident, someone in maintenance went up onto the roof to clear the snow from the spot.

"I've seen it before," Bowman said of the wet spots.

NICE CAUSE

BC's coaching staff wore ties, lapel pins and wrist bands -- all of them green -- for Coaching for Literacy, helping raise awareness about the issue of literacy in America and support for children struggling to read in Boston.

The program is partnering with 50 NCAA programs.

UP NEXT

Pittsburgh: Hosts No. 22 Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon.

Boston College: Hosts Miami on Sunday evening.