Bowman's big OT carries BC past Georgia Tech, 80-72

BOSTON -- Ky Bowman knew he was entering the overtime without a point in the second half and was missing his backcourt mate Jerome Robinson.

His thought was simple: Start taking control of the game.

Bowman scored his only three baskets after halftime in overtime and finished with 17 points to carry Boston College to an 80-72 victory over Georgia Tech on Sunday.

"I kind of knew I was scoreless," said Bowman, who also had eight rebounds. "I knew I had to step up at the end, that's when I needed to step up."

He did more than that.

Bowman's spinning baseline drive pushed BC ahead 71-69. After the Yellow Jackets moved ahead by one, the 6-foot-1 sophomore had a drive in the lane that pushed BC ahead for good. He added a jumper from the right corner and two free throws.

"He has an innate ability to understand and have confidence to take the moment," Eagles coach Jim Christian said. "That's what makes him special -- he's a winner."

Jordan Chatman, the third guard, scored 19 points for Boston College (14-9, 4-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), which snapped a three-game losing streak, and Johncarlos Reyes had 10 points. Robinson, who entered leading the league with 23.6 points per in conference games, scored 19 before fouling out with 3:12 to play in regulation.

"They have three guys that can flat out fill it up," Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner said. "They're good. They're good players, they're good guards -- all three. They made timely shots when we had chances to pull away."

Ben Lammers paced balanced scoring for Georgia Tech (11-12, 4-6) with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Brandon Alston scored 13 points, and Josh Okogie and Jose Alvarado each had 12.

BC had tied it on Steffon Mitchell's 3-pointer from the left corner with 35 seconds left in regulation.

After Alvarado was whistled for traveling with 7.2 seconds to play, Bowman turned the ball over before getting a shot off, sending the game to OT.

Trailing by seven with seven minutes to go, Georgia Tech, last in the ACC in 3-pointers made per game, used a 12-2 spree, moving ahead on Tadric Jackson's second straight 3, coming from the left corner with 3:49 left. The Yellow Jackets had hit just two 3s in the game, but connected on three in the closing 4 1/2 minutes.

Trailing by 10 early in the second half, the Eagles -- behind Chatman's 3 from beyond the arc -- went on a 15-4 run to take their first lead since the game's opening minute. He nailed a 3 from the left wing to push them ahead.

BC had increased its lead to 55-48 on Chatman's 3-pointer from the left side -- in front of the Eagles' bench -- with 9:09 to play.

The Yellow Jackets had opened four double-digit leads, the final one coming at 38-28 when Alston hit a short jumper in the lane for the initial basket of the second half.

BIG PICTURE

Georgia Tech: Coming off a home victory over Syracuse, the Yellow Jackets couldn't carry the success on the road where they are now 1-6 this season.

Boston College: Robinson and Bowman have been a consistent scoring tandem nearly the entire season, but the thing that makes the Eagles tough to matchup against is when their third guard, Chatman, gets open looks and knocks down 3s. He leads the team with 58.

"That was a big key, coming off the last game we knew didn't get give him enough shots," Bowman said.

HEAVY HEART

Alston played his second game after his dad died of heart attack earlier in the week. Pastner said he was leaving the team for services on Monday and will be back on Tuesday.

ROUGH START

BC struggled with Georgia Tech's zone, missing seven of its initial eight shots from the floor and scoring just six points -- both 3s by Robinson -- in the opening 7 1/2 minutes.

UP NEXT

Georgia Tech: At Louisville on Thursday.

Boston College: At Notre Dame on Tuesday.

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