Patrick Heckmann hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer from just inside midcourt as Boston College scored 14 of the last 15 points in the first to take the lead for good and beat New Hampshire 67-64 Monday night.
Heckmann scored 19 points with eight rebounds, and Ryan Anderson had 13 and 10 in the season opener for BC, which was picked to finish last in the Atlantic Coast Conference after losing 10 lettermen from last season. In their place are nine freshmen - 11 newcomers in all - including Heckmann, a 6-foot-5 guard from Germany.
Chandler Rhoads scored 20 and Brian Benson had 12 rebounds for New Hampshire (1-1), which hasn't beaten Boston College in 12 tries since 1986.
The Wildcats cut it to one point three times in the second half, the third when Rhoads was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with 1:24 left. But he missed the middle free throw, and John Cahill made a 3-pointer from the right baseline.
New Hampshire had the ball with a chance to tie at the end, but Alvin Abreu lost the ball and the clock ran out as Heckmann took it in for a celebratory dunk long after the buzzer.
BC shot 30 percent from the floor in the first half - and 50 percent from the line - as the Wildcats opened a 22-16 lead with 5 minutes left in the half. But Anderson made a 3-pointer, then added a pair of free throws before Dennis Clifford scored to give BC the lead.
The teams traded free throws, then Matt Humphrey sank a 3. Abreu missed a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left in the half and Heckmann grabbed the long rebound, dribbled through traffic and over the half-court line before launching the shot that made it 30-23.
The sparse crowd, which had little to celebrate to that point, erupted in a cheer and the Eagles chest-bumped their way to the locker room.
New Hampshire cut it to 51-50 when Clifford's dunk was blocked and then Benson scored on a third-chance basket at the other end. But Benson, who was fouled, missed the free throw that would have tied it and Humphrey made a 3-pointer for BC.
