Anderson leads BC Past Virginia Tech

Anderson leads BC Past Virginia Tech

Published Jan. 9, 2013 8:33 p.m. ET

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Ryan Anderson had 26 points and nine rebounds and Boston College won for the sixth time in seven games, beating undermanned Virginia Tech 86-75 on Wednesday night in the Hokies' ACC home opener.

Lonnie Jackson added 22 points and Olivier Hanlan 17 for the Eagles (9-6, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who bounced back from a 5-point loss at North Carolina State at home on Saturday.

Erick Green scored 24 points and Jarell Eddie had 21 for the Hokies (9-6, 0-2), who have lost four straight. Coach James Johnson had only four other scholarship players at his disposal because Marshall Wood is recovering from a broken left foot and Robert Brown was out with an illness.

The Hokies got solid contributions from walk-ons Christian Beyer -- six points, eight rebounds and two assists -- and Will Johnston -- five points -- but were undermined by foul trouble and their short bench.

Virginia Tech made its final surge, a 9-2 burst to get within 53-49 with nearly 11 minutes to play. It stayed closed until Anderson turned a turnover by Green into a fastbreak layup and, after an offensive foul by the Hokies, Hanlan rebounded his own miss and scored to put the Eagles ahead 65-58. Two more inside baskets by Anderson and another by Hanlan made it 71-62, and the Hokies never got close again.

Anderson scored 16 points in the second half, and Jackson had 19. The Eagles also turned 17 Hokies turnovers into 29 points, and turned it over just five times themselves, leading to no Hokies points.

The Eagles opened the second half on a 10-4 run to extend their lead to 42-30, but after a timeout, Marquis Rankin and Eddie hit consecutive 3-pointers to pull the Hokies to within 42-36.

That fired the crowd up, but Jackson's 3-pointer sparked a 9-4 burst that made it 49-38.

Early on, Beyer made his impact felt. In a 13-6 run that gave the Hokies a 23-17 lead, he scored on a putback, a 17-foot jumper and then fed Eddie inside before Green finished it with a long 2-pointer.

But the Hokies got just one basket the last 5 1/2 minutes of the half -- a 3-pointer from Johnston -- as the Eagles closed the half on a 15-3 run to lead 32-26 at halftime. Five Eagles scored in the run.

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