Local Teams

Reigning ACC player of the week David Johnson scored 14 of his game-high tying 20 points in the first half to lift Louisville to a 76-64 win over Boston College on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

The Cardinals (7-1, 2-0 ACC) shot 47.1 percent (8 of 17) from 3-point range and held the Eagles to 33.3 percent shooting overall (17 of 51) and 24.2 percent (8 of 33) from beyond the arc.

Carlik Jones chipped in 15 points for the Cardinals, who won their third game in a row.

Jay Heath matched Johnson with 20 points for the Eagles (2-7, 0-3), who lost for the sixth time in their past seven games. Eagles leading scorer Wynston Tabbs (15.6 points per game entering Saturday) was held to two points in the first half. He finished with 15 points.

Samuell Williamson and Dre Davis started the second half with back-to-back baskets that extended the Cardinals' advantage to 41-24, their biggest lead of the game. BC called a timeout and proceeded to chip away at the deficit.

Heath's 3-point goal with 9:15 left capped an 11-3 run and trimmed the Louisville lead to 52-45, the second time the Eagles got back within seven. But the Cardinals held the Eagles without a field goal over the next 7:31.

The Cardinals scored six straight points to extend the lead back into double figures, 58-45. The Eagles didn't get back to within single digits again until Heath's two free throws cut the lead to 67-59 with 1:16 left.

Louisville hit 9 of 10 free throws in the final 1:12 to hold on.

The Eagles started well, opening the game with a 10-3 run capped by a Makai Ashton-Langford layup at the 16:42 mark. Louisville coach Chris Mack responded by calling timeout.

Out of the break, Louisville's Jae'Lyn Withers cut the lead to 10-6 with a three-point play at 15:59.

Boston College still led 15-12 when the Cardinals went on a 10-0 run to go up 22-15. Steffon Mitchell ended BC's 4:13 scoring drought with a tip-in that made it 22-17 with 7:04 left in the half.

The Cardinals grabbed their first 10-point lead of the half, 32-22, on a three-point play by Williamson with 2:06 remaining. Johnson's 3-point goal with five seconds left gave the Cardinals a 37-24 lead at halftime.

The Eagles played some of the first half without Ashton-Langford, who appeared to injure his left knee at the 14:42 mark. He walked off under his own power, returned later in the half and played 24 minutes.

Louisville leads the all-time series against BC, 9-4, winning eight of the last nine matchups.

Louisville and Boston College are scheduled to meet again when the Cardinals host the Eagles on Jan. 30.

--Field Level Media