Hoops Falls Below .500; Losses to BC

The Wolverines returned to Crisler Arena to host the Boston College Eagles in the 2007 Big 10/ACC Challenge on Wednesday night in Ann Arbor. The visiting Eagles led by a single point at the half, but surged to a 13-point lead in the Wolverines 77-64 setback to fall to 3-4 on the season.

ANN ARBOR -- The Michigan basketball team returned to Crisler Arena for the 2007 Big 10/ACC Challenge on Wednesday night in Ann Arbor. Boston College defeated the Maize and Blue to drop Michigan's record to 3-4 in the annual challenge.

Michigan's Manny Harris led the Wolverines offensively with 19 points, but the home team had no answer for Boston College's Tyrese Rice who finished with 28 points.

"Boston College really has a very good team. You put the combination of Tyrese Rice and the big bodies, like in particular, Spears, and it's a tough thing for us to guard," Michigan coach John Beilein said.

"You've got young guards trying to stay in front of rice, and then Spears gets those rebounds on a lot of people just not us. And he did a great job of giving them second chances. If we shoot a little better, make our fouls shots. Maybe it will come down to a last second game but those are great things that we're going to learn about."

Play went back and forth over the first 20 minutes. After the Wolverines jumped on top early, leads changed hands 15 times. DeShawn Sims and Kelvin Grady led U-M in the first half with eight points each, both a perfect two-for-two from behind the three-point arc.

Despite the Wolverines hot shooting start, however, the Eagles stayed in the game behind an impressive first half from Rice. With 16 points in the first 20 minutes, Rice matched Sims and Grady basket for basket.

Michigan also got seven points from Manny Harris in the first half.

Back and forth action continued over the first 10 minutes of the second half. DeShawn Sims drained a jumper with just over nine minutes left to pull the Wolverines within 54-52, but Michigan wouldn't score again until over three minutes later after a 12-0 run by the visiting Eagles.

"We had two or three real mental breakdowns of just almost 'I've got to fix it all now.' Right, we're up by four and all of a sudden they're up by two, and now I've got to do it and the next guy says, now I've got to do it. And all of a sudden we get this quick turnaround and we're taking chances on steals, taking a quick shot when we're really guarded. I think its just guys really wanting to win, but they're not staying solid during that time; need to get your composure."

Michigan pulled within eight points over the final moments, but the Eagles pulled away late in the game for the 77-64 win.

Manny Harris led Michigan scorers with 12 points in the second half and 19 in the game.

The Wolverines next return to the floor to take on former head coach Tommy Amaker and his Harvard basketball team on Saturday afternoon in Boston, Mass.