U-M Falls to BC 62-58

The Michigan basketball team fell to the Boston College Eagles on Wednesday night at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor. It was the Wolverines third straight loss. Manny Harris finished with a team-high 19.

ANN ARBOR - Michigan led twice in the opening minutes of the Wolverines 2009 Big 10/ACC Challenge game, but the final 55 minutes were all Boston College as the visiting Eagles downed the Wolverines 62-58 on Wednesday night at Crisler Arena.

Manny Harris led all Wolverines with 19 points, but BC's Corey Raji outdueled the Wolverines junior with 24 points of his own, and Harris' supporting cast of DeShawn Sims, Zack Novak, Darius Morris and Laval Lucas-Perry combined to score just 19 points in the four-point Michigan loss. Zack Gibson and Stu Douglass added nine and eight points off the bench for U-M.

After the two clubs battled to a 7-7 tie over the first three minutes, Boston College emerged out of a 16-5 run to stake claim to a 23-12 lead with 9:12 left in the opening half. Raji scored seven of the 16 Boston College points before Stu Douglass connected from deep out of a Michigan timeout to snap the Wolverines skid.

Michigan cut the lead to five points after a Manny Harris lay up just minutes later, but the Eagles extended the lead back to double-digits in the closing minutes of the half. Joe Trapani scored the final five of the half for the Eagles, who led 34-24 at the break.

In the second half the Wolverines defecit would swell to 15 points just minutes in. Raji scored six more quickly in the second half and, despite four more from Harris, a triple from Novak and two of DeShawn Sims four points, it became 50-35 with just 12 minutes to play.

With three minutes left the Maize and Blue trimed the lead to single digits for the first time since the first half. Zack Gibson hit consecutive triples to bring Michigan within 11-points. Harris then added free throws to make it 57-48.

Harris and Douglass would each add another triple, but the Wolverines got no closer than four points. Laval Lucas-Perry's last second layup finished the scoring as the Wolverines dropped a 62-58 decision.

The Wolverines are now 3-3 on the season and look to snap a three-game losing streak by hosting Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday afternoon at Crisler Arena.