For the first 39 minutes, Ky Bowman had help.
Boston College's leading scorer didn't need to carry most of the weight at Wake Forest (8-11, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) thanks to a team-high 21 points by Nik Popovic and five 3-pointers from the red-hot Jordan Chatman. But with the game tied and the shot clock winding down in the final seconds, Bowman was all by himself.
Left with no other choice, Bowman chucked up a 25-foot prayer that, when answered, lifted the Eagles (11-7, 2-4 Atlantic Coast) to a 65-61 victory, their second-straight comeback win in ACC play. Before the improbable go-ahead triple, BC's star point guard had gone 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The Eagles' supporting cast was instrumental in erasing the halftime deficit and grinding out a road victory without freshman guard Wynston Tabbs. Chris Herren Jr. started in his place, hitting an early 3-pointer and notching a pair of steals. But after BC started 3-for-4 from the field, the team converted just three of its next 10 attempts and lost the lead. The Eagles made just two of their last 14 shots of the half, entering the locker room trailing the Demon Deacons, 35-31.
Chatman and Popovic chipped away at the deficit in the second half. Popovic's 16th and 17th points of the afternoon made it 59-54 with under six minutes to play, forcing Wake to call a timeout after a subsequent turnover, its 15th of the afternoon. BC tallied six steals, contributing to an 18-6 advantage in fastbreak points. Not only was Steffon Mitchell his usual scrappy self, but he also distributed a season-high seven assists.
Chatman poured in 18 points, improving to 16-for-25 from deep in his last three games. His third 3-pointer made it 45-43 with around 12 minutes remaining, setting up a game-tying trey one minute later. His biggest shot of the game came with 2:23 left, a deep three that tied the game at 61-61 before Bowman sealed the deal.
The boards were once again a problem for BC, which was outrebounded, 43-31, by the Deacons. Wake secured 11 offensive rebounds, leading to a 10-3 advantage in second-chance points. Bowman, the leading rebounder on the team at 6-foot-1, can only help with so many things.