Williams’ 35 points lift Boston College past UMass

Williams finished with nine rebounds and five assists as Boston College improved to 2-0 with the win. He shot 10 for 22 from the field and made all 13 of his free throws. It was his second game for the Eagles, after he put up 22 points, grabbed five boards and dished four assists during his debut against Wagner on Tuesday.

Boston College’s offense had gone cold from beyond the arc, missing nine straight attempts as UMass pulled within four. Williams ended the drought with a three-pointer with 4:37 remaining, putting the Eagles ahead 60-51. He hit another from long range less than two minutes later to extend the lead to 67-55.

Zak Smrekar scored 12 points across his first two games with Boston College, while Brandon Benjamin added 10 points and eight boards as a reserve. UMass’s Dwayne Wimbley Jr. led the Minutemen with 15 points, and Abdullah Ahmed added 12. The Minutemen fell to 1-1.

The teams have now met 49 times, with Boston College holding a 27-22 advantage. UMass won their matchup last season, 76-74. The game marked their first meeting at TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics, since 2014.

UMass is scheduled to host UMass Lowell on Wednesday. Boston College’s next game is a Tuesday contest with Maryland Eastern Shore at Conte Forum.