Garner’s career night lifts Penn State past Boston College

Shep Garner scored a career-high 30 points to lead Penn State to a 67-58 basketball win over Boston College on Wednesday night.

Garner started 5 for 5 from 3-point range in the first half, matching Boston College’s point total early. The sophomore guard then knocked down his first three 3-point attempts in the second half to push the Nittany Lions ahead by two points with just under 16 minutes to play.

Penn State (4-2) led the rest of the way en route to the victory in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Conte Forum.

Garner finished 8 for 12 from 3-point range — tying a Conte Forum record and falling just short of the program’s single-game record of nine 3-pointers set by Pete Lisicky against Penn in 1995. Payton Banks, Donovon Jack and Jordan Dickerson each scored nine points for the Nittany Lions, who outrebounded the Eagles 40-27.

Boston College had just three offensive rebounds. Jack pulled down eight rebounds and Dickerson had six rebounds to lead Penn State.

Dennis Clifford paced the Eagles (3-4) with 17 points, and A.J. Turner added 15.

Garner scored Penn State’s first 12 points on four 3-pointers, giving his team a five-point lead. The Nittany Lions took a 22-15 lead after Garner drilled his fifth 3-pointer with 10:59 left in the half.

Penn State managed just one field goal the rest of the half — a dunk by Dickerson — and went into the break trailing Boston College 30-29.

Clifford scored the Eagles’ first eight points in the second half to push their lead to 38-31.

Penn State took a 42-40 lead after Garner hit three 3-pointers in a 65-second span.

It was a lead the Nittany Lions would never relinquish.

After the Eagles pulled within one point with less than 10 minutes to play, Jack keyed a 7-0 run.

The 6-foot-9 forward knocked down a 3-pointer, recorded an assist on a finish by Josh Reaves and finished down low to give his team some breathing room. The Nittany Lions led 55-47 with 7:41 left.

Boston College never got closer than six points in the final seven minutes.

Notes: Penn State forward Davis Zemgulis returned to action after missing two games with an MCL sprain. Zemgulis grabbed two rebounds in seven minutes Wednesday night. Penn State hosts Eastern Michigan at noon Saturday.

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Garner’s career night lifts Penn State past Boston College."