Horton Scores 21 Points in Season-Opening Loss at Boston College

Sophomore Ken Horton scored 21 points and senior Marcus Palmer added seven points and nine rebounds as the Central Connecticut men's basketball team opened the 2008-09 season with an 80-65 loss at Boston College (1-0) on Friday night. The Blue Devils (0-1) return to action at home on Monday night hosting Colgate at 7 p.m. in Detrick Gymnasium.

Central Connecticut scored the first six points of the game and then held an 8-1 lead with 17:15 to go in the first half. Horton scored six early points for the Blue Devils, making his first three shot attempts. CCSU led 14-8 before the Eagles scored six straight to tie the game at 14-14 with 11:49 to play. Boston College took their first lead at 18-17, but the Blue Devils responded to lead 25-22 with 5:46 to play in the half.

The Eagles outscored the Blue Devils 14-3 in the final 5:46 of the first half and led 36-28 at the break. Horton paced the Blue Devils with 13 points at halftime. He hit five of his first seven shots. Horton also added a block. Sophomore Shemik Thompson had eight points, including a three on the first basket of the game.

Boston College opened the second half with a 13-6 run to take a 49-34 lead with 17:05 on the clock. The Eagles run, combining the end of the first half and start of the second, reached 27-9. It turned a three-point Blue Devil lead into a 15-point Eagle advantage.

The Eagles lead grew to 67-44 with 8:11 left in the game, but CCSU used a 14-4 run to cut that deficit to 13 with just less than three minutes remaining.

Thompson added 12 points and four assists for the Blue Devils. Senior Joe Seymore and freshman Robby Ptacek reached double figures in scoring for CCSU, too. Seymore, who also grabbed six rebounds, had 11 points, while Ptacek posted 10 points in his collegiate debut.

Rakim Sanders led Boston College with 24 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

The Blue Devils return to action again on Monday night in their home opener against Colgate beginning at 7 p.m.