BC still hot on the trail

PROVIDENCE -- They knew their roles because they had played them so many times before -- with the same result. They knew what they had to do, when they had to do it, and most important, how to do it.

Last night, Al Skinner's Boston College Eagles shrugged off an 11-point second-half deficit against Providence and came roaring back for a 78-75 victory at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

With the victory, BC is 17-0 (6-0 Big East) -- one of only two unbeaten teams (Illinois) in college basketball and enjoying a magic carpet ride that will continue Saturday night at Conte Forum against Georgetown. No. 2 Duke was knocked from the unbeaten ranks by Maryland last night.

You want heroes? Try forward Craig Smith, who pumped in 21 points. Or Jared Dudley, who also scored a game-high 21, including a 3-pointer with 1:20 remaining that turned a 75-73 deficit into a 76-75 lead.

"As a team, we understand each other," said Skinner. "Tonight it was simply a matter of making the most of our shots."

Oh, the Eagles did that, as they climbed back from a 41-38 halftime deficit and overcame a 55-44 Providence lead with a barrage of successful shots -- 13 of 20 in the second half -- as well as poise.

Trailing is not new to the Eagles, who have been behind to teams ranging from UCLA (5 points) to Kent State (14 points) at the half, and were down by 6 to Villanova with two minutes left and still found a way to win.

"This team knows how to deal with adversity," said Skinner.

For Providence (9-9, 0-5), adversity has become almost a member of the team. It wasn't that the Friars played all that badly in blowing a double-digit second-half lead for the second time in a month to the Eagles, it's that they weren't good enough to deal with the BC's inevitable comeback.

"BC showed their poise at the end," said Friars coach Tim Welsh. "BC did a better job at getting better shots than we did. That's what wins games."

The Eagles know how to do that better than most teams. But having to come from behind in most of their games has ensured they remain humble.

"It's all about execution," said Smith, who made 9 of 15 shots. "Guys know their roles."

For Dudley, who is a sophomore playing with the poise of a senior, it is a matter of expanding his role with growing confidence. It was the 6-foot-7-inch Dudley who scored a career-high 36 points in leading the Eagles out of the cavern they dug for themselves against Villanova. And it was Dudley who put the Eagles ahead with a trifecta last night and who added the final point on a free throw.

"I'm hitting the open shots," said Dudley, who made 6 of 12 shots from the field.

It is, according to the Eagles, a matter of being ready to do what needs to be done when the opportunity presents itself. "Hopefully, we come prepared each game," said Skinner.

The Eagles do just that in the seven-man rotation Skinner primarily uses. Each night someone has the starring role, whether it's Dudley and Smith providing scoring, guard Jermaine Watson coming off the bench to score a season-high 17 points, as he did last night, or freshman forward Sean Williams, who scored only 4 points in 27 minutes but blocked six shots and affected many others. It was the 6-10 Williams whom Skinner put in the game when the Eagles trailed, 55-44. They then went on a 17-6 tear to tie the game.

Next up for BC, which is within reach of the school-record 19-game winning streak, are the 13-5 Hoyas