Junior guard Ky Bowman scored 20 points and Wynston Tabbs (16) and Nik Popovic (12) followed in double figures as host Boston College seized control in the second half of a season-opening 73-53 victory against Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

Trailing by 10 points at halftime, the Eagles used transition defense and efficient shooting to fuel a 19-2 run in the first eight minutes of the second half. Boston College's versatility kept Milwaukee at bay.

Darius Roy (15 points) and Jake Wright (11) finished in double figures for the Panthers, who fell to 4-11 in road season openers since returning to NCAA Division I for the 1990-91 season.

The Panthers faded after the break, scoring just 16 points in the second half. BC scored 46 points after halftime, including 16 from Bowman

Inexperienced Milwaukee, which returns just three letterwinners and 23.7 percent of its minutes from last season, jelled quickly, opening a 10-point lead 7:18 into the game. Long-range shooting boosted the Panthers throughout their hot start. By the time they had built a 26-14 advantage with 7:44 remaining in the first half, the Panthers had shot 5-for-7 from beyond the 3-point arc. DeAndre Abram led the surge with three treys.

BC typically benefited from such marksmanship in 2017-18, connecting on at least 10 3-pointers in 14 of its 35 games. On Tuesday, the Eagles struggled to find their touch in the early going, shooting 1-for-10 from long range as part of an 8-for-28 shooting effort in the first half.

Roy scored 11 of the Panthers' final 20 points of the half, including a buzzer-beating fadeaway jumper from just inside the free-throw line that provided a 37-27 edge at the break.

Milwaukee won the only other meeting between the schools, earning an 83-75 victory on March 19, 2005, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

--Field Level Media