Nov. 18, 2005

BOSTON (AP) - Craig Smith had 22 points and nine rebounds as No. 11 Boston College beat Dartmouth 80-61 on Friday night, opening its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a tuneup against the less-formidable Ivy League.

Jared Dudley had 12 points and 10 rebounds, Sean Marshall scored 15 and Louis Hinnant 12 for the Eagles, who received their highest preseason ranking since 1967. BC started the season 20-0 last year and climbed as high as third in The Associated Press poll.

Boston College scored 12 consecutive points to break a 5-5 tie and Dartmouth never got closer than six points after that.

Smith, BC's first preseason All-America selection ever, was 10-for-11 from the line. Marshall was 3-for-6 from 3-point range as the Eagles chucked up 21 attempts from beyond the arc - about twice as many as they averaged last year.

Highly touted freshman reserve Tyrese Rice scored eight points, making just 1-of-5 from 3-point range.

Dartmouth was the most improved team in the Ivy League last year, going 7-7 in the conference a year after winning just one game. But the Big Green went just 1-13 on the road in 2004-05.

Boston College and Dartmouth have played 28 times since the Green won 60-13 on Jan. 19, 1905, in BC's third-ever game.