NEWTON, Mass. (Interstat) — In a back-and-forth contest decided in the final seconds, the Boston College Eagles held off a persistent Merrimack Warriors squad for a 77-72 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday afternoon at Silvio O. Conte Forum.

Athena Tomlinson was the catalyst for the Eagles, scoring a game-high 21 points and securing a critical offensive rebound with 29 seconds remaining to help seal the win. She added eight rebounds and six assists. Her two free throws with five seconds left provided the final margin after Merrimack had closed to within a single possession.

The game featured 12 lead changes and eight ties, with neither team able to build a substantial advantage. Boston College opened the game strong, taking a 23-18 lead after the first quarter, but Merrimack responded with a 14-point second quarter to the Eagles’ 12, sending the teams into halftime tied at 35.

Merrimack’s Mia Fiore led all Warriors scorers with 19 points, while Joi Williams contributed 16. The Warriors fought back from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter, cutting the Boston College lead to 76-74 with 59 seconds remaining on a Makayla Thomas layup.

Despite the loss, Merrimack was efficient from the free-throw line, converting 10 of 11 attempts. However, the Warriors were hampered by 21 turnovers, which Boston College converted into 16 points. The Eagles also dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 14 rebounds to Merrimack’s seven, leading to 12 second-chance points.

Key performances for Boston College included a double-double from Kayla Rolph, who had 10 points and 12 rebounds, and 14 points from Lily Carmody. Erin Houpt added 12 points off the bench for the Eagles.

Defensively, Merrimack’s Oralye Kiefer recorded three blocks, while Se’Lah Reddick pulled down nine rebounds and had two steals for the Warriors.

With the win, Boston College evens its record at 4-4. The Eagles will travel to Daytona Beach, Florida, for their next two games, facing James Madison on Friday and Murray State on Saturday.

Merrimack falls to 2-4 with the loss. The Warriors continue their road schedule with a game at Dartmouth on Dec. 2.

An announced crowd of 5,167 watched the contest.