Boston College Men’s Basketball Beats Missouri State, Advances to Cayman Islands Classic Championship
The Boston College Eagles (5-1) men’s basketball team advanced to the Cayman Islands Classic Championship with a 76-74 win over the Missouri State Bears (4-2) on Monday night.
The Eagles came out colder than they did in the first game of the tournament as they made just two of their first five shot attempts as well as recorded an offensive foul and a turnover to put them in a 9-4 hole early in the contest.
However, Boston College slowly chipped away at its deficit and gained its first lead of the night with 8:24 remaining in the first half, a comeback attempted led by guard Fred Payne. The sophomore tallied 18 points, three rebounds, and one assist.
The rest of the first half was a back-and-forth battle that the Eagles won as they headed into halftime with a slight 29-26 advantage.
Coming out of the break, the game remained tight throughout the first three minutes, then Boston College went on a 12-3 run in a two and a half minute span to extend the lead to 46-36 with 14 minutes left.
Similar to the Eagles early in the game, Missouri State fought back down the stretch and regained the lead late, however a three-point shot with 12 seconds remaining by guard Donald Hand Jr., forced overtime.
The Bears came out hot in overtime and led by as many as six, but Boston College made five of its last six field goals to secure the victory.
Hand Jr., and forward Elijah Strong led the comeback in overtime which included one steal and two crucial free throws to give Boston College a 73-71 lead with 29 seconds left by Hand Jr., and the game-winning three-pointer with four seconds left by Strong.
The Eagles will take on the Boise State Broncos for the title on Tuesday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
How it Happened:
Overtime
- 0:00- Boston College defeats Missouri State 76-74 which gives them a date with Boise State on Tuesday night in the title game.
- 0:04- Eagles forward Elijah Strong nails a three and that seals the 76-74 win for Boston College.
- 0:24- Boston College takes its first lead of overtime 73-72 after a steal and two good free throws by Eagles guard Donald Hand Jr.
- 0:40- A layup by Eagles forward Elijah Strong makes it a one point game. The Bears lead 72-71.
- 1:25- Missouri State leads Boston College 72-69. The Bears came out strong, but the Eagles are staying in the game. Chad Venning has fouled out of the game.
2nd Half
- 0:00- Missouri State misses the game-winning jumper and the game is headed into overtime knotted at 64.
- 0:12- Eagles guard Donald Hand Jr., nails a three to tie up the game at 64. One defensive stop takes the game into overtime.
- 0:29- Missouri State has taken a 64-61 lead over Boston College. Turnovers and fouls have plagued the Eagles and aided the comeback attempt for the Bears. Boston College is going to need a perfect possession to force overtime.
- 3:41- Things have gone sour for Bsoton College quickly as Missouri State has cut its deficit to two 56-54 and will shoot free throws coming out of the media timeout. Since the five minute mark, the Eagles have missed two shots, recorded three fouls, and turned the ball once.
- 7:52- Both teams exchange turnovers coming out of the Under 8 media timeout. Boston College holds the 50-44 lead.
- 8:54- Boston College head coach Earl Grant calls a timeout with his team leading 50-44. Although behind, Missouri State is hanging in the game and has cut it to as close as four in between timeouts.
- 11:11- Boston College holds its lead over Missouri State 48-39. The Eagles have outscored the Bears 19-13 since coming out of halftime. So far, eight Boston College players have scored in the contest.
- 15:40- The sloppy ball continues for both teams, however Boston College has extended its lead in the opening minutes of the second half 39-33. The Eagles will continue to play with some foul trouble as guard Dion Brown currently has four.
1st Half
- 0:00- Boston College leads Missouri State 29-26 heading into halftime. Both teams played sloppy ball down the stretch with a turnover by each team, a missed free throw by Eagles guard Donald Hand Jr., and an offensive foul by Missouri State.
- 2:16- Boston College leads Missouri State 27-25. Eagles guard Fred Payne is leading the team with eight points.
- 7:28- Boston College storms back and holds a 18-17 lead. After starting off hot, Missouri State has gone cold as the team has made one of its last eight shots.
- 11:56- Boston College has heated up a bit and has cut into its deficit, but still trails Missouri State 13–10. The Eagles are shooting 40-percent from the field (4-of-10) and have sunk one of four three-point attempts.
- 15:44- Missouri State has gotten out to an early 9-4 lead over Boston College. The Bears have made all but one shot so far in the contest.
Pregame
- Boston College’s Starting Five: G Chas Kelley III, G Dion Brown, G Donald Hand Jr., F Elijah Strong, and F/C Chad Venning.
- Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
How to Watch:
Who: Boston College Eagles and Missouri State Bears
When: Monday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: John Gray Gymnasium, George Town, Grand Cayman Island
TV/Streaming: FloCollege
Radio: WEEI 850 AM
Last Outing, Missouri State: The Bears defeated the High Point Panthers 71-61 in the first round of the tournament on Sunday evening.
Last Outing, Boston College: The Eagles defeated the Old Dominion Monarchs in the first round of the tournament on Sunday night.
Last Meeting: This is the first meeting between the two programs.
