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Boston College Basketball Outlasted The Boise State Broncos To Win A Thriller, 63-61

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Basketball

Boston College outlasted Boise State in thrilling fashion - 63-61 - to win the 2024 Cayman Islands Classic on Tuesday night.

Trailing by one with five seconds remaining, Joshua Beadle caught the inbounds pass and knocked down a corner three-pointer to put the Eagles ahead in the final moments. With the victory, the Eagles improved to 6-1 for the first time since the 2018-19 season. BC extended its winning streak to five games, the team's longest since December 2017. 

Chad Venning led the way for the Eagles with a team-high 16 points and seven rebounds. Donald Hand Jr., who scored 36 points through three tournament games, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Cayman Islands Classic. Hand and Elijah Strong were both named to the All-Tournament Team. 

FIRST HALF

  • Venning scored the opening basket for the Eagles.
  • Boston College trailed 16-12 and had not yet held the lead through 10 minutes of action. 
  • Facing a three-minute drought, Dion Brown snatched a Boise State pass and found Beadle for a dunk in transition. The Broncos led by three with 4:32 left in the half.
  • Hand attacked and finished in the paint to give the Eagles their first lead - 24-23 - with just over two minutes remaining.
  • BC mounted an 8-0 run late in the half, holding Boise State scoreless for over four minutes.
  • The game was knotted at 26 at halftime. 

SECOND HALF

  • Early in the half, Strong buried the team's first three-pointer of the game. The Eagles had missed their first five attempts from beyond the arc.
  • Venning was the first Eagle to notch double figures. The graduate transfer from St. Bonaventure has scored 10 points or more in four games this season. 
  • Both teams shot above 65% from the field before the first media timeout. BC led 38-36.
  • A 12-2 run put Boise State ahead by eight, but Strong answered with a tough three-point play with 10:48 remaining.
  • The Eagles captured the lead once again - 56-54 with 5:34 to play - after an 11-0 surge. Roger McFarlane spearheaded the run, recording seven of the 11 points. 
  • Boise State capitalized on two crucial opportunities at the foul line - knocking down three of four free throws - to seize a 61-60 lead in the final minute. 
  • With five seconds remaining, Beadle drained the clutch go-ahead three-pointer to secure the victory. 

NOTABLES

  • Three players finished in double figures for the Eagles: Venning (16), Beadle (13) and Strong (11). 
  • BC outrebounded Boise State by a margin of two (32-30). 
  • McFarlane and Venning each hauled in a game-high seven rebounds. 
  • Brown and Fred Payne each drew two steals in the game. 
  • The Eagles scored 40 points in the paint, compared to Boise State's 30. 
  • Tonight marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
  • BC moved to 5-4 versus teams that currently comprise the Mountain West Conference. 
  • The Eagles advanced to 103-93 all-time in MTE play. 
  • BC competed in its first MTE title game since the 2018-19 season, when the Eagles won the inaugural Fort Myers Tip-Off. 

WHAT'S NEXT

  • Boston College returns home from the British West Indies to host Dartmouth on Friday, Nov. 29 at noon.
  • The game will stream live on ACC Network Extra and can also be heard on WEEI 850 AM.