Boston College Athletics
Boston College
St. Bonaventure
Men's Basketball Overcomes St. Bonaventure in OT, 105-96
December 04, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Dec 4, 2002
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. (AP) - Troy Bell scored 30 points and Ryan Sidney added 22, a career-high 19 rebounds and nine assists on Wednesday night as Boston College avoided its worst start in more than 30 years with a 105-96 overtime victory over St. Bonaventure.
The Eagles (2-2) got 27 points from freshman Craig Smith, who received his first career start in place of injured senior forward Uka Agbai. Smith was 10-for-10 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds.
The Bonnies cut BC's lead to 84-81 on Mike Gansey's layup with 2:15 left in the game. Patrick Methot-Lottin hit a pair of free throws, but the Eagles' Andrew Bryant sank a desperation fadeaway 15-footer from the right baseline as the shot clock expired.
Bryant had a chance to win the game seconds later, but he missed an uncontested layup and Gansey sank a 3-pointer from the right wing as the buzzer sounded to force overtime.
Smith hit a pair of foul shots to break a 94-94 tie with 1:14 left in overtime and Bell sank a pair to give the Eagles a four-point advantage with 55 seconds remaining. Louis Hinnant's dunk made it 100-94.
Boston College, which started 1-3 under Chuck Daly in 1969-70, led 43-33 at halftime as Bell and Sidney combined for 32 points.
St. Bonaventure (2-3) has lost three consecutive games. Green led the Bonnies with a career-high 31 points while Patricio Prato added 20.
Agbai, who averaged 14 points and six rebounds over the first three games, broke a bone in his neck during Sunday's 71-70 loss to Holy Cross and will miss six to eight weeks.
Game Notes: There were several notable statistical achievements in tonight's overtime victory over St. Bonaventure ... Boston College's 105 points marked the highest single-game total by a BC team since the Eagles' 116-81 home victory over Long Island University on Dec. 27, 1995. It also marked the team's first 100-point effort since a 100-75 win over St. Peter's on Nov. 19, 2000 ... The overtime game was the first in Conte Forum since Feb. 25, 1995. BC lost that game to Miami, 77-71 ... BC scored 19 points in the overtime session, the most points by a BC team in a single overtime since the Eagles scored 22 points in an extra session against Lafayette on Dec. 30, 1986 (a 90-84 BC victory in Roberts Center) ... Freshman Craig Smith shot a perfect 10-for-10 from the field. The last BC player to shoot 100 percent from the field in one game with at least 10 attempts was Martin Clark (13-for-13) against Bentley on Dec. 11, 1982 ... Troy Bell's 30-point effort marked the ninth time in his 95-game collegiate career that he'd scored 30 or more points ... Bell (30 points), Smith (27 points) and Ryan Sidney (22 points) all topped the 20-point mark. The last time each of three BC players scored 20 or more points in the same game was Dec. 3, 1990, a 100-85 victory over Maryland in Richmond Coliseum in the BIG EAST/ACC Challenge. In that game, Gerrod Abram tallied 30 points, Howard Eisley scored 24 points and Doug Able registered 20 points ... Sidney's 19 rebounds marked the highest single-game total by a BC player since Danya Abrams grabbed 20 rebounds in a 58-54 home victory over Providence on Jan. 22, 1994.
