Boston College
Monmouth N.J.
Men's Basketball Wins, Advances to Paradise Jam Title Game
November 23, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2003
ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands -- Sophomore Craig Smith registered 15 points and eight rebounds and freshman Jared Dudley notched 13 points and nine rebounds to lead Boston College to a 60-50 victory over Monmouth in the second round of the Paradise Jam.
With the victory, the Eagles advance to the tournament's title game. BC will play Wichita State at 8 p.m. (Eastern time) on Monday.
Joining Smith and Dudley in double figures was junior Jermaine Watson, who finished with 13 points.
Boston College, which had three freshmen in the starting lineup, led 25-15 at halftime. The Hawks chipped away at the Eagle advantage and trailed by just two points -- 40-38 -- with 5:57 remaining in the game. Monmouth never got any closer.
Watson and Dudley combined to score 20 consecutive BC points in a 10-minute span in the second half. Watson started the streak with a lay-in with 13:05 to play, while a Dudley free throw capped the run with 3:42 to play. Watson scored nine points in the rally, while Dudley scored the other 11. Included in Dudley's points is a crucial three-point field goal with 5:04 remaining.
BC led by only six points at 48-42 when the duo had finished their streak, but extended the margin to double digits in the final minute of action.
Game Notes: With sophomore Louis Hinnant sidelined by an injury to his left wrist, the BC starting lineup was Smith, Uka Agbai, Dudley, Sean Marshall and Steve Hailey ... BC registered 17 assists on 21 baskets, raising their two-game season total to 39 assists on 56 baskets ... Agbai (24 minutes of action) and Smith (23 minutes) saw limited action because of foul trouble. Agbai finished with four points, two rebounds and two assists ... Hailey tied for team-high assist honors with five. Tying with Hailey was 7-0 junior center Nate Doornekamp, who also sank a key 14-foot field goal that gave BC a seven-point cushion with 1:29 remaining in the game ... Sophomore guard Tavio Hobson played five minutes in the first half, providing relief for Hailey (who logged the other 35 minutes at the point-guard position) ... Freshman Devon Evertsen contributed five points in the first half ... BC shot 46.7 percent from the field. The Eagles missed 12 free throws (15-for-27) ... The BC defense limited the veteran Monmouth team to 30.8 percent shooting from the floor.
