Boston College
Wichita State
Men's Basketball Wins Paradise Jam Title
November 24, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Nov 24, 2003
ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands -- Sophomore Craig Smith registered 28 points and 13 rebounds to lead Boston College to a thrilling 84-81 victory over Wichita State in the 2003 Paradise Jam championship game.
Smith earned tournament MVP honors. Senior teammate Uka Agbai gained All-Tournament accolades.
Junior Jermaine Watson played a crucial role in the win, hitting all eight of his free-throw attempts in the final 31 seconds of play. He finished with 17 points. Sophomore Jared Dudley tallied 14 points (4-for-5 FG, 6-for-6 FT), 10 in the second half.
Watson's last two free throws gave BC a three-point lead with just more than three seconds remaining. Wichita State's Randy Burns' three-point attempt to tie the game in the final second fell off the rim.
BC led 41-39 at halftime. Both teams shot well in the first 20 minutes. The Eagles shot 46.9 percent from the floor, while the Shockers shot 46.4 percent. WSU hit seven three-pointers in the opening half.
After Wichita scored the first basket of the second half to tie the game, BC used a 13-4 run to gain a 54-45 advantage. The Shockers rallied to even the score at 61-61 with 9:05 to play, before the Eagles rallied once again. BC outscored WSU 12-3 in the next six minutes to take a 73-64 lead.
BC missed 3-for-4 free throws and got just one basket (from Louis Hinnant) in the next three minutes of play as Wichita State narrowed the margin to three points -- 76-73 -- with 59 seconds left on the clock. Watson's eight free throws secured the win.
Game Notes: Dudley scored 10 of his 14 points in an eight-minute stretch early in the second half (18:41 to 10:43) ... BC committed just eight turnovers. Returning after missing one game with a wrist injury, Hinnant led the Eagles' attack. He recorded six assists without committing a turnover in 29 minutes ... Agbai scored nine points, all in the first half ... BC made just two three-pointers -- one each from Smith and freshman Steve Hailey ... WSU made 10 treys ... Freshman Sean Marshall finished with six points, six rebounds and two assists. His two assists came on consecutive BC baskets (by Smith and Hinnant) in the game's final minutes ... Smith fouled out with 11 seconds remaining.
