Boston College
20-15,8-12ACC
Providence
21-14,10-10Big East
Harris' Late Bucket and Steal Seals NIT Win over Providence
March 19, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Junior guard led four Eagles in double figures with 17
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Boston College defeated #3 seeded Providence in the opening round of the 2024 National Invitation Tournament, held on Tuesday night.
ÂClaudell Harris Jr. led the way for the Eagles with 17 points, connecting on 3-of-4 from the outside. The junior guard sealed the victory for BC with a strip and a steal with 28 seconds left.
ÂDevin McGlockton had 15 points, nine boards (six offensive), a block, and a steal. Quinten Post battled foul trouble all night, but logged 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Elijah Strong came off the bench to tally eight of his 10 points in the second half.
ÂThe win over the longtime rival puts BC at 20-15 overall and is the fifth win in the last six games for the Eagles.
ÂFIRST HALF:
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Devin McGlockton finished in the paint to put the Eagles on the board first
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Even through the first nearly seven minutes of play, tied at 8-8 at the first media break
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12 of the first 16 points for both teams came in the painted area
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A driving layup by Post gave BC a 12-11 advantage with 12:05 left in the half, before Providence tallied five straight to take its largest lead - 16-12 with 11:21 left
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McGlockton knocked down BC's first three-pointer at the 8:48 mark, giving the Eagles the lead once again (19-18)
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The Friars again responded with five straight, holding a 23-19 lead with a little more than seven minutes left
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After a two-minute scoring drought, Claudell Harris Jr. scored back-to-back baskets for the Eagles and cut the deficit to two points with 5:26 until halftime
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With Post on the bench for the final six minutes with his third foul, BC closed the half on a 9-4 push, taking a 31-30 lead at the break
SECOND HALF:
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The game was knotted at 35 at the first media break of the second half
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BC made an early statement defensively, forcing Providence below 30% from the field in the first four minutes of the half
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The Friars took the lead after adding five straight points, but the Eagles quickly answered, knotting the game at 40 with a three-ball from Harris at the 13:32 mark
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Both teams went cold heading into the final eight minutes, with Providence going scoreless for over four minutes and the Eagles missing seven of eight shotsÂ
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At the 4:27 mark, Elijah Strong nailed a timely 3-pointer - his first of the game - to give the Eagles a one-point lead
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With the game level at 55, Strong finished at the rim to break the tie and put the Eagles up by two
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Harris came up with two key plays to lift the Eagles to victory - a three-pointer with 0:52 left and a steal on the ensuing possession
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A second-chance basket by McGlockton in transition sealed the win for BC
NOTES:Â
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Boston College finished 24-58 (41.4%) from the field, 5-13 (38.5%) from three-point range, and 9-12 (75.0%) from the free throw line
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The win was BC's first in the postseason since the 2011 NIT
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BC reached the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2010-11 season (21-13)
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The Eagles have held their last six opponents to 60.1 points per game, with four of those six held under 60 points in regulation
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Jaeden Zackery logged his 14th game with at least five assists
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The Eagles earned their first ever victory over Boston College in the NIT, with the first meeting on March 23, 1993 (a 75-58 Providence victory)
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Boston College is 6-3 all-time in NIT true road games
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This was the 113th meeting between the two programs; Providence is tied with Holy Cross as BC's most common opponent
UP NEXT:
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Boston College will take on the winner of tomorrow's game against #2 seeded Princeton and UNLV.
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The date, time, location, and the network clearance for the game has yet to be determined.
