Boston College is back at Conte Forum on Monday night, set to face Maryland Eastern Shore in a 7 p.m. matchup on ACC Network Extra as the Eagles continue their early-season run in Chestnut Hill.
The Eagles come in off a 71-55 win over UMass in the Hall of Fame Series: Boston at TD Garden, a game that belonged to Money Williams from start to finish. The senior guard poured in a game-high 35 points and added nine rebounds and five assists in 39 and a half minutes. He also helped Boston College finish strong, scoring 10 of the final 14 points as the Eagles closed on a 14-4 run.
Williams’ all-around performance was historic for BC. He became the first Eagle in 30 years to post at least 35 points, five rebounds and five assists in the same game. Through two contests, he’s averaging 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists, and his work last week earned him ACC Co-Player of the Week honors after helping the Eagles to a 2-0 week.
Boston College got plenty of support around him against UMass. Žak Smrekar scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds, continuing a strong start to his freshman season.
He has now reached double figures in both games to open the 2026-27 campaign and ranks second on the team in both minutes played and scoring. In his collegiate debut against Wagner, he scored 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
The bench has also given BC a real lift. Brandon Benjamin and Armoni Zeigler have been the first two off the bench and have made their presence felt on both ends.
Benjamin scored 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting and added eight rebounds against UMass, while Zeigler matched a career high with five steals and has anchored the defense. Together, the pair has accounted for 49.6 of the 55.9 bench minutes Boston College has used through its first two games.
Benjamin’s numbers jump off the page in a hurry. In just 18.8 minutes per game, he leads the team in rebounding at 9.0 per game and field goal percentage at 87.5, while also ranking among the team leaders in steals.
Zeigler, meanwhile, leads BC with 3.0 steals and ranks fourth on the team in minutes at 30.8 per game. Both players are tied for the team lead in blocks and are tied for third in scoring at 9.0 points per game.
Monday’s game also carries a familiar note. It will be the fifth all-time meeting between Boston College and Maryland Eastern Shore, and the Eagles have won all four previous matchups.
The most recent came on Nov. 15, 2016, when BC took a 73-57 decision behind 16 points and seven rebounds from Jerome Robinson. A.J.
Turner added 13 points and Ky Bowman finished with 11.
Boston College’s early-season work is also unfolding under a new head coach. Luke Murray is in his first season as the Clement and Elizabeth Izzi Family Head Men’s Basketball Coach after a decorated stint at Connecticut, where he was part of two national championships and three national title game appearances over the last four years. He arrives in Chestnut Hill with a reputation as one of the country’s top assistants, having played a key role on NCAA Tournament teams in nine of the last 10 tournaments.
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A long-dormant in-state rivalry finally found its way back to the TD Garden floor, and Boston College made the most of the stage. The Eagles beat UMass in a game that carried more weight than a typical nonconference date, ending a 12-year hiatus in the series and giving Luke Murray a win in one of college basketballs most recognizable buildings.
BC had to work through an early deficit before settling into the game plan that carried it through the finish. Money Williams and Armoni Zeigler were among the key contributors in a performance that showed the Eagles can handle a little pressure, and maybe a little spotlight, when the matchup calls for it. [Read more 🡒]