Boston College opened the Luke Murray era with a convincing 76-50 win over Wagner, and the Eagles looked like a team with a lot of new pieces trying to figure things out in a hurry.
The early scoring belonged to Zak Smrekar and Luke Hunger, who combined to account for Boston College’s first 14 points as the Eagles jumped out to a 7-3 lead and then stretched it to 14-5 by 13:51. From there, Armoni Zeigler checked in and immediately changed the feel of the game. His energy on defense sparked transition chances, including scores from Zeigler himself and a 3-pointer from Ernest Shelton, pushing BC ahead 21-12 with 9:30 left in the first half.
Brandon Benjamin then started making his presence felt by attacking the offensive glass, defending well, and knocking down back-to-back baskets. Boston College rolled into an 8-0 run and built a 29-14 cushion with 6:16 remaining in the half.
Wagner’s defense never looked settled, and the Eagles kept finding ways to punish it, though the Seahawks did trim the margin late as BC’s offense cooled. By halftime, Boston College held a 38-23 lead.
The second half followed a similar script for a while. Wagner turned up the pressure with its press, and Boston College had to work through some offensive stretches that weren’t nearly as smooth.
Still, the Eagles found enough answers to keep control. With 16:58 to play, they were up 43-27 after Money Williams forced his way to the free-throw line twice.
Zeigler kept flashing the kind of playmaking that can swing a game in a hurry. With 12:49 left, BC led 46-33, and then Zeigler blew by his defender and finished with a forceful dunk.
Wagner stayed within 12 for a few minutes after that, but Boston College started to separate for good when Williams hit two free throws and the Eagles followed with a pair of 3-pointers from Shelton and Williams. That pushed the lead to 58-39, and Shelton’s next triple made it feel over at 61-41 with 6:00 remaining.
Williams took over from there, drawing fouls, setting up teammates, and adding a driving layup as Boston College closed things out comfortably.
The Eagles shot 49% from the field and went 7-for-17 from 3-point range. Williams led the way with 22 points and went 11-for-15 at the line.
Zeigler added 14 points off the bench, Smrekar finished with 12 points on 6-for-11 shooting, and Benjamin chipped in eight points with 10 rebounds, including six offensive boards. Boston College also held Wagner to 30% shooting and limited the Seahawks to just three made 3-pointers.
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Coach Kate Popovec-Goss pointed to the Crusaders chemistry and to Boston Colleges execution issues after halftime, which is where the concern starts to feel bigger than one bad opener. The second half exposed the kind of slippage that can haunt a team if it lingers, and for an Eagles group trying to establish itself early, the next step is figuring out whether this was just a rough first night or the first sign of a deeper problem. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Brings A Dangerous Midseason Formula Into Florida State
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A key part of that balance has been getting healthier at the right time, and one of the more encouraging developments came at Duke when Kaelan Chudzinski was back in the starting lineup after missing the first seven games with an injury. His return adds another layer to a roster that has been piecing together answers as the schedule toughens, and now the question is whether Boston College can carry that midseason rhythm into a home date with a Florida State team that will force the Eagles to keep playing clean, efficient football. [Read more 🡒]
Boston College Volleyball Has A Real Chance To Keep Climbing In ACC Play
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Syracuse still presents a tricky test, especially with Boston College carrying a long-term series deficit, but the recent head-to-head history has tilted the other way. Add in the fact that the Eagles and several of their players are showing up near the top of the conference in key categories, and this feels like the kind of stretch that could tell us a lot about how far Boston College can keep climbing in ACC play. [Read more 🡒]