On Thursday night, the Boston College men’s basketball team played in their third game in three nights, this time against the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC Quarterfinals. 3rd-seeded UVA got two byes for the first two rounds of the tournament so they were coming onto the court with fresh legs, but BC had the benefit of momentum on their sides after big wins against Miami and Clemson. Their momentum could only carry them so far, though, as the Eagles fell short in overtime to Virginia, 66-60.
Claudell Harris Jr. started red hot for Boston College, hitting three three-pointers right out of the gate to give his team an early lead. The BC defense was just as gritty as usual, preventing UVA from getting anything going on offense. The Eagles led 18-8 just a few minutes into the game.
Virginia woke up shortly after that, though, going on a seven point run themselves and getting right back into the game. Forward Jacob Groves had 8 points in the first half thanks to some sharpshooting from beyond the arc, something that BC was able to match in spurts with Jaeden Zackery and Mason Madsen. By trading three-pointers, BC was able to hold onto a close 35-29 heading into halftime, a good scoring pace against a tough Virginia defense.
Virginia continued to creep back up on the scoreboard to start the second half. Reece Beekman especially was playing in the paint very well for a guard, grabbing boards and driving to the rim with a lot pf physicality. Quinten Post and Claudell Harris hit a couple of key shots in order to keep the Cavs from getting the lead right away, but UVA upped their aggressiveness in the paint and their resurgence was too much for the Eagles. Virginia finally retook a lead halfway through the second half, the culmination of a comeback that had been brewing for ages.
Quinten Post and Boston College wouldn’t go down without a fight, though. QP hit a big three-pointer off of an offensive rebound and then a layup to take the lead right back for BC. That sequence of events started a back-and-forth that would last for the rest of the contest. Quinten Post was being fed the ball, posting up and dominating the paint in a way that Virginia had no answer for. But BC’s interior defense started to collapse, too, and UVA’s players were driving to the paint and getting consistent foul calls. The referees were being a lot more strict with their whistles in the second half, backing off on allowing the physicality that BC was using to their advantage in the first half and all tournament long. Virginia could hardly take advantage, though, because of how many free throws they were missing.
With under two minutes left, the game was tied and the teams were all set up for an electric finish. Quinten Post tried to do it all himself at first, getting blocked on a very poor shot at the elbow. UVA pushed it down the floor on the next possession, getting a shooting foul call, but a couple of missed free throws AGAIN kept the game tied. BC couldn’t get anything going on their ensuing possession, with JZ taking a desperation three as time expired. Mason Madsen was called for a loose ball foul on the rebound, leading to two made UVA free throws and a tough sequence for the Eagles.
With under 30 seconds remaining in regulation and facing a 2-point deficit, Boston College’s Claudell Harris dribbled the clock out and took a three with just afew seconds left and bricked it. But a rebound and quick dish to Mason Madsen led to an improbable buzzer beater near the three-point line to tie the game and send it to OT.
Virginia took early control of the overtime period with a made three-pointer, while the BC offense remained stagnant and couldn’t find a good look while Quinten Post was being stonewalled. Reece Beekman found himself at center stage yet again, hitting another three-pointer for UVA to give the Cavaliers a 6-point lead with just over a minute remaining. Claudell Harris responded quickly, though, and narrowed the deficit back to 3 points. But UVA got 2 points back on a pick and roll, followed by another empty possession for the Eagles with a longshot three attempt by Claudell Harris. BC had to foul down by 5 points and they just couldn’t spark enough offense to rally, eventually falling 66-60.
This game was very reminiscent of Earl Grant’s debut season as head coach in 2022, in which he took BC to the ACC quarterfinals and lost in heartbreaking fashion to Miami. This game featured similar dramatic shots, including Mason Madsen’ huge buzzer beater to send it to OT. With the loss, Boston College’s season is likely done, barring any invite from a postseason tournament.