Elijah Strong’s 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left in overtime propelled Boston College to a 76-74 win over Missouri State on Monday in the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic in George Town.
Donald Hand Jr. and Fred Payne each scored 18 points while Strong netted eight of his 13 in overtime to lead the Eagles (5-1), who lost an 11-point lead in the second half but overcame a 6-0 run against them to begin the extra period.
Hand captured a steal and hit two free throws to give Boston College a 73-72 lead at the 0:29 mark in overtime, only to see Michael Osei-Bonsu knock down a jumper the next trip down the floor for Missouri State (4-2).
The Bears were led by Dez White, whose 25-point performance was fueled by a 12-of-13 showing from the foul line. Jalen Hampton recorded a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Boston College will oppose Boise State for the tournament title on Tuesday. Missouri State will face South Dakota State in the third-place game.
The game featured 16 lead changes and eight ties.
Jayden Hastings’ jumper with 11:41 left in regulation gave Boston College a game-high 48-37 lead, but Missouri State used a 16-5 run to take a late lead before Hand’s 3-pointer from the right with 14 seconds left forced overtime.
Turnovers led to Chase Martin’s game-tying uncontested layup and a go-ahead jumper by White, extending the Bears’ run to 12-2 with 1:29 left, but Payne flipped the score back the Eagles’ way with a 3-pointer 17 seconds later.
Before Hand’s game-tying shot, White gave Missouri State a 64-61 lead with four free throws. White started overtime with four straight points as part of a 6-0 run, but Hastings’ dunk and a Strong trey brought the Eagles within 70-69.
The Eagles scored seven of the last nine points.
Dion Brown’s 3-pointer and a Strong jumper made up a late 5-0 first-half run, giving the Eagles their largest lead of the period at four with 2:11 remaining.
Strong’s 3-pointer and a Hand pull-up jumper fueled a 5-2 start after intermission. After White’s floater capped a 5-0 Missouri State run, the Eagles scored nine of the next 11 including a Hand triple and Hastings dunk.
Roger McFarlane hit a big foul-line jumper to break a 7-0 Bears run, including a Zaxton King 3-pointer, that cut their deficit to four.
The Eagles responded to a Hampton driving finish with baskets from Hand and Payne in a 20-second span, but pairs of foul shots from Hampton and White before White’s 3-point play made up a 7-0 run that cut Missouri State’s deficit to 56-55.
After trailing 2-0, Missouri State led 9-4 and remained in control until the 8:24 mark when Joshua Beadle’s pass through traffic to Payne for a 3-pointer highlighted another 5-0 spurt.
The back-and-forth period continued with the Bears going on a quick 5-2 run, with a Hampton jumper following White scoring five of his seven first-half points consecutively.
–Field Level Media
