Boston College goes to Quarters with win over NC State

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The Boston College Eagles wrote quarters a script that was almost identical to their opening round victory over Georgia Tech. In the victory over the Yellow Jackets, the Eagles led wire to wire to advance. On Wednesday vs North Carolina State, they did trail once. 2-0 on the very first possession of the game. Once they tied the game, they would never trail again. The Eagles are on to the Quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament with a 91-87 victory over North Carolina State.

Once again the Eagles were led by the dynamic duo of Jerome Robinson’s 26 points, and Ky Bowman with 24. They would get plenty of help from their friends as Boston College, for the second straight game, outrebounded the opposition. A plus nine vs State, which included 13 offensive rebounds that contributed 15 second-chance points for the Eagles

So far @JumpmanBowman has been on 🔥

8 points including 2 from behind the arc#ACCTourney pic.twitter.com/DX9hxIQOIX

— BC Men's Basketball (@BCMBB) March 7, 2018

After Robinson ties the game at 2-2, Boston College went on a 10-3 run to take a lead they would never give up in the first half. BC was not only knocking down shots from the perimeter, they were also getting baskets in the paint. Nik Popovic coming off a 20-point performance against Georgia Tech picked up where he left off, scoring six in the half by going to the hoop. Boston College did receive a scare when Popovic went down with what looked like a right ankle injury. He would hobble off to get an x-ray, but did return and finished the game with 15 on the day.

The Eagles would take their largest lead of the game on a Jordan Chatman three ball. With under a minute to go the Eagles were up 45-29. Chatman had 12 for the game.

State would score just before the half ended on a basket by Allerik Freeman. At halftime at the Barclays Center, it was BC by 14, 45-31. Freeman finished with 21.

HALFTIME at @barclayscenter as BC is controlling the boards … good guys in front at the break 45-31.#ACCTourney pic.twitter.com/bX7wtmY3sT

— BC Men's Basketball (@BCMBB) March 7, 2018

Boston College outscored North Carolina State 13-7 to begin the second half. The most impressive of those Eagles points was a Robinson dunk as he took the ball straight down the lane and finished with a one-handed rim-rattling flush.

A 6-0 run by State brought them back to within ten at 69-59. Markell Johnson had his own crowd pleasing thrown down and he finished with 10. Halfway through the second twenty minutes, State was trying to make a game of this.

The Eagles got back to back buckets from Juan Carlos Reyes, who had 10 points off the BC bench. It restored the double-digit advantage for Boston College at 73-61 with 6:45 left in the game.

It's a close one at the under four media TO. BC with a 77-75 lead with 3:28 remaining. NC State has made 7 of its last 8 to get back in it.#ACCTourney pic.twitter.com/ieFUW3lrgt

— BC Men's Basketball (@BCMBB) March 7, 2018

North Carolina State did not back down, and an 11-0 spurt tied the game at 75-75 with four minutes left. The big sequence in the run was a four-point play from Sam Hunt (13 for him). North Carolina State would tie the game four more times, the last time on free throws by Torin Dorn, 13 for him on the day, with 33 seconds left in the game to tie the score at 85 all.

Boston College fought off a State run. After an Eagles timeout, Robinson hit a big shot to give his team the lead back at 87-85. Then, on the ensuing inbounds pass, Robinson got his hand in the passing lane and stole the ball. Bowman would get fouled and step to the line where he dropped two free throws to give the Eagles four-point lead at 89-85.

The final call from ESPN's Sean McDonough following today's 91-87 #ACCTourney win.#WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/nDWcksJLIh

— BC Men's Basketball (@BCMBB) March 8, 2018

They would go on to survive and advance 91-87 over North Carolina State. The Eagles improved to 19-14 and State drops to 21-11. Up next for Boston College is a quarterfinal date with Clemson on Thursday afternoon.