MBB Makes History With Wild NIT Win Over Providence

It came down to the wire, but the 2024 men's basketball team made some history on Tuesday night.

Thanks to a big 17-point performance from Claudell Harris that included some clutch shot making late, BC beat Providence 62-57 in the first round of the NIT for the program's first postseason win since 2011.

The Eagles (20-15) have also won 20 games for the first time since that season and will now face either Princeton or UNLV in the second round this weekend.

Devin McGlockton added 15 points and nine rebounds and Quinten Post had 12 points despite being in foul trouble most of the game. In his place, freshman Elijah Jones had a big night with 10 points in 12 minutes. Providence was led by Jayden Pierre's 21 points.

"Really happy for our players, happy for our program," said head coach Earl Grant. "Providence played really good basketball, they've been doing it for years. We're trying to build and we're just fortunate to have a good group that came in, kept working hard and we was able to defend at a pretty high level. So, just happy for our players and happy for our program."

Playing against a Providence team with a small roster and arguably one of the best guards in the country Devin Carter out, BC still found itself in a dog fight with the Friars.

Offense was hard to come by early as the teams were knotted at just 8-8 seven minutes in. A sequence of a Madsen jumper, a Madsen steal and a Post put-back made it 16-16 with 10 to go.

The Friars built a 26-20 lead as Post once again got himself into foul trouble, this time picking up a third with 5:51 still remaining, forcing him to the bench. Surprisingly, BC held its own and Strong finished off a fast break layup off a dish from Zackery to tie the game at 26-26.

With 1:06 left Madsen found McGlockton for an alley oop to make it 30-30 and one of two Harris free throws with 14.8 left gave the Eagles the one-point lead. Some aggressive defense from Zackery with 0.9 remaining forced a turnover to close the half.

BC shot 40.&% and Providence shot 41.7% in the first 20 minutes. The Friars were just 3-12 from three while BC was just 2-8. Providence dominated the glass (18-11) but turned it over nine times, giving the Eagles 10 points.

"This is just a moment I've been waiting for all season," said Strong. "My guy on my right right here (Harris) has been telling me to stay ready all season, keep my head in it. I just let my confidence take over in that moment. It's not an environment I'm not used to. I just kept working, kept my head down and when I got my opportunity today I showed that."

"He's been working for this moment. He's a winner. He's a winning piece," Grant added. "He won big in high school. He won big in AAU. That's why we brought him here. We thought he could really help our program."

Four minutes into the second half BC turnovers allowed Providence to continue hanging around at 35-35. Jayden Pierre' drained a deep three with a little over 14 minutes left to put the Friars up 40-37, but Harris immediately answered with one of his own.?

Post sat down with 10:44 left and the Eagles down 44-42. He was on the floor about two minutes later and a little hook shot knotted things back up at 44 again.

Post picked up his fourth and hat to sit again with 7:41 remaining. With 5:01 to go, Harris missed one of two at the line to make it a 48-48 game. The Friars answered with an alley oop, but Strong buried a massive three to put the Eagles back in front 51-50 with 4:20 on the clock.

Providence missed a layup and after a timeout, Strong hit two free throws to make it a three-point game. Providence tied things back up at 55-55 on a Pierre three with the shot clock at one and 2:37 left in the game,

A hard Strong bucket put BC up two but a Providence hook shot from Oduro with 1:20 left after a timeout tied the game yet again, making it the 18th time on the night. Harris responded by hitting a step-back three with just 52 seconds left, putting the Eagles up 60-57.

On Providence's next possession, BC sealed it with a Harris steal. He missed a fast break layup, but McGlockton tapped home the rebound. One last Friars' miss and the Eagles dribbled out the clock, officially clinching the historic win.

"I think our mindset was to win," said Harris. "Getting in the postseason, the goal wasn't just to make it. You get to a place like this and you don't just get this far to get this far. So, we came in taking it one game at a time, one play at a time and just trying to advance."

Well, BC is advancing for the first time since the Bruins won the Stanley Cup and it doesn't feel like they plan on stopping any time soon.

"We've worked so hard to even have a chance to play in March," Strong added. "This is such a big accomplishment for us, especially where Boston College has been the last couple of years.

"So, it's just a big win. It's a big step forward for us. It's also our 20th win of the year, so that's a big step forward for us and we plan on keeping on climbing throughout March."