BOSTON, Mass. – The Boston College men’s basketball team earned a 71-55 victory in the Commonwealth Classic over Massachusetts Friday evening at TD Garden. Money Williams delivered a stellar performance to lead the Eagles, recording a game-high 35 points while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out five assists in a full 39 and a half minutes of action. He became the first Boston College player since Feb. 1, 2025, to score 30-plus points in a game.
Zak Smrekar scored 12 points and pulled down five rebounds, while Brandon Benjamin provided a spark off the bench with 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting, along with eight rebounds.
Armoni Zeigler anchored Boston College’s defense, matching a career-high five steals alongside four points and three assists.
On defense, the Eagles held UMass to just 38.9% from the field, allowing only seven field goals in the second half. Boston College took advantage of ball security, committing just four turnovers all afternoon while collecting three blocks and eight steals. At the charity stripe, the Eagles shot 92.3% (24-of-26), their best performance since Towson (11/22/16).
FIRST HALF
- Money Williams converted a pair of free throws at the 19:33 mark to score Boston College’s first points of the contest.
- UMass followed with a 9-2 scoring run to jump out to a seven-point advantage into the first media timeout.
- Brandon Benjamin hit a jumper in the paint with 13:42 remaining in the half to cut the deficit to six at 14-8. The Eagles would then cut the deficit to four following another Benjamin layup and a Williams layup.
- At 26-21, the Eagles tied it after a pair of Williams free throws and a Zak Smrekar 3-pointer with 5:26 left in the period. Williams then scored his 14th point of the half to give Boston College its first lead of the evening, 29-28.
- Money Williams scored on a driving layup with 2:19 remaining to extend the Eagles’ lead to 35-29 before the Eagles carried a 37-35 advantage into halftime.
SECOND HALF
- Brandon Benjamin threw down a dunk at the 17:13 mark to give Boston College a 41-37 lead early in the second half. Armoni Zeigler stole the ball and finished a fast-break layup to extend the cushion to 43-37.
- Boston College extended its lead to 55-43, their largest of the evening, after Money Williams drained another set of free throws.
- Both teams would then trade buckets before UMass cut the deficit to four points with six minutes remaining.
- Money Williams drained a 3-pointer with 4:37 on the clock to stretch the Eagles’ lead to 60-51.
- Brandon Benjamin capped off the victory by making two fast-break free throws with 12 seconds remaining to seal the 71-55 win.
NOTES
- Money Williams played close to 40 minutes and scored 35 points, going a perfect 13-of-13 from the charity stripe. He added nine rebounds and five assists.
- Brandon Benjamin provided 10 points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes, going 4-for-4 from the field off the bench.
- Armoni Zeigler led all players with five steals. He added four points, two rebounds, three assists, and a block.
- Boston College was secure with the ball, committing four turnovers, the first time since Nov. 6, 2025.
- The Eagles capitalized on defense, outscoring the Minutemen 22-4 in points off turnovers.
UP NEXT
- Boston College will face off against Maryland Eastern Shore on November 10 at Conte Forum.
- Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with action streaming live on ACC Network Extra.
- The Eagles lead the Hawks 4-0, including the most recent matchup (11/15/16), which the Eagles won 73-57.
