Elijah Strong logged a career-high 25 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double as Boston College edged past visiting Temple 72-69 Friday at Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Strong (11-of-19 from the field) scored 15 to help the Eagles (2-1) build a 14-point lead in the first half. They then withstood a comeback before holding the visitors to just one field goal over the final 8:42.
Donald Hand Jr. added 17 points and Chad Venning 10 to the Boston College offense.
The Eagles shot 42.6 percent, including 56.3 in the opening half.
Jamal Mashburn Jr. led Temple (3-1) with 23 points and four assists, while Steve Settle III scored 15 to go along with eight rebounds.
After the teams traded baskets across the opening three minutes of the second hald, Temple rattled off a 9-0 run across 3:55 to take a 55-50 lead with 13:24 to go. Settle’s tough layup through two defenders flipped the scoreboard the Owls’ way, while Zion Stanford’s coast-to-coast finish closed the run.
Hand’s 3-pointer helped the Eagles go on a 5-0 run to get back even before Elijah Gray (10 points) hit a straight-on three and made a layup with 8:42 to go to give Temple a 61-57 lead.
From there, both teams were held scoreless from the field until Hand’s transition dunk and Strong’s 3-point play gave Boston College a 64-63 lead at the 5:06 mark.
Strong scored two key late baskets, including crashing the glass for a layup with 26 seconds left for a 70-66 lead, but Mashburn’s banked three broke Temple’s eight-minute field-goal drought.
Strong increased the Eagles’ lead with a free throw before drawing a charge on Gray to turn the ball back over, allowing Chas Kelley III to pad the lead to three. Mashburn’s last 3-point attempt fell short.
Stanford blocked three shots to keep Temple close down the stretch.
After falling behind by 14, the Owls closed within 46-41 at halftime, capping an 11-5 run on Mashburn’s fall-away jumper with 40 seconds left.
–Field Level Media
