Boston College Meets UMass in Commonwealth Classic

Boston College and UMass will meet at TD Garden in Boston on November 6, with both teams entering the game 1-0. The Eagles are seeking to end a four-game skid against the Minutemen in the rivalry, revived last season. UMass won that meeting 76-74 in Springfield.

Boston College opened its season with a 76-50 win over Wagner. Montana transfer Money Williams led the Eagles with 22 points. Coach Luke Murray said afterward that he was not satisfied with the performance, and the matchup with UMass offers a stiffer early test.

The Eagles’ rebounding will be a key concern after Wagner collected 13 offensive boards to Boston College’s seven. UMass forward Wang Junjie started his season with 18 points and 13 rebounds in a 70-61 comeback victory over Troy. Jordan Clayton scored 16 in that game, while Abdullah Ahmed blocked seven shots in 18 minutes.

UMass built a 25-point lead against Troy with a 32-1 run, but managed just eight points in the final nine minutes. The Minutemen also scored 18 fast-break points. Boston College will need to limit transition chances and keep its available big men out of foul trouble, particularly with Jacob Furphy sidelined by injury.

Armoni Zeigler could be important off the bench for the Eagles. He scored 14 points against Wagner, and Murray used an eight-player rotation in that opener. Friday’s game is an early test for Murray’s team against a UMass side that began its season with a win.