On Sunday, Boston College men’s basketball was 20 minutes away from its fifth straight loss and an ACC-worst 0-5 start to conference play. That was before Ky Bowman and Jordan Chatman erupted for a combined seven second-half 3-pointers and 34 points. Led by the veteran guards, the Eagles outscored No. 11 Florida State, 51-36, in the back half of regulation and eventually came away with a five-point win. In what was a game of runs, BC picked up its third ranked victory in the past two years—all of which have come at home. Here are the 10 biggest plays from the Eagles’ first ACC win of the year, a game that could serve as a springboard for head coach Jim Christian’s team.
1. Chatman Drills Third-Straight Second-Half 3-pointer
—> BC 57 FSU 50, 13:34 Left
Chatman, who missed three games with an ankle injury earlier this year, has been struggling to find his shot all season—but if the past two games are any indication, the 25-year-old sharpshooter has his stroke back. After racking up six triples against Louisville, Chatman dialed up five—all in the second half—versus the Seminoles, including three consecutive in the span of just a minute and a half. He capped the scoring spurt with a pump fake and a swish from the left side of the arc, extending his team’s 21-4 run.
2. Wynston Tabbs Hits the Dagger
—> BC 84 FSU 77, 0:24 Left
Like Chatman, Wynston Tabbs was bit by the injury bug in non-conference play. The freshman guard—who exploded onto the scene, earning ACC Rookie of the Week honors back in mid-December—missed a pair of conference games and, in the process, got out of sync. But Tabbs, although off at times, seemed to right the ship against FSU. After all, he drilled the 3-pointer that put the game out of reach, from NBA range no less.
3. Raiquan Gray Euro Step And-One Conversion
—> FSU 38 BC 25, 6:00 Left in First Half
Thanks to Bowman’s perfect start from the field, the Eagles’ one-man show gave the Seminoles fits in the early going. Yet as soon as FSU strung together baskets, Bowman’s efforts appeared to be all for naught. After going 2-of-8 from the field to begin regulation, the Seminoles made 10 of their next 12 shots. BC couldn’t buy a stop, and FSU couldn’t miss. Pushing the Seminoles’ run to 15-1, Raiquan Gray drove to the paint, euro-stepped past the ACC logo, and sustained a Steffon Mitchell blocking foul, all while getting a floater to fall to set up the and-one conversion.
4. Ky Bowman Sinks Game-Tying Crossover 3-pointer
—> BC 48 FSU 48, 16:09 Left
There’s nothing like a good crossover. Bowman, who has a knack for making his fair share of highlight-reel plays, crossed up P.J. Savoy less than four minutes into the second half and then drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the arc. Normally, the sequence would have garnered attention anyway, but this particular triple tied the game at 48 points apiece, making it all the more memorable. The arrows were flying for Bowman, who started the game 9-of-11 from the floor.
5. Terrance Mann Keeps FSU’s Hopes Alive With Triple
—> BC 81 FSU 77, 0:51 Left
FSU—a team that ranks 28th in the nation in bench minutes, per KenPom—doesn’t have one signature scorer. That said, if there’s anyone that head coach Leonard Hamilton could entrust to take a shot in the clutch, it’d probably be Terrance Mann. The Lowell, Mass. native finished the day with 14 points and converted his second 3-point attempt of the afternoon with less than a minute remaining in the game to cut the Seminoles’ deficit to four.
6. Wynston Tabbs Knocks Down Jumper to Kickstart Second Half
—> FSU 46 BC 38, 19:36 Left
BC outscored FSU, 11-6, in the final five minutes and 45 seconds of the first period, but even that wasn’t enough to make up for its mid-half defensive breakdown. The Eagles needed to carry their momentum into the second frame, and luckily for Christian, Tabbs did just that. On BC’s first possession of the period, the freshman guard rolled off a Nik Popovic screen and pulled up from the top of the key to jumpstart the Eagles’ second-half offense.
7. Ky Bowman 3-pointer Over 7-foot-4 Christ Koumadje
—> BC 24 FSU 23, 9:38 Left in First Half
Positioned underneath the basket, Bowman sneakily retreated to the right wing and launched a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer over the 7-foot-4 Christ Koumadje. Despite the 15-inch height difference, the NBA prospect got the shot off and watched as it fell through the net just midway through the opening frame, marking his fourth triple of the day. At this point, it was pretty clear that Bowman was going to have himself one of his marquee performances.
8. Mfiondu Kabengele’s Career Day Continues With Turnaround Jumper
—> BC 61 FSU 56, 10:58 Left
Mann might have helped FSU make a late-game push, but Kabengele deserves all the credit for keeping the Seminoles afloat throughout the second half. The 6-foot-10 forward was the only FSU player to record more than five points in the period—he cleared that mark by a mile, logging 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. His six shot conversions accounted for half of the Seminoles’ field goal output in the second frame. Not only was he scoring inside, but he also drained a handful of mid-range shots, including a smooth turnaround jumper at the top of the key.
9. Steffon Mitchell Stuffs Mann for Third Block of the Day
—> BC 77 FSU 70, 1:50 Left
When healthy, Steffon Mitchell is a difference maker on the court, not necessarily in terms of scoring, but in just about every other facet of the game. A renowned stat sheet stuffer, the Shakopee, Minn. native racked up eight rebounds—three of which came on the offensive end—four assists, three blocks, and two steals without attempting a single shot from the floor. Mitchell’s third and final block was particularly notable, as he rejected Mann from behind to preserve BC’s seven-point lead with less than two minutes remaining.
10. David Nichols Spots Up Wide-Open 3-pointer on Right Wing
—> FSU 43 BC 31, 3:11 Left in First Half
Of late, Christian has flip flopped back and forth between a man-to-man and a 2-3 zone defense. Neither have worked exceptionally well, but the zone has been especially inconsistent. Amid the Seminoles’ first-half shooting frenzy, M.J. Walker penetrated and kicked the ball out to a wide-open David Nichols. The Albany transfer netted the corner 3-pointer with ease and actually could have very well knocked down another from the exact same spot the next possession. Both times, BC’s defense collapsed, and no one followed Nichols to the perimeter.
Featured Image by Julia Hopkins / Heights Senior Staff
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