Syracuse, N.Y. — In an exhilarating matchup, J.J. Starling led the Syracuse basketball team with an impressive 28 points as they triumphed over Boston College with a final score of 95-86 in a thrilling triple overtime game on Saturday.
Eddie Lampkin Jr. also had a noteworthy performance, not only scoring 14 points but also recording a substantial double-double with 18 rebounds. Supporting him were Jyare Davis, who contributed 16 points, along with reserve players Chris Bell and Elijah Moore, who added 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Syracuse, which now holds a record of 11-13 overall and 5-8 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
On the Eagles’ side, Donald Hand Jr. matched Starling’s scoring by posting 28 points, while Joshua Beadle contributed 16 points. Other key players included Chad Venning with 11 points and Fred Payne who added 10.
The turning point in the game came when Davis put up a layup, giving the Orange an 87-85 lead to start the third overtime, and they maintained that lead until the end.
In a tense moment during the second half with the score tied at 85, Syracuse’s Kyle Cuffe Jr. managed to strip the ball from Hand in the final seconds, racing to half court where he attempted a shot that clanged off the back of the rim, sending the game into a third overtime.
Tension built in the second overtime with Lampkin regaining possession with 22.6 seconds left after Beadle lost control of the ball. Lampkin quickly passed to Starling, whose hurried three-point shot failed, leading to the second additional period of play.
The drama continued in regulation when Payne calmly sank a deep three-pointer out of a timeout, tying the game at 67 with just 1.2 seconds left, pushing it into overtime.
Syracuse faced challenges at the free-throw line, as Starling, Lampkin, and others missed critical opportunities in the final seconds of regulation and overtime, keeping the game tightly contested.
This game marked a historic moment as it was the first triple-overtime match in Boston College’s basketball history, while Syracuse had last experienced a triple-overtime game back in 2009 against UConn during their Big East Conference days.
Looking ahead, Boston College (10-13, 2-10) is set to take on Notre Dame in their next game, while Syracuse prepares to face Miami on Tuesday.
