Boise State’s shot at tourney title comes down to final seconds against Boston College

One day after escaping with a one-point win in the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic, the Boise State men’s basketball team had the tables turned Tuesday evening in the championship game.

Boston College’s Joshua Beadle hit a step-back 3-pointer from the corner with 2 seconds left to give the Eagles (6-1) a 63-61 win over the Broncos (5-2). The impressive shot came after BSU guard Alvaro Cardenas hit a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left for a 61-60 lead.

Free throws were a big theme for keeping Boise State in the game. After Javan Buchanan’s layup gave the Broncos a 52-45 lead with 8:55 remaining, they did not make another field goal, going 0-for-6 from the floor, with three turnovers.

“There’s a lot we’ve got to get better at,” coach Leon Rice said in a radio interview after the game on KBOI 670-AM. “ ... That’s why you come to these, so you can improve and continue to get better.”

Buchanan had his second straight big game coming off the bench and made the all-tournament team. After pouring in 28 points in the semifinals, the 6-foot-7 transfer from Indiana Wesleyan scored 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting. He scored 13 points to help the Broncos erase a halftime deficit and take a 48-40 lead midway through the second half.

“He can score inside, can score outside, he can handle the ball,” Rice said. “We’re gonna use him more. We’ve used him a lot in the last two games.”

Boston College used a 20-7 run to take a 60-55 lead with 3:19 left, and Boise State used six made free throws to grab the 61-60 edge before Beadle’s big shot. He scored 13 points off the bench for the Eagles, who were led by Chad Venning’s 16 points.

Tyson Degenhart was the only other double-figure scorer for the Broncos, with 10 points. He struggled from the field, going 2-for-9, and Boise State as a team shot 20-for-51, only 39.2%. They were 17-for-22 on free throws.