Boston College vs. UMass in Hall of Fame Series at TD Garden: Game Central With Live Updates, Analysis

BOSTON, Mass. — The Bay-State rivalry between Boston College men’s basketball and UMass returns Friday afternoon at TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics, for the 2026 edition of the Hall of Fame Series Boston.

The Eagles and the Minutemen tip off at 4 p.m. in the first contest of the event, followed by a matchup between No. 4 UConn and No. 16 Michigan at 8 p.m.

It’s an exciting time for BC basketball, to say the least, as first-year head coach Luke Murray looks to build on the preseason hype around the former UConn assistant who took over at the helm for former head coach Earl Grant during the offseason.

The Eagles (1-0) enter Friday’s game after defeating Wagner 76-50 in their 2026-27 season opener, in which Montana transfer guard Money Williams recorded a team-high 22 points with five rebounds and four assists on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 11-of-15 from the stripe.

Slovenian freshman Žak Smrekar and senior Armoni Zeigler (Ball State transfer) also scored in double digits with 12 and 14 points, respectively, while sophomore Brandon Benjamin (Fairfield) collected a team-high 10 rebounds.

UMass (1-0) also won its season opener with a 71-60 triumph over Troy on Monday.

Below is everything you should know for the Hall of Fame Series matchup, including scoring, instant analysis, injuries, lineups, and more.

Scoring Rundown and Analysis

[Refresh your browser once the game starts for the latest updates]

2nd Half

FINAL: Boston College 71, UMass 55. Williams finishes with 35 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal to guide the Eagles (2-0) past the Minutemen.

3:40 - Money Williams has hit the 30-point mark.

3:51 - Money Williams hit a much-needed 3-pointer and Žak Smrekar added two points on free throws put BC ahead by 11. Cheik Sylla then sank two free throws for the Minutemen, who are now in the bonus.

6:17 - Things are getting more interesting, as Noa Zemljić just put in a floater off of one leg to cut the Minutemen's deficit to 55-49.

7:56 - 30 seconds earlier, Abdullah Ahmed touched in a hook shot over Brandon Benjamin to make it 55-45 in BC's favor. Closing this out will require a hard-fought effort from the Eagles, because it's been a back-and-forth game with big momentum swings in both directions.

11:56 - The Eagles have gotten into a decent rhythm and are now ahead by nine, 51-42. The three-point shooting, however, is something Luke Murray will have to address in a big way, as BC is an abysmal 1-for-18 from that range. But they've only turned the ball over twice in the game.

16:04 - Brandon Benjamin adds to the lead with a hook from underneath the basket, putting BC ahead 45-37. Prior to the bucket, Abdullah Ahmed was charged with an offensive foul, which marked the Minutemen's 10th turnover of the game.

16:48 - Armoni Zeigler rolls in an and-one layup with his left hand but does not hit the free throw for the additional point. The Eagles now lead 43-37.

1st Half

End of the first: Boston College 37, UMass 35. The Eagles shot just 1-for-15 from three in the half, but the Minutemen turned the ball over eight times.

0:18 - Money Williams has gone on a scoring surge, and he is now up to 21/4/3 as BC leads 37-35. The Eagles will likely have the last possession of the half, as they just crossed halfcourt and called a timeout.

3:56 - Žak Smrekar splashed a three from the top of the key to knot the score at 26 apiece, and Money Williams gave the Eagles their first lead with a layup. But Abdullah Ahmed responded with a 3-pointer.

5:55 - Rollie Castineyra rolled in a sweet reverse layup to take UMass' lead to 24-19, which Money Williams responded to with a layup for his 10th point of the afternoon. Junjie Wang then brought it back to a five-point game at 26-21 with a put-back lay.

11:36 - BC now trails 15-12. Brandon Benjamin has made a really big difference on the boards, and the Eagles have done a better job of closing out on the perimeter and blocking lanes.

13:25 - The Eagles have cut their deficit to 14-10 with layups from Brandon Benjamin and Money Williams. They came out of the timeout with more of an edge on the boards.

14:14 - UMass leads 14-6 at the first timeout of the game. Even though it has acquired open looks, BC is now 0-for-6 from beyond the arc.

The Eagles have started the game 0-for-5 from three-point range, while the Minutemen are 2-for-3.

17:05 - UMass takes a 9-4 lead on Dwayne Wimbley Jr.'s three from the corner, and Ahmed extends it to 11-4 with a floater.

Money Williams picks up the game's first two points with a pair of free throws, which Abdullah Ahmed responds to with a layup down the other end.

Injury Updates

[If an injury occurs during the game, this section will be updated]

Starting Lineups

[Starting lineups will be posted as tipoff nears]

Sophomore guard Jacob Furphy is out with a sprained MCL.

Boston College:

G - Money Williams (#0)
G - Ernest Shelton (#3)
G - Žak Smrekar (#24)
F - Colby Duggan (#2)
F - Luke Hunger (#33)

UMass:

G - Danny Carbuccia (#0)
G - Jordan Clayton (#3)
F - Dwayne Wimbley Jr. (#2)
F - Junjie Wang (#10)
C - Abdullah Ahmed (#1)

How to Watch: Boston College vs. UMass in Hall of Fame Series Boston at TD Garden

Who: Boston College Eagles and UMass Minutemen

When: Friday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. ET

Where: TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

TV: ESPN+

Radio: WEEI 850 AM or 93.7 FM

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