Tuesday, November 18th, 7:30 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Silvio O. Conte Forum (8,606) -- Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Television: ESPN2. Home Record: St. John's 1-0, Boston College 2-0. Away Record: St. John's 0-0, Boston College 0-0. Neutral Record: St. John's 1-0, Boston College 0-0. Conference Record: St. John's 0-0, Boston College 0-0. Series Record: St. John's leads, 45-20.

GAME NOTES: In the East Regional final of the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament, the Boston College Eagles will host the St. John's Red Storm at the Conte Forum. The winner of this matchup will head to Madison Square Garden to battle the winner of the North Regional title game on November 26th. The Red Storm, who opened the year with a strong 73-63 win over LIU, defeated Cornell, 86-75 in the first matchup of this tournament. St. John's comes into this year with something to prove after collecting just 11 victories this past season, including only five in Big East action. As for the Eagles, they pounded Loyola-Maryland in the first matchup of the tournament by a tune of 90-57. Boston College, which tallied just 14 wins this past season, opened the new campaign with a strong, 80-65 victory over Central Connecticut. These two schools are no stranger to each other, as this will be the 66th meeting between the two teams on the hardwood. The Red Storm hold a commanding, 45-20 edge over BC, but the Eagles were victorious in the last matchup, defeating St. John's 79-73.

The Red Storm rained all over the Big Red in the first matchup of the tournament, shooting 54.2 percent from the floor en route to the 11-point win. Anthony Mason Jr. shot just 2-of-11 from the field in the first game of the year, but put forth a much better showing against Cornell, netting a team-best 24 points. D.J. Kennedy, who posted 23 points and seven rebounds in the opener, continued to flourish for St. John's as the forward pounded the Big Red for 22 points, and also pulled down six caroms. Malik Boothe led the way for the Eagles on the floor, as the guard paced the team with nine assists, while also scoring 14 points. Justin Burrell also had a strong showing for the Red Storm, as the forward posted a double-double in the win, chipping in 11 points to go along with 11 rebounds.

The Eagles continued to soar high in their win over Loyola, as the Eagles shot a strong 50.9 percent from the field and also connected on 8-of-18 three-point baskets. BC also netted 24-of-34 attempts from the foul line in the victory, while winning the battle on the glass, 46-30. Joe Trapani, who scored 13 points and grabbed nine boards in the opener, continued his strong play against the Greyhounds, netting 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Tyrese Rice, who averaged 21.0 ppg this past season, tallied 16 points for the Eagles, while also dishing out six assists. Corey Raji and Josh Southern both worked well in the paint, grabbing nine rebounds apiece, while scoring 14 and 12 points, respectively. Boston College also did a tremendous job defensively, limiting the Greyhounds to a mere 34.9 percent shooting effort from the field, which included a pathetic 4-of-21 clip from behind the arc.

Both teams have opened the year with some immediate success, but the Eagles possess a stronger frontcourt, and will have the most talented player on the court in Rice. Expect St. John's to keep things close for a while, but Boston College should pull away down the stretch.

Predicted Outcome

Boston College 77, St. John's 65