Despite a strong overall effort, it just was not enough for the Miami Hurricanes, as they fell 85-77 to the Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Conte Forum was packed on a Saturday night to watch this matchup. The inflated final score tells a deceiving story about the game. The Hurricanes battled and made this a tightly fought game until the end.
A high-scoring first half saw Miami tie the Eagles at the break. Boston College led by as many as 11 early in the first, but the ‘Canes were able to battle back and keep the game neck-and-neck till the end.
Juniors Matthew Cleveland and Norchad Omier both scored 20 points, but it was not enough, as the Eagles’ top scorers outdid Miami’s. Guard Mason Madsen led all scorers with 25 points, and forward Quinten Post was able to add another 23 for Boston College.
The injury bug struck again for the ‘Canes, as junior guard Nijel Pack was out for this game. Listed with a lower-body injury, Pack is expected to return in the coming weeks after scoring zero his last time out.
Freshman Paul Djobet contributed 20 solid minutes to Miami’s rotation while adding eight points off the bench. This was a rough performance for first-year guard Kyshawn George, as he only played 15 minutes, contributed zero points and fouled out.
Unlike in past performances, Miami shot the ball very well. The team shot 53% from the field and shot a whopping 50% from three-point range. UM was just never able to have a consistent defensive effort.
This loss only reinforces the thought that Miami will not play in the NCAA tournament this season, which is a disappointing reality for a team that had such high preseason expectations.
Miami gets another tough test against the Duke Blue Devils next Wednesday at home in the Watsco Center. Tip-off for this game is set for 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN.