The regular season has been disastrous for Miami Hurricanes Men’s Basketball, who struggled to stay healthy all season and limped to a 14th-place finish in the ACC. However, the slim chance of winning the ACC tournament gave Miami some hope that it could still qualify for the NCAA tournament.
That hope was extinguished on Tuesday night by the Boston College Eagles as they coasted to an 81-65 win over Miami, ending the Hurricanes’ season in brutal disappointment.
“It’s been a very challenging season,” said Miami head coach Jim Larranaga, “I feel whatever strategy we had throughout the season didn’t materialize as the way to play our best basketball. Boston College was very, very good.”
All five starters were active in Miami’s first-round loss, a rare sight this season, but it was not enough. The Canes shot just 38% from the field, including 7-29 on three-point attempts.
Meanwhile, BC (18-14, 8-12 ACC) shot a stellar 49% on field goal attempts, along with 11 threes. Senior forward Quinten Post dominated Miami (15-17, 6-14 ACC) all night, posting 30 points and 13 rebounds to help the Eagles advance. Post was trailed in points by junior guard Jaeden Zackery, who scored 16.
Junior guard Nijel Pack and forward Norchad Omier led Miami with 18 points each, and Omier posted a double-double with 13 rebounds.
Both teams started the game hot, shooting the ball, with six threes between them in the first five minutes. However, a 14-0 run by Boston College gave the Eagles a 27-13 advantage nine minutes in, as Post scored more than Miami as a team.
The Canes battled back, reducing what was once a 16-point lead to eight, but their shooting struggles continued. They shot 33% from the field and found themselves in a 15-point hole at the half.
Post led the Eagles’ excellent first half with 17 points and six rebounds while also getting Omier into foul trouble. Zackery also contributed 11 points on perfect 5-5 shooting.
Pack notched 11 points of his own in the first half to lead Miami, with Omier following behind him with eight points but on only 3-10 shooting.
Boston College’s three-point shooting catalyzed its comfortable first-half lead, as the Eagles nailed eight threes at a 40% clip in the first 20 minutes. However, Miami forced five turnovers in the first half, which may have prevented the game from getting too out of hand early.
Miami came out in the second half playing with more energy. The ‘Canes cut the lead to 10 after a 6-0 run. However, Boston College’s defense stepped up and halted Miami’s offense, and the Eagles brought the lead back up to 16 with 11 minutes remaining.
The Hurricanes refused to go away, going on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 64-56. However, BC again had an answer for everything Miami threw at it. With three minutes left, the lead swelled back up to 14, and the Canes could not get crucial shots to fall.
Miami never got within single digits the rest of the way as Boston College won handily, 81-65.
Miami will now look to the NIT if they are extended an offer and accept it, or on to the 2024-25 season if not. A healthy and revamped Hurricanes squad should be a team to look out for next season, with the additions of No. 6 recruit Jalil Bethea and No. 43 recruit Austin Swartz, along with the possibility of returning stars such as Pack and Omier.