CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t overly convincing if you only look at the stat sheet. But Miami’s 77-71 win over Boston College on Saturday night had some good things for the visiting team, and it was evident in how they reacted when the game was over.
You would have thought the Hurricanes had knocked off a team ranked in the top 10 if you saw them as they walked off the court. This was more than just a team happy to get a win, and maybe some of it has to do with the fact that they haven’t fared well against the Eagles over the years. Miami is now 10-22 all-time against the Eagles, having snapped a 13-game losing streak to them late last season. Saturday’s win was also the first for the Hurricanes in Chestnut Hill in nearly 10 years after losing six straight there.
In fact, they felt so good about this win that they didn’t waste much time coming to talk to the media after the game. They got to the media room within the normal 10-minute cooling off period following a game.
“A great, great win for us,” is how head coach Frank Haith described it. He added: “This place has been tough on the Hurricanes, even prior to us getting to Miami. Just a gritty win for us. I thought our guys showed tremendous toughness.”
Haith’s last point can’t be emphasized enough. The Hurricanes haven’t been in a lot of close games this season, as Saturday’s game was just their fourth in 15 games that was decided by single digits. They got a very competitive game from the Eagles and weren’t able to put them away until the very end. In ACC play, they are more likely to get games like this than their previous four games, which they won by an average of 29.3 points.
A notable example of the mental toughness came from their best player, Jack McClinton. The senior guard didn’t have his best offensive night, scoring just 12 points on 4-12 shooting, but he came through big in the clutch. After a Tyrese Rice free throw brought BC within 59-57 with just under five minutes to play, McClinton hit a three-pointer from the right corner to make it a five-point game once again. A few minutes later, he followed up a layup by Rice with a drive to the basket for a layup of his own with 49 seconds left to put the Hurricanes up 70-65.
The Hurricanes had to survive without him for some of the last minute after he fouled out, but his clutch baskets helped set the stage for the free throw shooting that sealed the game. He scored seven points in the second half, and all of them came in the final five minutes.
“We hadn’t won up here in a long time,” McClinton said after the game. “We came out here and were really prepared for this game. Everybody had tremendous focus pre-game and during the scouting report.”
McClinton noted the importance of other players coming through for the Hurricanes, and that certainly happened as four others scored in double figures. Dwayne Collins and Brian Asbury led the way with 13 points apiece, and both were also keys in the Hurricanes’ 27-33 effort from the line as Collins was 11-14 and Asbury made five of six in the last 33 seconds. Collins also had a key offensive rebound that set up McClinton’s driving basket in the final minute.
Miami didn’t distinguish itself during non-conference play despite a good record. The Huricanes’ best win was at Kentucky, which isn’t a small win but the jury is out on just how good the Wildcats are. They lost to Connecticut in the Paradise Jam and lost at home to Ohio State. Later in December, they lost their ACC opener to Clemson. The only team besides Kentucky that the Hurricanes have defeated thus far that might make the NCAA Tournament is Robert Morris, who would only go as an automatic qualifier out of the Northeast Conference. (The Colonials currently lead the way there with a 5-1 mark.)
Winning at Boston College likely won’t go down as a signature win for the Hurricanes. But they looked like a team whose confidence is boosted with this win, and the manner in which they pulled it out also bodes well for them. It came at a good time, as they have three of the next four at home with the road game being at North Carolina. While the game in Chapel Hill will certainly be a major test, Miami looks more prepared for it now than they did before Saturday night.
Other Notable Games
Michigan State 75, Kansas 62: The Spartans are very much on a roll now after picking up their ninth straight win.
Clemson 63, North Carolina State 51: The Tigers are 16-0 and have now tuned up for a tough couple of games after a week off, as they host Wake Forest and then go to Chapel Hill.
Louisville 61, Villanova 60: A terrific battle between these squads in Philadelphia. The Cardinals led for a lot of the game, then Villanova got a late lead it couldn’t hold on to.
Marquette 75, West Virginia 53: The Golden Eagles are right there among the top Big East teams at 4-0 after this win.
Syracuse 82, Rutgers 66: The Orange are right with the Golden Eagles with a 4-0 Big East mark of their own.
Connecticut 81, Cincinnati 72: The Huskies pick up another road win, while the Bearcats lose their second straight game at home, a no-no for any team hoping to compete in the Big East.
Georgetown 82, Providence 75: A valiant effort on the road by the Friars, who now have a week off before hosting Marquette.
Mississippi State 70, Arkansas 56: A home loss for the Razorbacks was probably not how John Pelphrey wanted to follow up Tuesday’s great win over Texas.
California 88, Washington 85 (3 OT): The Golden Bears pull out one of two triple overtime games on the day goes to remain the early surprise in the Pac-10 with a 4-0 mark after sweeping the Washington schools on the road this weekend.
Arizona State 76, Oregon 58: The Ducks are now in an 0-4 hole in Pac-10 play.
Butler 54, Detroit 50: These two teams are heading in opposite directions, as the Bulldogs improve to 5-0 in Horizon League play and the Titans drop to 0-6.
South Florida 80, DePaul 58: Not only are the Blue Demons in an 0-4 hole in the Big East, but this was a bad loss at home.
Massachusetts 75, Dayton 62: A nice win for the Minutemen, who struggled in non-conference play but are now 1-0 in the Atlantic 10.
Saint Joseph’s 92, Rhode Island 86 (3 OT): The game of the day saw Ahmad Nivins post a 20-20 game for the first time in his career (28 points, 20 rebounds). It was the longest game for the Hawks since a four-overtime game in the NCAA Tournament back in 1961.
TCU 80, UNLV 73: Jim Christian is getting it done once again. TCU is 11-5 and 2-0 in the Mountain West after this win.
Indiana State 75, Illinois State 70 (OT): The Redbirds looked like they could be undefeated for a while, but have suddenly dropped two straight.
Utah State 77, New Mexico State 67: Don’t look now, but the Aggies are having another big year as they improve to 15-1 with this road win.
Northeastern 68, Towson 53: Northeastern improves to 5-0 in the CAA in a game that was never really competitive.
George Mason 61, Old Dominion 53: The Patriots keep pace with Northeastern as the only 5-0 teams in the CAA.
VCU 68, Hofstra 60: Hofstra continues to come back to earth, while VCU improves to 4-1 in CAA play.
Drexel 53, Georgia State 50: The Dragons have two CAA wins, and both have come on the road.
Davidson 84, Citadel 69: The Wildcats have now won 34 straight Southern Conference games.
Middle Tennessee State 68, Florida International 63: The Blue Raiders are the only undefeated team in the Sun Belt at 5-0.
Western Kentucky 78, Florida Atlantic 57: Ken McDonald continues to do a fine job with this team, as they improve to 4-1 in Sun Belt play. The Owls continue to struggle, falling to 4-13 overall and 0-5 in Sun Belt play.
Austin Peay 58, Murray State 57: What else is new? The Governors are 5-1 and tied atop the Ohio Valley Conference (with Morehead State), while the Racers, a preseason favorite among many prognosticators, are 2-3.
VMI 103, Coastal Carolina 102: VMI goes to 5-0 in the Big South.
Harvard 63, Dartmouth 62: At times, this game looked like it could be a letdown for Harvard following their win at BC on Wednesday, but they pulled it out at the end.
Long Beach State 86, UC Davis 78: The 49ers are the early leader in the Big West with a 4-0 mark after this road win.
Oral Roberts 68, Oakland 65 (OT): The Golden Eagles certainly had their struggles in non-league play, but after pulling this one out, they’re 4-1 in Summit League play.
