The University of Miami men’s basketball team delivered another convincing performance at the Watsco Center on Saturday, rolling past Boston College, 78-54, behind a dominant stretch to close the first half and a balanced offensive attack.
Boston College (10-19, 3-13 ACC) got off to a quick start, building a 13-6 advantage in the opening five minutes. Miami (23-6, 12-4 ACC) quickly flipped the momentum, responding with an 11-2 run to take control of the game. From there, the Hurricanes tightened up defensively, allowing just one Boston College field goal over the final eight and a half minutes of the half.
Miami closed the opening period on a decisive 19-2 surge, heading into halftime with a commanding 36-19 lead after holding the Eagles to just one basket down the stretch.
Boston College briefly chipped into the deficit early in the second half, cutting Miami’s lead to 13 points. The Hurricanes immediately answered with another burst, using a 13-2 run to stretch their advantage to 55-31 and effectively put the game out of reach. Miami maintained a lead of more than 20 points for the remainder of the contest.
Guard Tre Donaldson led Miami with 15 points while also adding three steals. Tru Washington contributed 14 points and delivered a disruptive defensive performance, recording a career-high six steals while finishing with a team-best plus-30 rating.
Ernest Udeh Jr. anchored the interior for the Hurricanes, recording his sixth double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds. The forward also made his presence felt defensively with three blocks and three steals.
Reserve guard Noam Dovrat provided a spark from the perimeter, knocking down four three-pointers on his way to a season-high 12 points. The hot shooting performance continued a recent surge from long distance, as he has connected on five of his last seven attempts from beyond the arc.
Miami’s defense played a major role in the victory. The Hurricanes forced 18 Boston College turnovers and matched their season-high with 14 steals. Miami also controlled the interior, outscoring the Eagles 42-28 in the paint while turning turnovers into 22 points. On the glass, the Hurricanes held a 35-28 rebounding advantage.
Boden Kapke paced Boston College with 18 points, while Fred Payne and Jayden Hastings each finished with 11.
The win evens the all-time series between the programs at 31-31 and keeps Miami firmly in third place in the ACC standings with two regular-season games remaining. The top four teams in the conference standings earn a double-bye into the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, which will be held March 10-14 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Miami will close out its regular-season road schedule Wednesday night with a matchup against SMU before returning home next Saturday to host No. 24 Louisville at the Watsco Center. The game against SMU is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will air on the ACC Network.
