WASHINGTON — Quinten Post paired 30 points with 13 rebounds to propel Boston College past Miami 81-65 in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament on Tuesday.
Post netted 17 points in the first half, including nine during a 14-0 run that gave the 11th-seeded Eagles (18-14) a lead they never relinquished. Jaeden Zackery chipped in 16 points for Boston College, which faces sixth-seeded Clemson in the final second-round game on Wednesday.
Norchad Omier powered the 14th-seeded Hurricanes (15-17) with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Nijel Pack added 18 in his return to the lineup after missing five of Miami’s last six games with a lower-body injury.
Matthew Cleveland chipped in 12 points as the Hurricanes finished the season with 10 straight losses and an 0-3 mark against Boston College.
Miami trailed by 16 midway through the second half before whittling its deficit to 64-56 on Michael Nwoko’s layup with 8:04 to play.
Devin McGlockton answered to calm the Hurricanes’ surge, and Post followed with a 3-pointer from the top of the key that widened the Eagles’ lead to 69-56.
Boston College held at least an 11-point lead over the final seven minutes to notch its third straight win.
The Eagles led 47-32 at halftime after shooting 50 percent from the field and drilling eight 3-pointers.
Omier muscled in two baskets to spring Miami ahead 7-2 before the pace quickened as both teams warmed up from distance.
After Mason Madsen hit the Eagles’ first 3-pointer, the Hurricanes and Post each drilled two treys in a 55-second span to level the score at 13.
Post continued to cook, scoring the game’s next five points as the Hurricanes’ offense stalled. Madsen drilled another triple and Post tacked on two free throws to cap the 14-0 stretch that boosted Boston College ahead 27-13 at the 11:10 mark of the first half.
Pack’s free throw ended a 3:56 scoreless stretch for Miami, which clawed within 34-26 on Bensley Joseph’s jumper with 5 1/2 minutes to play.
Claudell Harris Jr. answered with a trey to replenish the Eagles’ double-digit advantage and tacked on another deep ball as the half ticked below two minutes. Zackery’s triple with six seconds left closed the first-half scoring.
Zackery finished the half with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting to complement Post’s 17.
–Tanner Malinowski, Field Level Media