Miami basketball survives and advances to first ACC Tournament semi since 2016
The Miami basketball team advanced to its first ACC Tournament quarterfinal since 2016 with a 71-69 overtime win over Boston College. Miami earned the dramatic win with a Jordan Miller fastbreak layup off a pass from Charlie Moore. Sam Waardenburg rebounded an Eagles’ miss and got the outlet pass to Moore.
The win by Miami advances the Hurricanes to their first ACC Tournament semifinal since 2016. Waiting for Miami is Duke. The Blue Devils needed a 10-0 run to close the game to eliminate shorthanded Syracuse 88-79. Miami won 76-74 at Duke in January. Duke won the regular-season ACC Championship.
The Miami basketball team had exceptional balance earning the victory. Kameron McGusty led Miami with 16 points, Moore scored 15, Isaiah Wong 15 and Miller 13. McGusty and Moore had six assists and Sam Waardenburg had nine points, nine rebounds, with four offensive and three blocks for the Hurricanes.
Miami started slowly with the Eagles taking a 12-5 lead. The Hurricanes answered with a 16-5 run to take a 21-17 lead. From that point on neither team had bigger than a four-point lead in the first half. Miami took a 34-32 lead at halftime. The Hurricanes extended the lead to 39-34 early in the second half.
Boston College answered with an 11-2 run to take a 47-41 lead. The Eagles maintained the lead until a Miller free throw with 6:19 remaining gave Miami a 57-56 advantage. That was in the middle of a 9-0 Miami run. Miller extended the lead to 61-56 on a layup from a Waardenburg pass with 3:56 remaining.
With 1:27 remaining Jaeden Zackery tied the score at 62. Moore answered with 1:02 left to give Miami a one-point lead. McGusty split a pair of free throws with 32 seconds remaining before Zackery made a three-point shot to tie the game with 23 seconds remaining. Isaiah Wong had a turnover with three seconds remaining.
Brevin Galloway of Boston College secured the ball and hit the front of the rim from beyond halfcourt at the regulation buzzer. Miller had a tip-in to begin overtime. Miami never trailed in the extra session. The entirety of overtime was a one-possession game before the late Miami heroics earned the victory.
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Boston College was attempting to become the first 13th seed to advance to the ACC Tournament semifinals. The Eagles were only the second 13th seed to win two games in the ACC Tournament and advance to the quarterfinals. Miami earned two wins and advanced to the 2021 ACC Tournament quarterfinals.