In a matchup of two determined teams, both with superstar duos coming off big performances, the game was won by smart shot selection and decision making by Boston College.
While Miami rallied behind the three-point shooting of Guillermo Diaz and Robert Hite, seeming capable in the second half of knocking off its third straight top 25 team, the Eagles were paced by Craig Smith and Jared Dudley to clinch their first ACC road victory.
Despite Hite and Diaz outscoring Smith and Dudley 40 to 33, it was the little things that mattered in this game. Smith and Dudley shot 9-for-16 from the field and went 14-for-19 from the foul line, while Hite and Diaz went 16-of-38 from the field.
In the first half Miami held Dudley to one point, but Smith had his way underneath the boards.
In the second half Miami came out firing but couldn’t contain Dudley, and Smith continued to attack the glass, finishing with 14 rebounds.
“We’re going to attack the basket and use our big men,” said Eagles Head Coach Al Skinner. “That is the style of play that we excel at it. Miami is a shooting team, and though they made some great shots tonight, it is tougher at the end of the game to rely on jump shooting.”
Mike Holt can be contacted at m.holt@umiami.edu.