To escape the first round of the 2024 ACC Tournament, Boston College men’s basketball needed to do what it hadn’t done in 17 years—beat a team three times in a single season. Though its opponent, Miami, had lost nine consecutive games prior to Tuesday night’s matchup, the Hurricanes’ Final Four-level talent still posed a challenge to BC.
But led by Quinten Post, BC (18–14, 8–12 Atlantic Coast) delivered the Hurricanes (15–17, 6–14) their 10th consecutive loss, clutching a comfortable 81–65 victory. Four Eagles scored in double figures as BC head coach Earl Grant improved his ACC Tournament record to 4–2.
“It goes back to just the experience on our team—they don’t panic,” Grant said. “We’re not perfect, but they don’t panic, and they just keep trying to figure things out.”
Post, who was recently named to the All-ACC Second Team, showed exactly why he earned the accolade in the game’s early minutes. Despite falling behind 7–2 after an 0-of-3 start from deep, Post eventually strung together 11 consecutive BC points, securing the Eagles a 22–13 lead by the 12:27 mark.
The 7-footer scored 17 of his 30 total points in the first half and finished the game two points away from a career high.
“I think he wants to continue his brotherhood,” Grant said. “He’s been playing with good energy, good passion—he’s been doing it all year. I think that’s the biggest thing, just the brotherhood and wanting to continue to play with his brothers.”
While BC held a steady double-digit lead for much of the first half, the Hurricanes cut their deficit down to eight with 5:29 left in the period. But once their 3-point shots began to fall, the Eagles took a 47–32 lead into the locker room at halftime, even without receiving a single point from Post after Miami cut BC’s lead to single digits.
BC knocked down 11 3-pointers on the night.
The Eagles held strong to open the second half, and a quick 6–0 flurry pushed their lead to 16 points with 11:56 remaining in regulation. Still, Miami threatened as the clock trickled along, cutting its deficit to single digits for the first time all half less than four minutes later.
“Good teams make runs,” Grant said. “Miami’s got some good players, and so they can make shots. They’re big and physical. [They] got an all-conference player, got guys who can make a lot of threes.”
Post, playing in his final ACC Tournament, would have none of it. Less than a minute after the Hurricanes’ 7–0 run, the 7-footer drilled his third 3-pointer of the game to restore a safe 13-point lead for BC.
“We just stayed steady, and our guys just continued to execute, and it got back on track,” Grant said.
Post’s basket effectively ended both the Hurricanes’ chances of a comeback and their season, as BC drove its lead all the way up to 19 points in the ensuing minutes.
The Eagles win set up a late-night second-round matchup against Clemson on Wednesday, giving BC the opportunity to advance to the ACC Tournament quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons. To do so, however, relies on getting the little things right, according to Claudell Harris Jr.
“We have to lead the team into not only being good on the court, but off the court as well,” Harris Jr. said. “Hydrating, eating well, making sure we get rest, make sure we stretch, make sure that everything’s right mentally, physically, and emotionally, and be ready for tomorrow.”
