Boston College
Miami
Men's Basketball Defeats Miami, Wins ACC Opener
December 06, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2009
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Sophomore Reggie Jackson tallied 18 points and nine rebounds and junior Corey Raji totaled 17 points and nine rebounds to lead Boston College to a 61-60 Atlantic Coast Conference win over Miami before 5,063 fans in Conte Forum.
Jackson scored the Eagles' last four points to snap a 57-57 tie and give the home team the victory. The sophomore scored off an offensive rebound with 1:47 to play and then, after Miami missed on three-point attempts on its next two possessions, Jackson sank two free throws with 2.3 seconds left to give BC a four-point cushion.
Miami's Malcolm Grant hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to account for the final score.
BC extended a six-point halftime margin to as many as 16 points in the second half, the last time coming on a Dallas Elmore field goal with 12:07 left (54-38). Miami then held the Eagles without a field goal (and just one free throw) for more than seven minutes, trimming the margin to six points at 55-49.
After junior captain Biko Paris gave BC an eight-point edge with a field goal with 4:46 to play, Miami ran off eight straight points to tie the game with 2:25 to play.
The Hurricanes didn't score again until the final second of play.
Miami led by as many as six points early in the game and maintained a four-point margin (23-19) with six minutes left in the half, before the Eagles closed the half with a 12-2 run to gain a 31-25 lead. Jackson scored five points in this late stretch.
Raji and senior Tyler Roche each scored seven first-half points.
BC carried its momentum into the second half, scoring the first six points to gain a 12-point advantage. The Eagles extended the margin to 16 points, only to see Miami rally and erase its deficit, and Jackson step in and salvage the victory for the home team.
Game Notes: BC outrebounded Miami, 46-21 (plus-25), the largest rebounding margin by a BC team since outrebounding New Hampshire, 47-20 (plus-27) on Nov. 10, 2006. BC and Miami entered the game as the top two rebounding teams in the ACC (by rebounding margin) ... BC has now grabbed 40 or more rebounds in five games this season ... BC gained an 18-5 scoring advantage at the free-throw line ... Paris was credited with a game-high seven assists.
