For a brief moment, the Miami Hurricanes (4-9, 0-2 ACC) seemed to be back on track, dominating Boston College (9-5, 1-2 ACC) in the first half of their 78-68 New Year’s Day loss. The Canes played their best basketball of the season, showcasing superb defense, hustle, and poise. They grabbed 17 rebounds, tallied six blocks, and controlled the tempo, even building a 19-point lead. But as the clock ticked down to halftime, Boston College made a 6-0 run, cutting the lead to 41-29.
When the second half started, everything changed. Miami, once poised and in control, was now floundering, while the Eagles surged. In just 10 minutes, the Hurricanes committed more turnovers (6) than they had in the entire first half (4). Miami finished with 11 turnovers, but it was their porous defense and dreadful shooting from beyond the arc that sealed their fate. The Canes hit only 3 of 12 three-point attempts in the second half, finishing the game at a dismal 5-23 from long range, while BC shot 4-7 from deep.
On the bright side, Isaiah Cleveland continued to shine for Miami, leading all scorers with 21 points on 7-17 shooting, including 2-4 from beyond the arc, adding three blocks and a steal. Despite Cleveland’s efforts, the Hurricanes’ continued struggles against Power-4 teams stretched their winless streak to 15 games, dating back to last season. Miami’s next test? A daunting road trip to face Virginia Tech, a team sure to challenge them at every turn.
