Boston College Basketball Throwback: BC’s legendary 2006 win at the Dean Dome

With Boston College men’s basketball heading to UNC tonight, it felt like a good time to look back at a game that took place exactly 16 years ago yesterday - January 25, 2006. It was a night any Eagles fan of a certain vintage surely remembers: BC topping UNC 81-74 in their first ACC game at the Dean Dome.

Thanks to the magic of the internet, you can watch the whole game, featuring the classic Raycom Sports presentation which those of us around here recall watching on either TV-38 or WLVI (I know it switched from year to year) (#old).

Huge 2006 energy in that shot of Billy Packer and Tim Brando.

One thing I had forgotten before rewatching this game was that BC actually started their ACC tenure 0-3, and there were questions about whether the then #20 Eagles were for real. This game went a big way toward putting the Smith-Dudley Eagles on the national stage.

Leading up to this game, two ACC wins at Florida State and Miami got the ball rolling. This win over UNC improved BC to 3-3 in the ACC, and started the run where BC would emerge as a legitimate national contender.

UNC’s Tyler Hansborough led the scoring in this one with 26 points, but a balanced BC effort countered his performance. Jared Dudley had 17 points, Craig Smith had 16, and Tyrese Rice added 16 of his own off the bench.

This was undoubtedly one of the great nights in BC basketball history. BC would repeat their feat on a bigger stage against UNC two months later, knocking off the Heels in the ACC semifinal 85-82 at the Greensboro Coliseum.

BC has just two wins at the Dean Dome since this winner in 2006 - an 85-78 win in 2009 when UNC was #1 nationally, and a 71-70 win in the 2020 season which I admittedly forgot happened.

Let’s hope for more magic in the heart of ACC Country tonight as Earl Grant looks to start leaving his own mark on program history.