HEARTBREAK: Miami beats the buzzer to beat Boston College 71-69 in OT at ACC tournament

In one of the most heartbreaking finishes in recent memory, the Boston College men’s basketball team gave up a buzzer beater by Miami’s Jordan Miller to lose 71-69 in overtime in the quarterfinals of the ACC men’s basketball tournament.

It was a cruel finish for the Eagles, who played brilliantly for the third straight day in Brooklyn, but their inability to cash in on multiple opportunities to win the game in the final minute came back to haunt them in the most painful manner possible.

BC had the ball with 33 seconds left in regulation and drew the clock down before Makai Ashton-Langford drove to the net, putting up a jumper that missed with 5 seconds left - giving Miami’s Charlie Moore (indoors) just enough time to bomb the ball down the court to the wide open, uncontested Miller to win the game, and send Miami to the ACC semifinals against Duke tomorrow night.

With the loss, Boston College’s season comes to a close with a 13-20 record on the season. The tournament run was undoubtedly impressive, and will add momentum to Earl Grant’s efforts to elevate the BC program — but the ending will certainly sting for this team all summer long.

The Eagles really did play a tremendous game, and their being in a position to win at the end of both regulation and OT was not luck by any stretch. They shot 50.9% on the game and were even 28-28 with Miami in rebounds, while also evening Miami’s mark with 6 three pointers. They once again got a balanced offensive effort, and yet again had 5 players in double figures.

The only thing missing was just a little bit more execution in the final possessions, particularly in overtime.

With BC trailing 69-67, Jaeden Zackery tied it up and got to the line with a chance to give BC the lead with an and-one, but missed the free throw. On the next possession, BC turned the ball over, and then, in the final possession of the game, they had the backbreaking sequence that lost them the game.

In a replay of yesterday’s game, Quinten Post once again was the early star of the game, hitting back-to-back three pointers in the first two possessions of the game. He had 14 points total on the day to lead BC. DeMarr Langford had a strong second half after a quiet first half, ending with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Kameron McGusty led Miami in scoring with 16.

Attention now turns to the offseason for BC as Earl Grant will welcome his first full recruiting class. But for now, this year’s Eagles will lament what might have been.