No. 13 `Canes Rally at Boston College, 90-80

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. (AP) – Riquna Williams scored 23 of her 25 points in the second half to lead Miami (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP) to a 90-80 win over Boston College on Thursday night.

The Hurricanes (23-3, 9-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) were coming off their first back-to-back wins over ranked teams, beating Maryland and North Carolina. Miami entered with its best ranking since climbing to No. 6 in 1992.

Shenise Johnson, the reigning conference player of the week, had 30 points and Morgan Stroman had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Carolyn Swords had 23 points and 13 rebounds and Kerri Shields scored 17 points for the Eagles (17-9, 4-7).

Shields hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie it at 73 with just under six minutes to play, but Miami went on a 10-0 run over the next 2:48. Johnson had five points, including a three-point play, and Williams scored three during the run.

The Hurricanes, who trailed by eight at halftime, opened the second half with a 10-0 run — Williams had six points and Johnson the other four. Miami forced BC into four quick turnovers and a handful of tough shots for easy transition baskets.

The teams were tied three times before Williams and Johnson again took command, running the floor or driving the lane for easy baskets. After each BC miss, Williams would drive down the floor, catching the larger Eagles trailing badly on the break.

Williams and Johnson combined to score Miami’s first 24 points of the second half.

Williams was just 1-for-6 from the field in the opening half.

The Eagles had a hot shooting first half, going 7-of-15 on 3-point attempts and 51.5 percent overall from the floor to take a 49-41 lead into intermission.

BC started quickly, jumping to a 8-2 lead in the opening 2½ minutes, before the Hurricanes answered back with strong inside scoring.

After Miami tied it at 8, neither team had more than a five-point edge until BC made a late run.

The Eagles struggled with Miami’s full-court pressure briefly before settling down and scoring 17 of the final 26 points of the first half, with Katie Zenevitch nailing a 3-pointer with 10 seconds to play.

Post-Game Notes

Tonight’s Starters
Coach Katie Meier started Shenise Johnson, Riquna Williams, Morgan Stroman, Stefanie Yderstrom, and Sylvia Bullock once again. The same group has started all 26 games this season – most in the country with one starting unit.

With the win, the Hurricanes are…

• 23-3 overall
• 9-2 ACC
• 4-3 against ranked teams this season
• 3-0 against Boston College in their last three meetings

At Boston College
The Hurricanes had never defeated Boston College in Chestnut Hill under Katie Meier prior to tonight’s victory.

Must Have Been Some Speech
The ACC’s leading scorer Riquna Williams had only two points in the first half. The Pahokee, Fla. native exploded in the second and ended the game with 25 points.

Time to Recognize…
Women’s college basketball is used to the same ole’ faces. You know, the ones up in Storrs and Palo Alto, but now Coral Gables has a National Player of the Year contender as well. Shenise Johnson, the nation’s best all-around player scored 30 points for the second-time in three games, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out nine assists.

On the Rise
With a 9-2 conference record and three ACC games remaining, the Hurricanes are currently in a three-way tie for first place in the conference along with Duke and Florida State. Miami will host the `Noles in its home finale on Feb. 24.

Stro-Time
Sophomore forward Morgan Stroman recorded her second consecutive and ninth double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 boards. The 2009 McDonald’s All-America selection is a legitimate ACC Defensive Player of the Year candidate as she leads Miami with 7.9 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 0.9 blocks per game in conference play.