GREENSBORO, N.C. – Ahead of its opener in the 2023 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament, Miami head coach Katie Meier made a point to remind her team of its resiliency.
More than once this season, the Hurricanes have handled the task of winning close games.
That trend continued in Greensboro – and now, so will Miami’s run in the tournament.
Behind an efficient fourth-quarter effort from sophomore Lashae Dwyer, the Hurricanes notched an 84-69 win over Boston College on Thursday night at the Greensboro Coliseum.
With the victory, sixth-seeded Miami – which outscored BC 24-13 in the fourth – advances to a Friday night quarterfinal where it will face third-seeded Virginia Tech.
Dwyer’s fourth-quarter performance was a big reason why.
The guard scored 10 of her team-high 19 points in the fourth to lead four Hurricanes in double figures. Lola Pendande added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Haley Cavinder had 14 points and nine rebounds. Destiny Harden added 13 points and nine rebounds.
“What the team needed tonight was Lashae Dwyer’s grittiness and toughness and pressure on the ball and [her readiness] to step up and take it,” Meier said. “We talked about toughness being contagious and you’re not tough alone and I thought we were very, very together. And I thought Boston College – toughness. When you play Boston College, you’d better be tough. I have a lot of respect for that program.”