NEWTON, Mass. (Interstat) — In a gritty Atlantic Coast Conference clash defined by interior dominance and a decisive closing run, the Miami Hurricanes held off a persistent Boston College team 74-68 on Saturday at Silvio O. Conte Forum.

The game’s most critical sequence came with just over three minutes remaining and the outcome still in doubt. After Boston College’s Boden Kapke hit a 3-pointer to pull the Eagles within 61-58, Miami’s backcourt leader Tre Donaldson answered immediately with a clutch three of his own on the ensuing possession, assisted by Shelton Henderson. That shot sparked a 9-2 Hurricanes run over the next two minutes, capped by an Ernest Udeh alley-oop dunk from Donaldson with 30 seconds left, that extended the lead to 70-63 and effectively sealed the road victory.

Miami (18-5, 8-2 ACC) was propelled by the scoring of forward Malik Reneau, who finished with a game-high 23 points and eight rebounds. Shelton Henderson added 19 points and six boards, while point guard Tre Donaldson orchestrated the offense with 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The Hurricanes’ physicality was reflected in a 44-30 advantage in points in the paint.

Boston College (9-14, 3-7) was led by a formidable double-double from center Boden Kapke, who scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Guard Donald Hand contributed a team-high 20 points, and Fred Payne added 11. The Eagles struggled from the perimeter and could not consistently counter Miami’s interior strength, despite forcing nine turnovers which they converted into nine points.

The first half was a tightly contested affair, featuring nine lead changes. Miami built an early 9-2 advantage, but Boston College responded with a 13-4 run to take a brief lead. The Hurricanes closed the half on a 7-2 spurt, including a Shelton Henderson layup in the final minute, to take a narrow 34-33 lead into halftime.

The second half followed a similar pattern of back-and-forth play. Boston College stayed within striking distance, tying the game at 40-40 on a Donald Hand three-pointer and later pulling within one point on two separate occasions. Each time, Miami had an answer, often through Reneau in the post or Donaldson in the pick-and-roll. The Eagles last led at 49-48 following a Caleb Steger three-pointer with 8:18 to play, but a 7-0 Hurricanes run, featuring five points from Henderson, reclaimed the lead for good.

Miami’s defense tightened in the final minutes, holding Boston College to one field goal over a critical three-minute span during the game-deciding run. The Hurricanes also won the battle on the glass, out-rebounding the Eagles 42-35.

The game drew an attendance of 6,133. Miami, which entered as an 8-point favorite according to sportsbooks, covered the spread. The combined score of 142 points went under the betting over/under line of 138. Interstat’s ELO system had given the Hurricanes a 63.2% probability of winning.

With the win, Miami continues a strong conference campaign and will next host North Carolina on Tuesday. Boston College, which has lost three of its last four, looks to regroup when it hosts Stanford on Wednesday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Coral Gables on Feb. 28.