Associated Press
ATLANTA ó In keeping with the theme of this season, Tyrese Rice was content to let others handle the scoring for Boston College.
Rakim Sanders had a career-best 25 points, three teammates reached double figures and the Eagles closed the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament with a 76-63 win over Virginia on Thursday night.
Rice made only 1 of 6 shots and settled for nine points, only the third time this season he failed to score in double figures. But he had already taken on a different role as a senior, taking fewer shots while trying to get others more involved in the offense.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to win games,” said Rice, a second-team All-ACC pick who was averaging 17.4 points a game. “I just tried to lead the team and get a lot of assists, because the other guys were filling it up. I don’t have a problem with it. It’s either-or for me.”
The Eagles (22-10) built a 37-25 lead by halftime and coasted the rest of the way against the ACC’s lowest-scoring team. Virginia finished the season 10-18, its worst since a 9-17 record in 1966-67.
Sanders made 7 of 11 shots, and he was usually fouled on his other scoring chances. The sophomore guard went 11 of 12 at the foul line to beat his previous career high, a 24-point effort in the season opener against Central Connecticut.
“My teammates allowed me to get the confidence and allowed me to take the shots, do what I want, basically,” Sanderson said. “I’m real confident, whatever I do.”
Boston College advanced to face No. 9 Duke in the quarterfinals tonight.
Mamadi Diane led the Cavaliers with 24 points, hitting 4 of 6 from beyond the 3-point arc, but he had little offensive help. Virginia shot just 37.5 percent (21 of 56) from the field and turned it over 20 times.
Diane, a senior, came off the court with less than a minute to go in his final college game. He gave coach Dave Leitao a big hug while the sparse crowd briefly chanted “Ma-ma-di!”
“It’s very hard to swallow,” Diane said. “Every other year, I could look forward to the next season and start getting ready for the next year. This is the one game I wanted to last. I wanted to push it out to the last second.”
BC did its best work at the foul line. The Eagles continually pounded the ball inside, drew 28 fouls and hit 31 of 36 free throws.