With Hinnant leading way, BC beats disciplined Pacific

	In addition to starting a team mantra, Louis Hinnant had 14 points and nine assists. Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
	RELATED • BC finds way to knock off No. 14 Pacific

SALT LAKE CITY -- All through the second half, Boston College senior guard Louis Hinnant chanted to himself, "I'm not going home, I'm not going home." Eventually his teammates picked up the mantra too. Senior forward Craig Smith started saying it, and so did junior forward Jared Dudley. "I thought I was saying it to myself, but I guess the other guys heard me," Hinnant said after the game. With about three minutes left in the first overtime against a disciplined Pacific squad, and BC down by six, the Eagles started, finally, to walk the walk. "At some point the light goes on for a senior," said Hinnant, who is known as Bird to his teammates. "If I lose, there's nothing guaranteed for me. This is what I have right now. I have my teammates, basketball is what I do. It's a privilege to be here, so you definitely have to take advantage of it. Hopefully my teammates took what I was saying as motivation."

How did BC, No. 4 seed, ACC tournament runner-up and at least a few experts' pick to win it all, find itself down by six in OT in the first place? As a few Eagles admitted later, they hadn't followed their scouting report to a T. "Offensively we were doing what we were supposed to, but defensively we were doing our own thing," said Dudley. Shot-blocking ace Sean Williams agreed. "I feel we post players made a few defensive lapses. We wanted to stay on [Pacific senior forward] Christian Maraker's left shoulder. I don't think we did a very good job of that going into the game. But give them credit, they are a tough team, they played very well."

The Eagles had tried applying soft pressure in the second half to keep Pacific from going through all its offensive options, but the Tigers crawled back from a 13-point deficit midway through the second half to tie it up at the end of regulation on a three-point shot by Maraker with 9.1 seconds to go.

In the first OT, Smith, a 66 percent free-throw shooter who had hit 2 of 6 to that point, hit one foul shot to cut the deficit to five. Then 16 seconds later, Hinnant nailed a huge three-pointer to bring the Eagles within two. Two more clutch free throws by Smith with 4.3 seconds left sent the game into a second OT. "I had confidence he was going to make them," said Hinnant. "I wasn't aware that he was 3 of 7 at the time."

In the second overtime the Tigers had no answer for a sudden onslaught from the Eagles, especially from freshman Tyrese Rice, who had four free throws, an assist and a huge three-pointer, his only field goal (in seven attempts) of the whole game.

Courtside Confidential

Two nights ago, Williams had a dream that he had cut his hair. When he told teammate Sean Marshall, a junior guard who doubles as the team barber, about the dream, Marshall said, "If you cut your hair, I'll cut mine." Eventually 11 of the 12 Eagles took to the clippers in a team room at the Hilton. Meanwhile, Dudley, who has been wearing braids since his freshman year, vanished. He admitted later to hiding in one of the rooms. "Look, if you cut your braids off, you're going to have lines on your head," Dudley explained in the locker room after the game. "This is my style. I think the guys understood that. Anyway, I think they should be happy now. We got a win."

Player Who Impressed Me

One couldn't help but be impressed by Maraker, who scored 30 points, nearly 13 more than his season average. He scored from all over the floor, including through heavy traffic. He added nine rebounds, including 12 of 14 free throws and two 3s, including the one that sent the game into OT. But he seemed to run out of gas in the last two overtimes, scoring zero.

Hinnant was the man for BC. He had nine assists and 14 points and was terrific at getting the ball to his teammates where they needed it. And, of course, he provided the chant that provided the motivation to seal the win. "I tell you what, he was my MVP," said Dudley.

Big Picture

Pacific did exactly what Montana will want to do against Boston College: keep the Eagles off the offensive glass. Though that strategy kept Pacific in the game, it wasn't enough to win. It won't be enough for Montana, either. The Eagles' superior size and athleticism will carry them into the Sweet 16.