Panthers Too Much for Boston College

Bruce Pearl’s eyes welled up and his throat tightened the moment he heard Boston College’s fight song. Nothing makes him cry quicker than “For Boston.”

But a few hours later, Wisconsin Milwaukee’s coach, a Boston College graduate and former assistant who stuffed himself inside the BC eagle’s mascot suit for a postseason game in 1981, clapped his hands to another sentimental tune -- one without a title.

“It’s just called the UWM fight song,” said a Milwaukee band member, showing the sheet music.

On Saturday, they were singing it from Madison to Menomonee Falls.

Joah Tucker scored 23 points, Ed McCants had 18 and Adrian Tigert 16 as the 12th-seeded Panthers sprung their second NCAA tournament upset in three days, an 83-75 win over Boston College in the second round Saturday.

Given little chance in the opening round against Alabama from the Southeastern Conference or against the Big East’s regular-season champions, Wisconsin Milwaukee (26-5) gave the nation’s mid-major programs another moment to savor this March.

“We’re going to the Sweet 16,” Tucker said afterward. “We’ve got a name to put on this win.”

The Panthers did it the way they know best: with a relentless, full-court press that confounded the Eagles (25-5), forcing them into 22 turnovers, the most crucial one a pass thrown away with 1:21 remaining and Boston College down, 76-75.

“I thought we would handle it better,” Eagle Coach Al Skinner said. “They attacked us, stayed aggressive and didn’t stop.”

The Panthers, who have won 10 in a row and 19 of 20, weren’t intimidated by some early trash talk from the Eagles and overcame foul trouble in the second half.

They will play Illinois on Thursday in the Chicago Regional in Rosemont, Ill. The Panthers are the fifth 12th-seeded team to reach the round of 16 since 1989 and the first since Butler, one of its Horizon League brethren, in 2003.

They could have some company from other double-digit-seeded teams in the round of 16 if Bucknell, Vermont or North Carolina State can win today.

The Panthers outscored Boston College, 9-0, in the final 1:32.

Now they have an opportunity to knock off Illinois, the nation’s consensus No. 1 team.

“We understand we still have games to be played,” said McCants, the Horizon League’s player of the year. “There won’t be any ridiculous amount of celebrating. It’ll be back to business when we get back to Milwaukee.”