It was your typical basketball fight. Some chest-to-chest tough talk. A lot of lip service back and forth. An irritated referee in the middle trying to get everyone back to their corners.

It was the kind of dust-up that a lot of coaches would roll their eyes at in the middle of an 84-70 season-opening win at Conte Forum. But Boston College’s Steve Donahue stood by his bench a few feet away from the mosh pit between his players and a charged-up Florida International team, and watched with more than a little bit of curiosity.