BOSTON (AP) — Boston College Triumphs Over Notre Dame
On a decisive Saturday that marked the conclusion of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season, Boston College secured a 77-69 victory over Notre Dame. Fred Payne was pivotal in this matchup, contributing 24 points to help the Eagles improve their record to 11-20 overall and 4-14 in the ACC.
Implications of the Victory
Boston College’s triumph puts them in contention for the 15th position in the ACC standings, contingent on the outcome of another game where they need Pittsburgh (4-13 in the ACC) to lose against Syracuse later that day. The Eagles own the tiebreaker against Pitt, which heightens their chances.
In contrast, Notre Dame, which ended the season at 13-18 and also tallied a 4-14 conference record, has been eliminated from the ACC Tournament due to tiebreaking criteria.
Game Highlights
The Eagles had not held the lead since early in the first half. However, they dominated the closing minutes of the game, executing an astonishing 11-0 run that allowed them to establish a 61-53 advantage with 5:30 left on the clock. They thereafter increased their lead to nine points at 65-56 just three minutes from the finish.
Despite a valiant effort from Notre Dame, including back-to-back three-point plays by freshman Jalen Haralson that cut Boston College’s lead to four points with only 1:16 remaining, the Eagles managed to secure their win by converting seven free throws in the last minute.
Notably, Boston College excelled at the charity stripe, converting 31 of 41 attempts, while Notre Dame made 14 of 21.
Player Performances
In addition to Payne’s standout performance, Chase Forte added 14 points, with Jayden Hastings and Boden Kapke contributing 12 and 11 points, respectively. For Notre Dame, Haralson led the scoring with 21 points, while freshman Brady Koehler achieved a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Fellow players Shrewsberry and Cole Certa chipped in 14 and 10 points respectively, with Shrewsberry hitting three 3-pointers in the first half that helped the Fighting Irish lead 33-30 at halftime.
Boston College struggled offensively towards the end of the first half, missing 13 consecutive shots in the final nine minutes.
Looking Ahead
As the season winds down, Boston College continues to navigate the challenges of the competitive ACC and looks ahead to potentially improving its tournament prospects, while Notre Dame faces an early exit from postseason contention.
