Feb. 6, 2018
Notre Dame Boston College Box Score
By Robby Hamman
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Notre Dame (14-10, 4-7 ACC) put on a show from three-point range on Tuesday evening inside Purcell Pavilion, knocking down a season-high 16 shots from distance to lead the Irish to a 96-85 win over Boston College (14-9, 4-6 ACC).
Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs led the charge, scoring a career-high 28 points to pace the Irish. Four other Notre Dame players finished in double figures, as senior Matt Farrell (19), senior Martinas Geben (16), sophomore John Mooney (16) and junior Rex Pflueger (13) each finished with 10-plus points.
Notre Dame has now won 10 straight games against Boston College and are 9-0 against the Golden Eagles since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Boston College’s Jerome Robinson had an impressive performance in the defeat, scoring 46 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Gibbs shouldered much of the offensive load in the first half, knocking down four straight shots from three-point range to help the Irish pull away from an 11-11 tie to a 23-14 lead early. Gibbs ended the half with 22 points to help give the Irish a nine-point advantage at the break with the score 47-38.
The Eagles trimmed the Notre Dame lead to 41-38 with less than a minute left in the first frame before Farrell and Gibbs each hit a three-pointer to push the lead to nine.
The Irish wasted little time extending the lead in the second stanza, pushing the advantage to 18 points at 58-40 with less than 16 minutes left in regulation. Boston College responded, as the Eagles chipped away at the Notre Dame lead and made it a one-possession game with 6:49 left on the clock.
Notre Dame staved off the comeback attempt, not allowing Boston College to get any closer, as the Irish made enough plays down the stretch to secure the 11-point win at 96-85.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Sophomore T.J. Gibbs put on a shooting clinic on Tuesday evening, scoring a career-high 28 points on 8-of-11 shooting. The Scotch Plains, New Jersey, native played a nearly flawless first half, scoring 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including a 5-of-6 effort from beyond the arc. The 22 points are the most in a half by any Notre Dame player this season.
NOTRE DAME STAT OF THE GAME
The Irish offense was flowing against the Eagles, as Notre Dame dished out a season-high 21 assists on 31 made shots. Farrell led the team with seven assists and Pflueger added six.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- The Irish improve to 13-4 against the Golden Eagles in the all-time series and extend their active winning streak to 10 straight games. The Irish are now 9-0 against Boston College since joining the ACC.
- Notre Dame knocked down a season-high 16 three-pointers against Boston College, marking the ninth time the Irish have finished with 10 or more in a game.
- The Irish improve to 9-0 on the year when they score 80-plus points.
- Gibbs has recorded 10-plus points in 19 outings this season, including 12 straight.
- Farrell’s 19-point performance was his 17th double-digit scoring game of the season in just 19 games played.
- Geben tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds to notch his fourth double-double of the year.
- Geben has finished in double figures 13 times during his senior campaign.
- Pflueger scored 13 points, marking his 11th time this season with 10-plus points.
- With 16 points, Mooney notched his fifth double-figure scoring game of the season.
UP NEXT
The Irish are back in action this weekend, as the team faces Florida State at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10 inside Purcell Pavilion. The game will air live on either ESPN or ESPN2.
— ND —
Robby Hamman joined Fighting Irish Media as athletics communications assistant director in September 2016, coordinating efforts for the volleyball and men’s lacrosse program. Hamman is a 2010 graduate of Bethel College, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in sport management and business administration, and earned his master’s degree in business administration from Defiance College in 2013.