A strong second half propelled the Irish to a 84-76 victory.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish seemed out of whack yesterday in the first half. The Irish let the last pace in the ACC, the Boston College Eagles, hang 49 points on them before halftime. A much improved second half for Notre Dame saw them outscore the Eagle’s 45-27. This victory earned Notre Dame their 20th game of the season. This is what we learned.
Nothing Easy In The ACC
Going on the road and winning is something Notre Dame should be proud of at this time of the year. I do not care what ACC team you play on the road, you can never expect it to be an easy game. Yes, Boston College is now on a 10 game losing streak, but they have played some top teams tough this year. They beat Syracuse early in conference play. They were only down 1 at halftime to North Carolina. They only lost by 1 to Miami. The evidence is there that on their good nights, Boston College can compete with good basketball teams. Their team is young and not ready to win in the conference but Notre Dame should still feel good about this victory.
Irish Arrive At BCGoal: Take our momentum to the next level. Method: Play OUR game at BC. ND vs. BC | 7 p.m. ET | ESPNU
Posted by Notre Dame Men's Basketball on 14hb Februari 2017
“Big 4” Came To Play
The four best players this year for Notre Dame since the beginning of the season have been Steve Vasturia, V.J. Beachem, Bonzie Colson, and Matt Farrell. All four of them had good games and were prominent in the second half surge that Notre Dame went on. Steve Vasturia had 15 points and 7 assists. V.J. Beachem had 16 points and 8 rebounds. Bonzie Colson had 20 points and 6 rebounds. Matt Farrell had 19 points (five 3-pointers) and only 1 turnover. As a fan of the Irish, you should be excited to see where this team is headed towards the end of conference play.
Second Half Was The Difference
Early in the second half Boston College lead 58-48. This is when Notre Dame brought out some of the second half magic we saw to begin ACC play. The Irish went on a 15-1 run to grab the lead at 63-59. The second half pushes have been crucial for Notre Dame this season. This team is proving again that they are never out of a game and never lose confidence in themselves.
The win put Notre Dame at 20-7 and 9-5 in ACC play. Next up for the Irish, they play the NC State Wolfpack on Saturday. The schedule is favorable for the Irish to end the year. The only team left to play who has a winning record in conference play is Louisville. The double-bye (top 4 finish in ACC play) is still a reachable goal for this team.
