The battle between Boston College men’s basketball and Notre Dame was one of unsung heroes, with two players who often come off the bench stepping up to help their respective teams. The Eagles’ Jared Hamilton and Irish guard Nikola Djogo both impressed, but it was ultimately Djogo and Notre Dame who held off BC by a final score 79-73. It was the 12th win in 12 tries for the Irish (12-2, 2-7 Atlantic Coast) against the Eagles (11-9, 2-6) since the latter joined the ACC, a decisive edge in the longtime rivalry. The game was hard fought by both sides, and in the end, the Irish’s ability to control the tempo secured the win. Here are three ups and three downs from Saturday’s six-point defeat.
Three Up
1) Rebounding
This season, one weakness in the Eagles’ game has been their ability to rebound the ball and record second-chance points. Entering the game, they were ranked 14th in the conference in rebounding margin, often finding themselves decisively outmatched. In the four games prior to Saturday’s meeting with Notre Dame, BC had been outrebounded by a total of 23 boards, a trend that has been prevalent since the start of conference play. In the game against the Irish, though, BC won the battle on the glass by seven and was especially strong on the offensive end of the court—it piled up 15 offensive rebounds to Notre Dame’s five. This advantage was instrumental in keeping the game close, as it resulted in a 17-2 second-chance points edge.
2) Assists
The Eagles did a great job of sharing the rock in the loss, accumulating 17 assists on the day. This was also a deviation from the norm, as BC was ranked 12th in the conference for assists per game at 12.4. Steffon Mitchell led the way for the team with five assists, playing a central role in the offense, and the Eagles ended up with seven more dimes than their visitors. The team has a tendency to lean on Ky Bowman to create chances, and this kind of “hero ball” can result in stagnant offense, but BC did better on Saturday at making the right passes.
3) Jared Hamilton
The transfer junior guard initially struggled to integrate himself into the team, averaging only 4.2 points per game on 42 percent shooting. Hamilton came alive against the Irish, though, scoring 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting, while adding three rebounds and four assists. He also elevated his team when it needed him most, sinking back-to-back jumpers to answer a four-point spurt from Notre Dame in the second half. With Wynston Tabbs missing his fifth game of the year with a left knee injury, head coach Jim Christian needed somebody to step up—Chris Herren Jr. had just two points in seven minutes—and he found that person in Hamilton.
Three Down
1) Limiting Points off Turnovers
The game was a clean one, with each team totaling just nine turnovers. This wasn’t a surprise for Mike Brey’s team, as Notre Dame entered averaging just 9.5 per game, but it was an improvement on BC’s season average of 12.1. The Eagles had turned the ball over 14 times the game before against Syracuse, but even though they reduced the amount of mistakes, they weren’t able to replicate what the Irish did on defense. Notre Dame did a good job of limiting scoring opportunities off turnovers, allowing just six points after giveaways, but BC couldn’t do the same. The Irish cashed in on the Eagles’ mistakes, racking up 15 points, a pivotal difference that helped produce the end result. BC’s rebounding advantage was partially offset by its inability to convert after making a play on the defensive end.
2) Bench Points
The story of the season for the Eagles once again is the ineffective performances, game in and game out, from players coming off the bench. No matter who is in the starting lineup and who is on the bench, the role players cannot make a contribution. This happened again against the Irish, as the BC bench only managed to score three points total in 25 minutes of gametime. This lack of scoring is concerning as usual, with it forcing Christian to lean on his starters for prolonged stretches. Nik Popovic played the fewest minutes of the starters, and he still reached the 30-minute mark. Jairus Hamilton, Johncarlos Reyes, Luka Kraljevic, and Herren Jr. combined to go 1-for-9 from the field, so it’s no surprise that Christian kept Bowman and Jordan Chatman out there for the entirety of the game.
3) Getting to the Line
Generally, BC has been great at getting to the free throw line during the season, as it averages over 22 free throw attempts per season—it boasts a free throw to field goal ratio that’s 43rd in the country. Against the Irish, though, the Eagles couldn’t get to the line, attempting just eight shots. Notre Dame did a great job of not fouling in the act of shooting, replicating its performance against BC back on Jan. 12, where the Eagles went 8-of-10 from the charity stripe. The difference this time is that BC couldn’t convert on most of its attempts, hitting just four of the eight from the charity stripe. Although the Eagles shot well from the field, making 46.7 percent of their attempts, they couldn’t take advantage of free points, and it certainly hurt the team in what ended up being a two-possession game.
Featured Image by Celine Lim / Heights Editor
