Fred Payne scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Boston College to a 77-69 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over Notre Dame on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Boston College (11-20, 4-14 ACC) shot 36.4% from the field (20 of 55), but outscored Notre Dame 31-14 at the free throw line.
Chase Forte added 14 points for the Eagles, who trailed by nine early in the second half.
Notre Dame (13-18, 4-14) was within four points with 1:16 to play, but failed to get any closer. The Fighting Irish were seeking their first road victory since they won at Stanford, 47-40, on Dec. 30.
Jalen Haralson led Notre Dame with 21 points. The Fighting Irish received 14 points from Braeden Shrewsberry, and 10 points and 11 rebounds from Brady Koehler. Cole Certa also had 10 points.
Boston College guard Donald Hand Jr. was helped off the court with 4:45 remaining in the first half because of an injury to his right leg and did not return to the contest. Hand was playing in his fourth game since he came back from a right leg injury he sustained in a loss to Stanford on Feb. 11. Hand entered Saturday’s game as Boston College’s No. 2 scorer (12.6 ppg).
The Fighting Irish shot 35.5% from the field.
Notre Dame had a 30-21 lead after a Koehler basket capped an 8-0 run with 2:53 remaining in the first half. Boston College didn’t make a field goal in the final nine minutes of the half, but was within 33-30, at halftime.
Neither team shot the ball well in the opening 20 minutes. Notre Dame was 10 of 28 from the field (35.7%) and Boston College was 8 of 29 (27.6%). The Eagles kept things close by making 12 of their 15 free throw attempts.
Notre Dame led by nine early in the second half, but Boston College pulled even at 41 with a 9-0 run. The Eagles led for the first time in the second half after a Payne 3-pointer put them up 55-53 with 8:08 remaining in the game. Boston College led 61-53 with 5:27 to play.
