Irish start 0-4 in ACC play
Jan 3, 2023; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Dane Goodwin (23) shoots a layup during the first half against the Boston College Eagles at Conte Forum. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha | Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Tonight the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Men’s Basketball (8-6, 0-3) team headed to Boston to face the Boston College Eagles (7-6, 1-1), hoping to secure their first conference win. “We’ve got plenty of chances,” said Dane Goodwin following the Miami game last Friday. “Plenty of good teams in this league where we can turn it around and hopefully get some wins. We’ve got to dig down, we’ve got to work.” How did the Irish fare against the Eagles, you ask? Lets have a look!
First Half
Notre Dame got the ball first, and got points on the board first, with a JJ Starling three point jumper. Boston College responded with a jumper by Makai Ashton-Langford. Followed by Nate Laszewski getting his first basket with a layup. BC missed a layup and Notre Dame capitalized with a layup by Starling. Notre Dame up by five, 7-2.
Dane Goodwin was the next Irish player to get points on the board with a three-point jumper of his own, and now the Irish are up by eight. On the next BC possession, JJ Starling fouled Ashton-Langford who made one of his two foul shots. Laszewski put up a three and missed, and then BC’s CJ Penha made a layup. Notre Dame quickly responded with a three-point jumper by Dane Goodwin, followed by a BC layup by Quinten Post. Ryan Cormac missed a three-point jumper, and Post sank another jumper. Notre Dame’s lead has shrunk to four, 13-9. (Media timeout, 14:10)
Coming out of the break Ven-Allen Lubin was fouled and made his foul shot. At the other end of the court, Lubin fouled Penha, who made one of this two foul shots. Post landed on Lubin’s leg in his next possession, who limped off. Hopefully he’s okay. Following that Post made a layup, to which Notre Dame answered with a driving layup by Matt Zona, his first points of the game.
Demarr Langford Jr sank a turnaround jumper, to which ND responded with a three-point jumper by Goodwin, who is three for three from distance, and three for four overall. Ashton-Langford quickly answered with a three-point shot of his own. (19-17, Notre Dame up by two.) Devin McGlockton missed a dunk, and on a fast break Goodwin took the ball down and sank driving a layup. (Media timeout, 9:07)
Laszewski got fouled by TJ Bickerstaff and headed to the line and made both of his foul shots. Irish now up by five points. Starling made an off balance jumper (Starling now has seven points), and BC’s Prince Aligbe sank a layup at the other end of the court. ND up 25-19, 7:16 media timeout.
Coming out of the break Alibge sank a jumper, and Zona missed a layup at the other end. Post threw it away (that’s the third turnover for BC) and ND got the ball back, but Laszewski missed his three point jumper. At the other end Jaeden Zackery got on the board with a layup, followed by Cormac Ryan getting his first points on the board with a jumper. 27-23 ND up.
Aligbe, fouled by Goodwin, made one of this two foul shots. Laszewski turned the ball over on the next ND possession, and BC’s Post made a layup. JJ Starling answered with a three-point jumper, and BC quickly took it down court and Post made a layup. Goodwin sank a turnaround jumper and Notre Dame is up by four, 32-28. You can feel the urgency by both of these teams.
Starling sank another driving layup, and he now has twelve points. Zackery sank a driving layup, followed by Goodwin sinking a driving layup, and at 1:38 Notre Dame took a thirty second timeout. 36-30 ND
After the break, Marcus Hammond got his first points on the board with a jumper, and then BC’s Bickerstaff got a layup. In the final thirty seconds of the half Notre Dame turned over the ball and then Hammond got fouled. In the last 3.9 seconds Mason Madsen sank a jumper and we head to halftime, Notre Dame up 38-34.
Halftime Stats
Notre Dame
Field Goals:15-31 (48%)
Foul Shots: 3-4 (75%)
Three Point Shots: 5-13 (38%)
Dane Goodwin: 15 points
JJ Starling: 12 points
Nate Laszewski: 4 points
Boston College
Field Goals: 15-25 (60%)
Foul Shots: 3-6 (50%)
Three Point Shots: 1-4 (25%)
Second Half
Boston College got the ball first in the second half but missed their first shot. Notre Dame got points on the board first with a Trey Wertz three-point shot, his first points of the game. Ryan threw up a three-point shot and missed, followed by Aligbe trying for a three and missing as well. Wertz buried a three-point shot as the shot clock wound down and the Irish are now up by ten points, 44-34, their largest lead of the night.
At 16:44, Boston College finally got points on the board on a jumper by Ashton-Langford. The two teams traded missed shots back and forth, until Devin McGlockton sank a driving layup. 44-38 (media timeout, 14:48)
After the timeout, Ashton-Lankford sank a jumper to shrink Notre Dame’s lead to four. Goodwin drew a foul at 13:21, and headed to the line where he made one of his two foul shots. Considering Goodwin looked like he was going to throw up in warmups, he’s had one heck of a night. Notre Dame got two more points on the board on a Cormac Ryan driving layup and Notre Dame’s lead was at now seven. 47-40
After a four plus minute scoring drought, BC finally got points on the board on a three-point jumper by Zachery. To which Notre Dame quickly responded with a three-point jumper by Hammond. 50-43 (media timeout 9:44)
After the break, Zachery got a driving layup in traffic. Notre Dame’s Laszewski dropped the next bucket for Notre Dame, and he is two-for-two from inside. Aligbe got the rebound and the bucket, and Ryan missed a three at the other end of the court. Aligbe got another layup and the Irish lead has shrunk to three points, and Brey takes a timeout.
Wertz fouled Zackery and headed to the line where he made one of his foul shots, two point game. Wertz tried for a three a missed, and then Zackery made a layup and we have a tie game. 52-52 (a 7-0 run for the Eagles.)
Starling buried a three, his first three of the half, and it came at the perfect time as the shot clock ran down. Goodwin fouled Zackery, who made one of his foul shots, and it is a two point game. Cormac Ryan splashed a three and the Irish lead is now five. Zackery fouled Starling (69% foul shooter) who headed to the line and made one of his two foul shots. 59-53
Wertz fouled Aligbe, and after the 3:46 media timeout Aligbe made both of his foul shots. JJ Starling missed a layup but drew a foul, but Starling missed his foul shot. At the other end Zackery made a driving layup, drew the foul, and made one shot at the line. Cormac Ryan responded with a driving layup of his own. Three point lead for the Irish, 61-58.
Aligbe makes a turnaround jumper, and there are just over two minutes remaining. 61-60, ND
Mason Madsen sank a jumper and Boston College has their first lead of the night, and Brey calls a ND timeout. 62-61, BC (1:31)
Hammond throws up a shot and missed, and BC gets the ball. Zachery takes it right to the hole and sank his layup, BC now up by three points. Cormac Ryan put up a three and missed, and BC gets the ball. 64-61, BC (36.7)
Notre Dame fouled Lankford Jr. right away, and Lankford sank both foul shots. 66-61
Dane Goodwin puts up a three but misses and Aligbe gets the rebound, but is fouled right away. Aligbe headed to the line and made both of his foul shots, BC up 68-61. (Ten point run for the Eagles.) Cormac Ryan sank a second chance layup, but the Irish are down by five and there are only 4.2 seconds left.
BC throws the ball in long, and Ashton-Langford sinks an easy layup and that is game. Notre Dame loses by seven, 70-63.
Final Game Stats
Notre Dame
Field Goals: 24-60 (40%)
Foul Shots: 5-10 (50%)
Three Point Shots: 10-29 (34%)
Dane Goodwin: 16 points
JJ Starling: 16 points
Cormac Ryan: 11 points
Boston College
Field Goals: 28-54 (52%)
Foul Shots: 12-19 (63%)
Three Point Shots: 2-12 (17%)
Notre Dame’s next game is on the road against North Carolina on Saturday, January 7th, at 11:30am ET.
