Notre Dame men’s season ends at Boston College after late fouls fuel 77-69 Eagles win

Finale at Conte Forum closes regular season with a free-throw-heavy finish

Notre Dame’s men’s basketball season ended Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, with a 77-69 loss to Boston College in the teams’ regular-season finale. The result left both programs with identical ACC records (4-14), while Boston College improved to 11-20 overall and Notre Dame finished 13-18.

The game’s closing sequence was shaped by fouls and clock management rather than shot-making. Boston College did not make a field goal in the final stretch, but converted 10 free throws in the last 1:31 to secure the win after Notre Dame was forced into a late deficit-chasing approach.

How the game turned: runs, turnovers, and a decisive stretch before the final minute

Notre Dame led 33-30 at halftime despite Boston College’s prolonged shooting slump late in the first half. Boston College kept contact largely at the foul line, converting nine free throws in the final 2:30 before the break while Notre Dame managed three late free throws over the final three minutes of the half.

The second half featured rapid swings. Notre Dame briefly built a nine-point advantage early, but Boston College answered with a 9-0 burst in 1:18, using turnovers to level the game at 41-41. Later, Boston College put together a 15-3 run across nearly six minutes to create separation, taking a nine-point lead at 65-56 with 2:59 remaining.

Key numbers: efficiency gap at the line

Both teams struggled from the floor for long stretches, but Boston College’s edge at the foul line proved decisive. At halftime, Notre Dame had shot 35.7% overall (10-of-28), went 6-of-16 from three, and 7-of-10 at the line. Boston College shot 27.6% (8-of-29), hit 2-of-16 from three, and went 12-of-15 on free throws.

• Boston College scored 47 second-half points after a 30-point first half.
• Notre Dame relied heavily on late scoring from Jalen Haralson, who accounted for nine of the Irish’s final 10 points.
• Boston College’s late-game points came primarily from free throws as Notre Dame extended the game.

Context: ACC tournament implications for Boston College, season-ending result for Notre Dame

The game also carried postseason stakes. Boston College entered the weekend needing a win and additional help elsewhere to reach the ACC Tournament field, which opens March 10 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Notre Dame, meanwhile, came to Chestnut Hill needing a win to keep its own ACC tournament path viable, but the loss ended that possibility.

Boston College’s ability to manufacture points at the line—especially in the final two minutes—proved the difference in a game where both teams endured extended shooting droughts.

For Notre Dame, the finish underlined a recurring late-game challenge: turning stops into quick offense without sending opponents repeatedly to the stripe. For Boston College, the win capped the regular season with a controlled closing sequence and a second-half surge that overcame early offensive inconsistency.