Notre Dame 76, Boston College 73 (OT)

[February 03, 2014]  SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame 76, Boston College 73 (OT): Eric Atkins scored a game-high 24 points, including the winning 3-pointer with one second left in overtime, to rally the host Irish to a tough Atlantic Coast Conference victory over the Eagles.

Atkins, who had only four points in the first half, shot 8-of-12 from the floor the rest of the way for Notre Dame (12-10, 3-6 ACC), which snapped a three-game losing streak. Pat Connaught on added 17points with a game-high four 3-pointers and nine rebounds while Zach Auguste and V.J. Beachem chipped in 10 points each for the Irish, who never led in the second half.

Ryan Anderson's21 points and team-high five rebounds led Boston College (6-15, 2-6), which remained winless at Notre Dame since 1997. Lonnie Jackson had 15 points and Joe Rahon added 13 points and three steals while Olivier Hanlan, the third-leading scorer in the ACC, finished with a season-low five points on 2-of-5 shooting from the floor.

Rahon's layup in the first minute of overtime gave the Eagles their last lead of the game at68-66 after they had not trailed in the second half. Beachem hit a 3-pointer to spark the Irish on a 7-1 run, but a pair of Anderson free throws with 36 seconds tied it at 73 before Atkins won it.

Atkins had sent the game into overtime by hitting one of two free throws with 0.7 seconds left in regulation after he was fouled by Hanlan. The Eagles had not trailed since early in the game and still clung to a 66-63 lead on a pair of Jackson free throws with 17 seconds remaining before Garrick Sherman's jumper with eight seconds left and Atkins' free throw forced overtime.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Notre Dame struggled in a close first half where it shot just over 37 percent and had no scoring contributions from its bench, which finished with 15 points in the second half and overtime. Boston College G Alex Dragicevich, who transferred from Notre Dame as a sophomore, made his first start against his former school and his first start since Dec. 28, finishing with seven points. The Irish beat Boston College for the sixth time in seven meetings and posted their sixth straight series win at home.

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