Field Level Media
Feb 6, 2018
TJ Gibbs had a career-high 28 points as Notre Dame overcame a career-best 46 points from Boston College's Jerome Robinson to top the Eagles 96-85 on Tuesday night in South Bend, Ind.
Matt Farrell added 19 points and seven assists for the Fighting Irish (14-10, 4-7 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Gibbs bested his previous career high of 27 points set against Virginia Tech on Jan. 27. He has scored 22 or more in three of his past four games.
Martinas Geben totaled 16 points and 11 rebounds, John Mooney scored 16 off the bench and Rex Pflueger added 13 as the Fighting Irish snapped a seven-game skid after a 3-0 conference start.
Robinson shattered his previous career high of 32 points, a total he tied in an overtime loss to Virginia Tech on Jan. 31. Ky Bowman was the Eagles' only other double-digit scorer with 11 points.
Robinson matched the second-highest single-game point total in school history. Jim Hooley also had 46 points on Feb. 14, 1962, against Brandeis. Robinson fell three points short of the Eagles' all-time mark set by John Austin on Feb. 21, 1964, versus Georgetown.
Boston College (14-10, 4-7) fell for the fourth time in five games.
Tuesday's game marked the 30th meeting on the hardwood between the two gridiron rivals. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 20-10 and has won 10 straight against Boston College, with those 10 all in ACC competition.
The Eagles' last win in the series came Feb. 4, 2004 (76-69) when both schools played in the Big East.
A 9-2 run to open the second half pushed Notre Dame's lead to 56-40 with 16:25 remaining.
A pair of free throws from Jordan Chatman capped an 11-2 rally for Boston College to bring the Eagles within 70-68 at the 6:49 mark of the period.
The Fighting Irish ran their lead back up to double digits at 88-77 after two Gibbs free throws with 1:31 to go. A jumper from Johncarlos Reyes brought the Eagles within nine with 1:23 to play, but they couldn't come any closer.
Notre Dame led 47-38 at halftime. Gibbs led all scorers with 22 first-half points while Robinson paced the visitors with 18.
Boston College's Nik Popovic left the game in the first half with an injury and did not return. He finished with two points and a rebound.
--Field Level Media