BOSTON — In an impressive display of defense, Boston College triumphed over Georgia Tech with a final score of 69-54 on Saturday, led by Donald Hand Jr., who scored 20 points. This victory marked the Eagles’ second consecutive solid defensive outing, building on their previous win against Virginia Tech, where they held their opponent to a mere 36 points—setting a record for the lowest score by an ACC team since Boston College joined the conference in 2005. The Eagles managed to restrict Georgia Tech to only 32.1% shooting and forced them into 13 turnovers throughout the game.
Focusing on their defensive strategy during Senior Day, Boston College saw standout performances from senior Chad Venning and sophomore Elijah Strong. Venning contributed significantly to the game with 13 points and seven rebounds, but his defensive presence was even more notable as he blocked four shots. Strong supported the effort with nine points and two rebounds. The Eagles maintained a narrow lead at halftime, going into the break up by five points at 32-27.
The start of the second half saw Venning dominate the paint, scoring on three consecutive layups and adding two free throws, which ignited a 10-0 run that boosted the Eagles’ lead to 15 points with 14 minutes remaining in the game. Georgia Tech made an effort to rally back, highlighted by Naithan George’s 3-pointer that brought the score to 56-50 with just over four minutes left. However, Dion Brown responded with two critical baskets, along with Hand’s clutch free throws after being fouled on a deep 3-point attempt, securing the Eagles’ victory.
For Georgia Tech, Baye Ndongo led the charge with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and four assists, while teammate Lance Terry added 15 points to the total. As it stands, Boston College is currently one and a half games away from clinching one of the 14 spots for the upcoming ACC tournament, with four games still to play. The Eagles are set to face Stanford on Wednesday, followed by a game against California on Saturday.
Georgia Tech is preparing for their next matchup against Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
