Moment #9 of 2021: Earl Grant wins ACC debut

We’re continuing our countdown of top 11 BC athletics moments of 2021!

#10: Scott Spinelli takes over as interim coach and wins on senior day for BC men’s basketball
#9: BC men’s hockey has their first home game in front of fans in 19 months, and tops Northeastern in front of a sold out crowd

Today, moment #8: men’s basketball tops Notre Dame in Earl Grant’s ACC opener.

Though there have been ups and downs, most fans and observers have been pleased by what they’ve seen in the first few months of the Earl Grant era at Boston College.

The peak of the early-season excitement around Grant’s efforts to revive BC basketball came on December 3, when the Eagles opened up ACC play against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

While ND is not exactly a powerhouse this year (like BC, they also sit at 6-5), they were certainly favored against the Eagles, who had roster turmoil hit a roster that already struggled in ACC play in recent years.

But BC came out and smacked Notre Dame on the mouth, pulling out to a big early lead en route to a surprisingly comfortable 73-57 victory at Conte Forum.

James Karnik and Quinten Post led the way with 17 and 13 points, respectively, pacing the Eagles in an exciting win in front of a whipped-up crowd at Conte Forum..

While BC followed the Notre Dame game up with a pair of defeats before the break, the ACC win set a tone for BC and sent a message to the fanbase that this team has more promise in the short-term than some initially thought. They will look to continue their strong start to ACC play when it resumes next week.