Boston College 64, Georgia Tech 62: Eagles (Finally) In The ACC Win Column

Boston College is (finally) in the win column in the ACC with a 64-62 road victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Of course, things rarely come easy with this crew.

After a sluggish start to the game, BC used a 12-0 run to jump out to a five point lead late in the first half. But the Jackets would respond with an 8-0 run of their own to retake the lead at 22-19. BC would end the half on a 7-2 run, with an Olivier Hanlan three-pointer putting BC up by four as the half was coming to a close. A Quinton Stephens jumper would cut BC's lead to 2, 26-24, right before the end of the first half.

Heckmann came out strong at the start of the second half, who, along with Hanlan and Brown, built up an 11-point Eagles lead at the game's 10:24 mark. But the Jackets would chip away at BC's lead over the game's final 10 minutes. Marcus Georges-Hunt and Quinton Stephens would fuel the Jackets comeback, erasing that 11-point lead and drawing even with BC at 59 with 1:26 to play.

As he's been known to do against Georgia Tech, Hanlan really took control of the game for the Eagles. The junior finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists to pace the Eagles; no bucket larger than the go-ahead layup on a pretty backdoor feed from Magarity with 1:10 to play. Patrick Heckmann played well, especially during stretches of the second half, and finished with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

Heckmann and Brown hit their free throws down the stretch, but a poor in-bounds play gave Georgia Tech the ball back down 4 with 17 seconds to play. Quinton Stephens hit a three from the corner to cut BC's lead to 1. After Aaron Brown missed the second FT of a 1-in-1, Marcus Georges-Hunt traveled the length of the floor and threw up a desperation three that hit the rim but bounced off. The shot attempt would be waived off though as it came after the final buzzer and BC escaped with a 64-62 victory.

BC's big man Dennis Clifford did not play due to illness. Will Magarity got his first start of the year and made the most of it, finishing with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a block.

With the win, the Eagles improve to 9-9 on the year and 1-5 in conference play. Georgia Tech falls to 9-10 and 0-7 in the ACC. Boston College is back in action this Wednesday night as they host the Louisville Cardinals in the first-ever ACC meeting between the two programs.

Leave your thoughts on the game below. Three up / down tomorrow. Go Eagles!