PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — In a gritty, defensively charged contest defined by missed shots and blocked attempts, the Boston College Eagles secured a hard-fought 76-71 victory over the Temple Owls on Saturday afternoon at Liacouras Center.

The Eagles, who led for the majority of the game, improved their season record to 2-2, while the Owls suffered their first loss, falling to 2-1 in front of an announced crowd of 3,063.

Boston College established control early, building a 36-31 halftime lead behind a stifling defensive effort that saw them block eight shots in the first period. The Eagles’ interior defense, anchored by a formidable frontcourt, proved to be the game’s defining characteristic, ultimately recording 13 blocks to Temple’s six.

The second half evolved into a back-and-forth affair, with both teams scoring 40 points. Temple, leveraging aggressive drives to the basket, made repeated attempts to close the gap, often narrowing it to a single possession. The Owls found consistent success at the free-throw line, converting 20 of 27 attempts, compared to Boston College’s 10 of 16.

However, every Temple surge was met with a critical response from the Eagles. The Owls were unable to string together enough successful field goals to overtake Boston College, largely due to an anemic shooting performance. Temple finished the game shooting just 34.3 percent from the floor and a dismal 22.7 percent from three-point range.

Boston College’s offense was only marginally more efficient, shooting 43.9 percent overall and 29.6 percent from beyond the arc. The victory was instead secured through superior offensive rebounding, leading to second-chance opportunities, and a more effective offensive rating of 104.7 points per 100 possessions, besting Temple’s 93.6.

Donald Hand led all scorers for Boston College, pouring in 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for a double-double. His backcourt partner, Fred Payne, added 17 points and a team-high four assists. The Eagles’ interior was dominated by Aidan Shaw, who pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds to go with seven points and five blocks, and Boden Kapke, who contributed 17 points and three blocks.

Temple was led by Derrian Ford, who scored 18 points and collected nine rebounds. Gavin Griffiths provided a scoring spark off the bench with 16 points, including four three-pointers, while Masiah Gilyard added 11 points and six rebounds in a reserve role.

The game’s outcome defied pregame projections, as Temple had been installed as a 3.5-point favorite. The combined score of 147 also fell under the pregame over/under line of 144.5.

The contest was a tale of two halves statistically, with both teams struggling from the field in the opening period before finding slightly more rhythm after halftime. Boston College committed eight turnovers to Temple’s five, but the Eagles’ dominance on the glass and at the rim ultimately proved insurmountable.

Boston College will look to build on the road win when they return home to face Hampton on Tuesday. Temple will aim to rebound when they host Hofstra on Wednesday.