After Strong Effort, Terriers Drop Close Game At Providence
December 22, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Despite coming off a 10-day break for exams, B. U. shot the ball extremely well in the first half. Freshman guard Chaz Carr (Manchester, CT) gave the Terriers a 16-13 lead with a long-range three-pointer at 11:39. Junior forward Billy Collins (Concord, NH) then scored eight of B. U.'s next 10 points over a span of just over two minutes to put the visitors up, 26-19, with 8:05 left. In the run Collins hit two three-pointers and converted on a dunk off a Carr steal.
B. U. took its largest lead of the game with 1:15 left in the opening half on a layup by junior guard Paul Seymour (Liverpool, NY). Providence guard John Linehan made a last-second three-pointer to cut the Terrier lead to 37-30 at the half. In the first half B. U. made 16-of-28 shots for 57.1 percent. The Friars made 11-of-27 shots for 40.7 percent.
Providence (7-4) regrouped at the half and opened the second stanza with a 14-2 run in the first five minutes to take a five-point lead at 44-39. Abdul Mills connected on two three-pointers for the Friars during the run .
As they have in previous games this season, the Terriers scored the next five points - three of them on free throws - to tie the score at 44-44 with 12:44 to play.
The Friars took a 56-52 lead on a dunk by Leland Anderson, but the Terriers' sophomore forward Jason Grochowalski (Shrewsbury, MA) answered the next time down the court with a three-pointer to trim the lead to one point.
In the final three minutes, sophomore forward Ryan Butt (Lancaster, PA) kept the Terriers in the game, scoring final five points. Butt finished the game tied with Collins for team scoring honors with 12 points.
After Mills hit two free throws with 1:16 left to give Providence a 65-62 lead, Seymour had two good looks at three-pointers that would have tied the game. Both were off the mark, and Linehan sealed the victory for the Friars as he was fouled on a fast-break layup with just one second left.
The Friars Christopher Anrin led all scorers with 15 points on 4-of-7 three-point shooting. Mills finished with 13 points. Also scoring in double figures for the Terriers was Carr with 10 points. Collins continued to shoot the ball well from behind the three-point line. He entered the game sixth in the nation in three-point accuracy at .677. He made 2-of-4 on the night.
After a short break for the Christmas holiday, B. U. (5-5) travels to Green Bay, WI, to participate in the Oneida Bingo and Casino Classic beginning on Friday, Dec. 28. The Terriers face the host University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix at 8:30 p.m. EST. The Terriers play either California-Irvine or Lipscomb in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 29.
