BOSTON - It was another strong defensive effort for Boston University as the Terriers earned a 67-51 victory over the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in America East basketball action on Thursday, Jan. 13 at Case Gym. The Terriers held UMBC to 16 first-half points and 29.5 percent shooting, while blocking 11 Retriever shots.

B.U. (11-3, 5-0 America East) now prepares for an early conference showdown at the University of Vermont (10-3, 5-0) on Sunday, Jan. 16 at noon in a game televised throughout New England by NESN and CSTV as part of the America East television package. UMBC falls to 6-8, 1-4.

The Terriers got out to a strong start, building a double-digit lead 8:08 into the game on a basket by junior guard Shaun Wynn (Brooklyn, N.Y.). A backdoor alley-oop dunk from freshman guard Bryan Geffen (Bayside, N.Y.) to junior forward Kevin Gardner (Palos Verdes, Calif.) made it 17-4 Terriers at the 11-minute mark.

B.U.'s largest first-half lead came with 34 seconds to go in the frame, as senior forward Rashad Bell (Queens, N.Y.) hit a layup to put the Terriers ahead, 32-16, at the half. Bell finished the half (and the game) with five blocked shots, tying his career high. UMBC made only 5-of-30 shots (16.7 percent) in the half.

The outcome fell squarely into the Terriers' hand in the first 4:30 of the second half after a 12-0 run gave them a 44-18 advantage. B.U. took its largest lead of the game (27 points) on another Bell layup with 6:47 remaining.

B.U. shot 53.1 percent from the field (26-for-49), including a 58.3 percent effort in the second half (14-for-24). Senior guard Chaz Carr (Manchester, Conn.) finished with a game-high 15 points, while Bell (13 points) and sophomore forward Etienne Brower (10 points) joined him in double figures.

Brian Hodges led UMBC with 12 points.