BOSTON âÂ?" Kevin Gardner scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, but it was not enough, as the Boston University menâÂ?^TMs basketball team dropped its home-opener to Michigan, 51-46 Tuesday night at Agganis Arena. The Terriers, who had beaten the Wolverines in each of the last two seasons in Ann Arbor, fell to 0-2 and have dropped their first two games to national powers Duke and Michigan. The Wolverines improved to 2-0.

UM guard Daniel Horton scored seven straight points to turn a 37-33 Wolverine lead into a 44-35 advantage, with just 3:50 remaining in the game. BU freshman Corey Hassan responded with two threes in the next 90 seconds drawing the Terriers within three, 46-43 with just over two minutes left. A pair of Horton free throws upped the Wolverine lead to five, but BUâÂ?^TMs Brian Macon drilled his second three of the game with 13 seconds remaining, and BU was back within two, 48-46. Horton made two clutch free throws with 10 seconds left, and BU would not score again, as the Wolverines held on for the win in a game in which they never trailed.

âÂ?oeI thought we battled hard again,âÂ?Â? said BU head coach Dennis Wolff, whose Terrier team lost for just the fifth time in 77 games when it held an opponent below 55 points. âÂ?oeI thought Kevin Gardner played his best game in a BU uniform, but it was tough going especially against the size Michigan brings.âÂ?Â?

Gardner recorded his second career double-double and fell one rebound shy of his career high, which was 12 at Boston College last year. He scored BUâÂ?^TMs first six points of the game and also blocked four shots.

âÂ?oeThey kept rotating bigger guys at me, and I was just trying to get position,âÂ?Â? said Gardner of the Michigan defense. âÂ?oeI was just very pumped up to come out and play in Agganis Arena in front of a great crowd.âÂ?Â?

Michigan scored 12 of the gameâÂ?^TMs first 16 points, as Horton and Courtney Sims hit a pair of threes in the first five minutes. The Wolverines took their biggest lead of the game, 17-8 on a Jevon Shepherd hoop, but Terrier guard Shaun Wynn sparked a 5-0 run with a three-pointer, and BU drew within four, 17-13. The Terriers would eventually crawl within one, 23-22 on MaconâÂ?^TMs first three of the game, but Shepherd converted a three-point play with less than a minute remaining, and Michigan took a 26-22 lead into the halftime locker room.

The second half was somewhat sloppy, as BU hit just 9-27 from the floor, while Michigan was just 5-15. The Wolverines made a living at the line, going 13-22 from the charity stripe in the second half. Michigan shot 60% from the free throw line (15-25), but the Wolverines took 18 more free throws than BU, which was 4-7. BU ended up shooting 35.3% from the field for the game, while Michigan shot 40%.

Horton led the Wolverines with 21 points and four steals. Lester Abram chipped in 10 points and four boards. Macon finished with a career-high 10 points for BU, while Hassan had nine. Hassan missed his first five three-pointers of the game, then connected on three straight before a desperation heave near the end of the game. Wynn handed out seven assists to go along with five points.

BU, which is 0-2 for the second time in three years, returns to the hardwood on Saturday for a 3 p.m. tilt at Rider in Lawrenceville, N.J. The game can be heard on WTTT 1150-AM and followed live on the internet at www.goterriers.com. BU returns home on Tuesday, Nov. 29, to take on Rhode Island at Agganis Arena at 7 p.m.

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