Men's Basketball Set to Face UMBC at The Roof on Sunday
January 19, 2007 | Men's Basketball
The Terriers hold a commanding 8-2 lead in the all-time series. The rivalry dates back to the 1989-90 season. BU won the first two games before UMBC claimed the third. The Terriers launched a five-game winning streak from Jan. 5, 1995, to Feb. 9, 2005, before the Retrievers won their second of the series, a 65-64 overtime contest on Jan. 5, 2006. BU won the last meeting in the rivalry, 59-47, on Feb. 8, 2006, for the series split in '05-'06. The Terriers' average margin of victory is 8.4 points, while both of their losses have been by three or fewer points.
In BU's last game, the Terriers dropped their fourth overtime game this season, this time to the Seawolves of Stony Brook on Jan. 18 in Stony Brook, N.Y. Neither team was able to put together two good halves. BU shot 35 percent (7-for-20) in the first half, while Stony Brook sputtered in the second, going 6-for-19 (31.6 percent). BU held a slim 49-47 lead with eight seconds left, but Stony Brook's Ricky Lucas hit a buzzer-beater in the lane to send the game into overtime. The Seawolves strung together a 10-2 run to begin overtime and took a 59-54 lead with 1:21 left. BU got as close as three, 61-58, on a 3-pointer by Tyler Morris (Indianapolis, Ind.) with 41 seconds left, but SBU shot 7-for-8 from the free throw line to seal the win.
Reigning America East Co-Rookie of the Week Corey Lowe (Newton, Mass.) leads the Terriers with 14.2 points per game. Morris is second on the team, averaging 13.6 points per game. Senior co-captain Omari Peterkin (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands) is BU's leading rebounder, with 6.5 boards per game.
UMBC is coming off a 73-68 win at home over Hartford on Jan. 18. Five Retrievers scored in double figures to lead UMBC past the Hawks. The Retrievers never trailed in the game, but they couldn't shake Hartford. UMBC held an 11-point lead, 52-41, with 12:11 remaining in the game, but UH gradually whittled that advantage to two points, 68-66, on a Jaret Von Rosenberg jumper with 3:37 to go. Justin Fry came up big for UMBC, scoring four of his 14 points in the final three minutes to give the Retrievers enough of a cushion to hold off the Hawks.
Junior guard Brian Hodges is UMBC's leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points per game. Sophomore guard Tom Young is second on the team with 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Senior forward Mike Housman leads UMBC in rebounding, pulling down 6.2 boards per game.
The last time BU and UMBC met, the Terriers earned a 59-47 decision against the Retrievers. BU led 28-16 at the half after going on an early 11-0 run to take control of the game, 19-6. UMBC did not go down easily, as the Retrievers trimmed a second-half 12-point deficit to three, 35-32, with 13:26 remaining in the game, as Jay Greene hit a three and John Zito scored down low. The Terrier advantage was just five, 43-38 with 8:16 left, when BU hit two free throws then powered home a putback on an offensive rebound to stretch the lead to nine, 47-38 a minute later. That putback sparked a 12-1 run over the next five-and-a-half minutes to put the game away for the Terriers.
