March 2, 2008

Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. - The Boston University men's basketball team will go into the 2008 America East tournament as the No. 6 seed after dropping a 76-64 decision to Albany Sunday afternoon in SEFCU Arena. The Terriers (13-16, 9-7 America East) will play UA (15-14, 10-6 AE) again in the first round of the conference tournament on March 8 at 8:30 p.m.

The Great Danes went on a pair of runs - one in each half - to secure the win. The game featured six ties, but each time the Terriers threatened to take the lead in the second half, the Great Danes had an answer.

Sophomore Corey Lowe (Newton, Mass.) led BU with 23 points. He has now scored 20 or more points in three straight games for the third time this season - most in the America East. He was followed by sophomore Carlos Strong (Portland, Maine) with 13 points. Josh Martin led UA with 13 points.

Albany opened the second half with energy, but BU battled and tied the game at 42 on a three by freshman John Holland (Bronx, N.Y.) at 13:55. BU tied the game at 46 and again at 48 before the Great Danes went on a 14-4 run to take a 62-52 advantage at 5:14 on a pair of Brian Connelly free throws. Junior Matt Wolff (Walpole, Mass.) laid the ball in at 4:55 to cut UA's advantage to 62-54, but Brent Wilson knocked down his only three of the game to put the Great Danes back on top by double digits. Albany's lead didn't fall below 11 for the rest of the contest.

The teams traded baskets to start the game before Lowe scored eight straight points to give BU some breathing room, 13-8, at 13:57. The Terriers had problems with turnovers, committing nine in the first frame. Some of those miscues contributed to a 15-3 Albany swing that sent the Great Danes out to a 23-16 lead with 7:40 to go before the break. But Lowe and Wolff hit back-to-back threes to climb back to 25-24, at 3:45. The Terriers tied it at 30-30 on a triple by Strong with 1:25 remaining before the half and went into the locker room knotted there.

The Terriers shot 48.7 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from three, but Albany shot 50.0 percent for the game and out-scored BU 32-16 in the paint.