April 23, 2008

BOSTON - The Boston University men's basketball team was on its 11th line-up of the season when the Terriers tipped off against Hartford on Feb. 28 in their final home game of 2007-08.

Last year's America East Rookie of the Year Tyler Morris missed the first nine games with an ankle injury. The team's leading scorer, sophomore Corey Lowe, missed three games with a knee injury as did classmate Carlos Strong. Forwards Scott Brittain and Ibrahim Konate each suffered back injuries that caused them to miss games.

BU's season was defined by the slew of injuries that befell four of the five starters over the course of the year. But the Terriers' late run at the end of the season is a testament to the players' resolve and talent, and it speaks to the continued potential BU awaiting in the next few years.

The Terriers stumbled through a perennially tough non-conference schedule that featured four teams that qualified for the post-season in 2007, including BU's first-ever match-up with Big East power Pittsburgh. The Panthers were ranked No. 11/14 in the country when the teams met this year. BU finished the out-of-conference slate 3-9, but the Terriers turned in several highlights the foreshadowed the terrific end-of-season effort to come.

Against both Manhattan and Harvard, Lowe and Strong each scored 20 or more points, the first time since the 1995-96 season that feat was accomplished. In the 76-67 win over Yale, Lowe posted a career-high 35 points, the first 30-point performance of his career. From December to February, he and Strong each put together three-game streaks of 20 or more points, and Lowe's three such strings were the most in the America East for the year.

In the non-conference season Lowe received back-to-back America East Player of the Week honors after his first career double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds in the 79-72 victory against Harvard and his 35 points at Yale. Freshman John Holland gave of peek of his potential in the very first game of the season. His 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting off the bench helped the Terriers to a 68-57 season-opening win over St. Bonaventure on Nov. 9 and earned him the first of six America East Rookie of the Week accolades.

BU's struggles continued through January before the turning point of the season, a 56-49 win at Maine. That victory kicked off a season-high five-game win streak and was the start of the Terriers winning nine of their last 13 games.

During the five-game win streak, BU picked up its second win of the season over Stony Brook and avenged earlier losses to Binghamton and Vermont. In the prior match-up with the Bearcats, Binghamton claimed a 20-point home win. On Feb. 12, the Terriers returned the favor by handing the Bearcats a 79-53 loss in Case Gym, shooting 52 percent for the game and getting a then-career-high 25 points from Holland.

BU eked out a 59-58 victory in Patrick Gym two day s later to redeem an earlier 13-point defeat at the hands of Vermont at Agganis Arena. The win snapped a four-game losing streak to the Catamounts. The Terriers held Vermont scoreless for nearly six minutes at the start of the second half and limited the Catamounts to 2-for-11 shooting during that span to build as many as a 14-point lead midway through the final period. But UVM scrapped and nearly came all the way back as the Catamounts watched their final shot bounce off the rim as time expired.

A three-point loss to eventual conference champion UMBC halted the streak, but BU quickly returned to its winning ways, sweeping Maine with a 73-54 win. Boston University limited UM to 4-for-18 (22.2 percent) shooting in the first half, forcing the Black Bears to score half of their 18 first-half points on free throws. The Terriers built as many as a 31-point advantage in the second half, and their lead did not dip below 20 points until the final 20 seconds of the game.

BU earned a non-conference win over St. Peter's, taking a break from America East action after being picked in the pre-season for the ESPNU/O'Reilly Bracketbusters Pool. That win gave the Terriers some momentum as they headed into their final regular-season home game.

The Feb. 28 tilt with the Hawks was a show Case Gymnasium had not seen in some time. Holland turned in a career night to lead BU with a personal-best 38 points along with 11 rebounds. The first half was all Holland as he scored 19 of the Terriers' 49 first-half points. BU went into the locker room up by 20 points and came out firing in the second, starting the frame on a 17-5 run.

The Terriers scored above 90 points for the first time in four years and defeated an opponent by more than 30 points for the first time in three years. Holland set America East season single-game records for most points in a game and most points in a conference game. He led four players in double figures - Lowe (21), Strong (16) and Brittain (14). Red-shirt junior Matt Wolff played excellent defense, cleaned up on the glass with a career-high 11 rebounds and dished out a career-high-tying seven assists. Junior Marques Johnson also tied his personal best with seven dimes.

Boston University ended the regular season with a tough loss at Albany on March 2 and then had to turn around and play the Great Danes six days later in the quarterfinals of the America East tournament. That time the Terriers managed to snap a seven-game losing streak to UA by out-lasting Albany through overtime, 68-64, on March 8.

Albany took an early double-digit lead, but BU chipped away and cut it to just one point at the half. The Terriers suffered with foul trouble throughout the game, giving the Great Danes 39 chances at the charity stripe. Holland came alive for BU in the second half, putting up 13 of the Terriers' 27 points in that period. BU's poor free throw shooting allowed the Great Danes to stay in the game despite the Terriers holding them without a field goal for 11 minutes at the end of regulation. Strong stuffed the two-time defending conference champion's last good scoring opportunity in overtime when he blocked Great Dane Josh Martin with six seconds remaining.

However, in what turned out to be the final game of the year for BU, the Terriers dropped a 59-52 decision to Hartford on March 9 in the conference tournament semifinals. The teams traded leads early in the first half before Hartford moved in front and stayed one step ahead of the Terriers through to the half. The Hawks went on a 15-4 run midway through the second period that allowed them to put some distance between themselves and BU. Strong scored eight points in the final two minutes, but the Terriers' comeback bid failed.

Head coach Dennis Wolff's teams are known for their defense. The Terriers remained one of the top defending teams in the America East again this season, leading the conference in scoring defense, allowing 64.8 ppg, and in 3-point field goal defense, letting teams shoot 33.0 percent from deep.

Boston University's second-half resurgence coincided with the emergence of John Holland as an impact player. After going through the first round of conference games, getting a feel of his America East opponents, the wing player exploded to score in double figures in 11 of BU's final 14 games of the year.

He was a six-time America East Rookie of the Week, winning the final five in a row. His outstanding play persuaded opposing league coaches to name him the 2008 America East Rookie of the Year and a member of the third-team all-conference and all-defensive teams. The Bronx native ended this rookie campaign as the team's second-leading scorer with 11.4 ppg and 5.0 rpg - second on the team as well. He was BU's leader in steals (44) and he shot 43.8 percent from the floor.

He turned in three double-doubles on the year, against Hartford on Jan. 12 (11 pts/12 rebounds), Stony Brook on Feb. 9 (15 pts/14 rebs) and at home versus UH again (38 pts/11 rebs). Holland's 38 points were a Terrier rookie record for most points scored in a single game. His total was also a Case Gym mark, beating out 29- and 35-year old records of 37 points set by Steve Wright and Kerry Walker, respectively.

Corey Lowe continued his fine guard play, garnering America East Second Team honors at the year-end league banquet. His team-leading 18.1 ppg ranked him second in the league, and he shot a team-best 37.1 percent from behind the 3-point line. Lowe shattered BU's single-season 3-pointers made record, tallying 92 for the year and besting Mark Daly's record of 79 set in 1991-92. He consistently ranked in the top 15 in the country in 3-pointers made per game and led the conference with 3.54 made threes.

Carlos Strong and Scott Brittain were the other two Terriers to average double figures in points for the season. Strong was third for BU with 11.1 ppg. Brittain tallied 10.0 ppg, his team-high 6.3 rpg stood him seventh in the America East. Matt Wolff returned from a two-year absence due to injury to play in all 31 games and start 23. He shot 41.1 percent from the floor to average 5.6 ppg and grabbed 4.3 rpg. He was second on the team with 33 steals.

Without a senior on the roster this season, the Terriers return every player in 2008-09. Last year BU struggled with inexperience; this season the team dealt with adversity. Having navigated those challenges the past two years made BU a stronger team and could lead to the Terriers taking the final step toward reaching their potential.