Boston University
Binghamton
Binghamton Outlasts Terriers, 60-59
February 14, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 14, 2009
BOSTON - Down by as many as 15 points in the second half, the Boston University men's basketball team, led by Scott Brittain's 20 points, staged a furious rally against Binghamton but eventually fell short, 60-59, on Saturday afternoon at Case Gymnasium. Junior Corey Lowe had the last two shot attempts in the final 10 seconds, but his second one, an open jumper, hit the backboard and bounced away at the buzzer.
With the loss, the Terriers drop to 14-11 and 9-4 in America East action, while Binghamton (17-8, 10-3 AE) moves into a first-place tie with Vermont in the league standings. The Bearcats own the tiebreaker after earlier sweeping the Catamounts.
Named America East player of the game, junior Brittain tied a career high in points and also had a team-high nine rebounds. Freshman Jake O'Brien and sophomore John Holland were the other two players in double-figures with 15 and 11, respectively.
For Binghamton, AE player of the game D.J. Rivera recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Three other 'Cats also hit double-figures, including Emanuel Mayben (14), Reggie Fuller (10) and Chretien Lukusa (10).
Trailing 41-26 with 17:26 remaining in regulation, the Terriers went on a 22-7 run capped by O'Brien's 3-pointer and two made free throws from Brittain to tie the game at 48-48 with 6:12 left. After both teams missed open shots, Lowe drained a trey to give his team its largest lead of the game, 51-48, at 4:53, but Mayben seconds later hit a clutch one of his own to tie the game.
The two AE second-place teams went back and forth for the next four minutes when at 1:10, Mayben hit two free throw attempts to put the 'Cats ahead 58-56. On the ensuing possession, Holland drained his third trey of the game on Lowe's sixth assist of the game to give the Terriers the lead back with 55 seconds left.
Mayben recorded his sixth assist as well when Lukusa made a back door layup at the 34 second mark in what turned out to be the final basket of the game. Lowe missed a jumper with seven seconds left, but the ball went out of bounds off a Bearcat to remain in the Terriers' possession.
After a called timeout, Lowe received the ball in bounds outside the arc. He dribbled toward the free throw line, created separation with a move, and let the ball go, but he did not end the game as the hero.
In the first half, the game remained relatively even the first four minutes, with the Bearcats only leading, 12-11, at the 15:43 mark. At that point though, Binghamton went on a 24-5 run finished by a Kyrie Sutton jumper at 6:35.
Jeff Pelage cut the lead back to 12 on a layup at 3:06, but Fuller made two free throws and Rivera drained a 3-pointer to give the 'Cats their largest lead of the game at 37-20 with 1:44 remaining in the half. O'Brien hit a jumper with 24 seconds left, as Binghamton entered the locker room ahead, 37-24.
The Terriers ended the game 20-for-59 from the field on 33.9 percent shooting with Lowe tying his worst shooting performance of the season against George Washington at 2-of-15. Both he and Holland, who each entered the game averaging over 17.5 ppg, only had four points in the first half and finished with a combined 17.
They remained in the contest by only turning the ball over six times and also holding the 'Cats to 36.8 percent shooting in the second half. More importantly, after giving up eight offensive rebounds in the first half and 24 total against nine, the Terriers outrebounded Binghamton, 22-9, in the second to only finish behind, 37-31.
The 'Cats overall hit 23-for-50 from the field at 46.0 percent and made the final six free throw attempts in the last three minutes to finish 11-of-15. They posted 11 turnovers but also had seven blocks and five steals.
Now in third-place with three conference games remaining, the Terriers make their final trip of the regular season when they visit Stony Brook on Wednesday (Feb. 18) with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
