Nov. 20, 2011
Box Score
ITHACA, N.Y. - Despite senior Darryl Partin recording a game-high 29 points and sophomore Dom Morris hauling in a career-high 14 rebounds, the Boston University men's basketball team dropped a 71-66 decision at Cornell Sunday afternoon.
For the third straight game, Partin led the Terriers (0-3) in scoring, shooting 8-of-17 from the field and a perfect 10-of-10 at the charity stripe. Morris was a point shy of his first career double-double, ending the game with nine points while also topping his previous high in rebounds by three. Sophomore D.J. Irving contributed 10 points and eight assists, and senior Patrick Hazel added 10 points as the third Terrier in double figures.
Earning its second win of the season against the America East after an earlier 15-point victory over Binghamton, Cornell improved to 2-2 and finished with four men scoring in double digits. Drew Ferry posted a team-high 14 points, and Chris Wroblewski recorded 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Cornell led 52-39 with 10:35 remaining, but BU rallied to pull within one (62-61) following a Morris bucket at 3:43. The Terriers though would not score again until Irving's layup cut a six-point deficit to four (67-63) with 24 seconds left in regulation. Cornell hit seven of its eight free throw attempts in the final minute, including four after Irving's basket, to seal the victory.
The Terriers held a 35-32 edge in rebounds and shot a stifling 17-of-18 from the free throw line, but they were never able to overcome the 12 first-half turnovers, as Cornell responded to BU's 7-0 game-opening offensive spurt with a 20-0 run ignited by three straight Ferry 3-pointers to take the lead for good.
Sunday's game featured multiple scoring droughts for both squads. Trailing 25-13 with 7:10 left in the half, BU went on a 9-2 run capped by one of Partin's three treys to pull within five. The Big Red though entered the locker room with an 11-point advantage at 35-24 with Wroblewski contributing four points.
Early in the second stanza, BU faced a 13-point deficit (39-26) and reeled off 11 consecutive points with Partin scoring the first six. Hazel put in his own missed attempt and then Morris drained a 3-pointer from the corner. Galal Cancer immediately responded with a trey of his own, and the Big Red went on a 13-2 run to push the lead back to 13.
Trailing 52-39, the Terriers never gave in through and clawed back with Hazel again scoring under the basket and Partin draining back-to-back 3-pointers. On the first trey, he also drew a foul and completed the four-point play with a made free throw.
The Big Red's Shonn Miller tipped in his own shot at 7:53 and slammed down another basket 40 seconds later to keep Cornell ahead by six. Sophomore Travis Robinson hit a 3-pointer, and Partin nailed both of his free throw attempts to cut the deficit to one (56-55) for the first time since Cornell took a 9-7 lead early in the game.
The teams traded baskets with Morris putting BU within one, 62-61, at 3:43 off a quick pass from Irving. Neither team would score until Cancer managed to get the ball past a defender for the layup with 55 seconds left. Following Partin's missed 3-pointer, Cornell hit the first of two free throws and then grabbed the rebound off the missed attempt to finish the game.
BU will remain on the road with a three-game stint at the University of Rhode Island as part of the TicketCity Legends Classic over Thanksgiving weekend. The Terriers will first face Cleveland State at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25.
