Boston University
6-9, 0-2AE
Hartford
9-6, 2-0AE
Terriers Come Up Short against Hartford, 77-74
January 5, 2013 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2013
BOSTON - Junior D.J. Irving scored 17 points and tallied a career-high six steals, but the Boston University men's basketball team dropped a 77-74 decision to Hartford on Saturday afternoon at Case Gym. Playing in their first contest of a three-game homestand, the Terriers drop to 6-9 and 0-2 in America East play.
Named America East Player of the Game, Irving also recorded six assists to move into sole possession of 10th place in the BU record book with 335 career assists. Shooting 51.9 percent from the field, BU featured two other players in double figures with freshmen John Papale and Maurice Watson Jr. pouring in 14 and 13 points, respectively. Junior Dom Morris had eight points and a team-high four rebounds.
Earning their fourth victory in five games, the Hawks (9-6, 2-0 AE) hit 14 3-pointers and went a perfect 17-of-17 at the charity stripe. Helping UH shoot 47.9 percent from the field, Wes Cole drained six treys on 10 attempts en route to a game-high 22 points, while AE Player of the Game Nate Sikma had 19 points and a game-high eight boards to help UH out-rebound BU, 32-20. Yolonzo Moore II had 10 points and six assists and Mark Nwakamma tallied 13 points.
After Irving hit two free throws to give BU its final lead of the game, 63-61, at 4:57, the Hawks went on a 12-2 run over the next four minutes with Sikma and Nwakamma contributing five points apiece. Sikma drained a 3-pointer at 1:26 for the six point advantage (71-65) and then helped the Hawks earn a defensive stop, forcing BU to foul the rest of the game. UH hit all eight free throws in the final minute for the win.
In a game featuring seven ties and 10 lead changes, UH and BU shot 52.4 and 51.7 percent, respectively, in the first half, but the Terriers owned the 38-32 advantage by forcing the Hawks into 13 turnovers behind 10 steals. UH kept the game close with a 15-10 edge in rebounding and by nailing eight treys on 16 attempts.
The Terriers opened the second half with a tough layup and a made free throw by freshman Nathan Dieudonne to give BU its largest lead of the game. They later led by eight (57-49) at 11:37 on a 3-pointer by sophomore Malik Thomas. On each ensuing possession, however, Cole hit a 3-pointer for the Hawks with his second score igniting an 8-0 spurt.
Sikma hit two free throws and Moore capped the run with a trey at 9:31 to tie the game at 57-57 with 9:31 remaining in regulation. UH took its first lead of the half two minutes later, 61-59, behind a layup from Cole, but junior Travis Robinson responded with a drive to the basket to keep the game even. His layup would be the last made field goal for the Terriers until Irving hit a layup with 34 seconds remaining.
BU finished with 16 assists against 14 turnovers, but eight of the miscues came in the second half, while the Hawks tallied 19 assists and 19 turnovers.
The Terriers will remain at Case Gym and next host conference foe Vermont on Tuesday (Jan. 8) with action slated to begin at 7 p.m.
