Dec. 2, 2013
Box Score | Irving's Postgame Comments | Watch Full Replay
HAMDEN, Conn. - With the score tied and 2.5 seconds remaining in regulation, senior D.J. Irving drained the game-winning 3-pointer to give the Boston University men's basketball team a thrilling 69-66 victory at Quinnipiac on Monday night. With their fourth straight win, the Terriers improve to 6-2, while the Bobcats (4-2) see their three-game win streak snapped.
Irving entered the contest shooting under 30 percent and was only 2-of-8 in the first half. The second half was a different story, as he went 4-of-6, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc, along with a perfect 4-of-4 at the charity stripe to help BU overcome a seven-point deficit. Sophomore Maurice Watson Jr. tallied 17 points and seven assists, while junior Malik Thomas had 11 points. Besides recording nine points inside the paint, senior Dom Morris led the defense with six rebounds and two blocks.
Owning a positive rebound margin of 15.0 through five games after last week's 102-61 blowout win at Maine, Quinnipiac featured three double-doubles and out-rebounded the Terriers, 47-27, to finish with a 22-2 advantage in second-chance points. Ousmane Drame had 16 points and 11 boards, while Ike Azotam recorded 14 points and 15 boards. Zaid Hearst added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Umar Shannon was the fourth Bobcat in double figures with 15 points.
The Terriers overcame the size disadvantage by going 26-of-53 (.491) and limiting the Bobcats to 27-of-67 (.403) shooting and 14 points below their season scoring average. BU had three more made 3-pointers and converted 12 Quinnipiac turnovers into 12 points while only allowing eight points off nine miscues.
Last season, BU needed a 3-pointer by sophomore John Papale to send the game to overtime before the Terriers claimed a 69-62 victory. This time, an extra session was not needed, as they now lead the all-time series, 3-2, with all five contests being decided by seven points or less. The Monday night contest went back-and-forth all 40 minutes of action, featuring 13 ties with 12 lead changes.
Ahead 36-32 at the half, Quinnipiac opened the second stanza with an offensive rebound and easy putback before extending the lead to seven (41-34) on a layup plus free throw by Drame at 17:45. Thomas' 3-pointer ignited a 9-0 BU spurt capped by Watson's successful drive to the basket at 15:54.
The squads continued to exchange baskets, and the Bobcats grabbed a 56-52 lead with 7:24 remaining off a trey by Shannon and Azotam layup. BU grabbed its largest lead of the game (60-56) at 5:36 on Irving's 3-pointer.
Trailing 66-64 with 1:02 left after BU missed a jumper, Drame drove to the hoop for the layup. The Bobcats called a timeout to set up the defense, which intercepted a pass under the Terriers' basket with 56 seconds remaining. BU stood tall though and forced Quinnipiac into a tough 3-point attempt from the corner that ended up going into the hands of sophomore Nathan Dieudonne.
Third-year head coach Joe Jones signaled timeout at 12.3 seconds and had Irving bring up the ball. Expecting Irving to drive to the basket before time expired, Quinnipiac's defender backed off at the top of the key. The shooting guard made him pay as he flushed the trey, which prompted the entire BU bench to jump up in excitement.
The Bobcats called timeout but could only manage a desperate 3-point heave that was well off the mark from mid-court. Quinnipiac finished with a 36-32 lead in points in the paint, while the Terriers had a 29-8 advantage in bench points.
BU will next host defending Ivy League champion Harvard on Saturday (Dec. 7) at Case Gym with tip-off set for 1 p.m. Last year, the Crimson hit a buzzer beater at home to claim a 65-64 win en route to the third round of the NCAA tournament.
