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BOSTON - With 3.4 seconds remaining in regulation, junior John Papale hit the game-winning fadeaway 3-pointer to give the Boston University men's basketball team a thrilling come-from-behind 71-68 victory over Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon in Case Gym.

Due to Papale's late-game heroics for the second time in three years, the Terriers (3-6) have ended regulation with a 3-point dagger in each of the last three victories against the Bobcats (3-5). In 2012, Papale sent the game to overtime before BU prevailed, 69-62, and last year, D.J. Irving broke a 66-66 deadlock with a bomb at 2.4 seconds.

BU led the game for only 2:32 of the entire contest and made the successful rally behind sophomore Cedric Hankerson's game-high 23 points and career-high five steals. He also added seven rebounds, while junior Nathan Dieudonne contributed nine points and six boards. A third 3-pointer at the end helped Papale finish with 13 points.

Quinnipiac entered the contest having dropped three of its four games by four points or less and with the nation's top-rebound squad at 47.1 rpg and 15.0 margin. Ousmane Drame hauled in a game-high 10 rebounds with 13 points, but the rest of the squad combined for just 24 rebounds in a slim 34-28 win at the battle of the boards. Zaid Hearst recorded a team-high 19 points and four assists, while Evan Conti finished in double figures at 13 points behind three 3-pointers.

After seeing their early 11-2 lead dissipate at 13:16 on freshman Cheddi Mosely's fastbreak layup following Hankerson's steal, Quinnipiac moved back ahead at 11:53 (16-15) on Ayron Hutton's 3-pointer. Chaise Daniels broke a 22-22 deadlock at 8:56 with a jumper for the Bobcats, who would maintain the lead until BU tied the contest for a third time at 5:59 (63-63) in the second.

Quinnipiac owned a 41-36 advantage at halftime by draining seven 3-pointers on 11 attempts, as both squads shot above 46 percent in the first 20 minutes of action. The Bobcats went 0-of-3 from behind the arc in the second half but still managed to grab a 56-48 lead at 12:03 on a dunk by Drame. 

The Terriers never allowed Quinnipiac to pull away and clawed their way back into the game. Down 61-57 at 6:55, Hankerson drove to the hoop for a layup and then added the free throw. Following a basket by Justin Harris, he swished a 3-pointer to tie the game at 63-63.

The Bobcats grabbed their final lead (68-66) at 3:11 on Harris' layup. They would finish the game 0-of-2 from the field and commit a pair of turnovers. Following Mosely's steal, Dieudonne hit both free throws at 2:01 to tie the game, 68-68.

In-between BU's 10th and final turnover, Drame and Hearst both missed short jumpers and were unable to get the offensive rebound. After Papale's 3-point dagger, Drame lost the ball at midcourt to junior Justin Alston to end the game.

BU entered the contest shooting below 67 percent at the line but went an impressive 21-of-23 (.913), including 15-of-17 in the second half, to pull out the victory. The Terriers also went 22-of-49 (.449) from the field and outscored the Bobcats in the paint, 22-14.

Quinnipiac went 24-of-56 (.429) and finished ahead in both points off turnovers (14-12) and second-chance points (11-10).  

Following the victory, the Terriers will next travel to Dayton on Saturday (Dec. 20) for a 7 p.m. tip-off. The Flyers mark the second opponent for BU after No. 1 Kentucky to be coming off an Elite Eight appearance in the 2014 NCAA tournament.