Terriers, Crimson to Clash Monday Night
December 8, 2014 | Men's Basketball
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BOSTON - Remaining in the area after a three-game homestand, the Boston University men's basketball team will visit Harvard on Monday nighat with tip-off slated for 7 p.m.
The defending Patriot League regular season champion Terriers (2-5) and the Ivy League champion Crimson (6-1) are meeting for the 24th straight year in a rivalry that dates back to 1904-05.
TEN TERRIER TIDBITS
• BU returns just 16 points from last year's 79-68 overtime defeat to Harvard ... The Crimson has 52 points, including 25 points from reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Wesley Saunders.
• Sophomore Cedric Hankerson currently ranks in the top 16 in nine different Patriot League categories, including, second in scoring (19.9 ppg), third in 3-pointers made (3.3), eighth in assists (3.3 apg), eighth in steals (1.6 spg) and 16th in rebounding (4.4 rpg).
• Junior John Papale ranks fourth in the PL in assists with a personal-best 4.0 apg and second in assist-turnover ratio (2.5) ... Also 23rd in scoring (10.0 ppg).
• BU did not have a single player ranked in the top 10 for minutes played last season in the PL ... Right now, Papale ranks second at 37.6 mpg with Hankerson close behind at 35.4 mpg.
• Junior Nathan Dieudonne ranks second in the PL in rebounding at 7.4 rpg while also ranking fourth on the team in scoring at 8.6 ppg.
• Sophomore Eric Fanning moved into third on the team in scoring at 9.3 ppg after scoring a career-high 17 points against St. Peter's ... Also tied a personal-best in rebounds at seven.
• BU and Harvard share one common opponent so far ... The Terriers opened the season with a 71-65 loss to Northeastern ... The Huskies fell at Harvard, 60-46.
• Through nine games, the Terriers' offense remains the only one to have scored at least 53 points against No. 1 Kentucky ... The Wildcats won 89-65 but only led 66-57 with 8:30 remaining.
• Freshman Will Goff became the seventh Terrier to earn a start this season ... Played 24 minutes against St. Peter's and finished with two 3-pointers and two assists.
• BU is currently shooting 68.2 percent from the charity stripe, the team's lowest percentage since finishing 2011-12 at 67.4 percent.
SCOUTING HARVARD
• Harvard is currently riding a five-game win streak, following a hard-fought 64-52 double overtime victory at Vermont on Saturday.
• On seven-game win streak at home dating back to last year ... Team is 54-3 (.947) at home dating back to 2010-11.
• The Crimson is shooting a better 3-point percentage (.375) than opponents are shooting overall (.370) from the field.
• 6-foot-5 guard Wesley Saunders is nearly averaging a double-double at 20.9 ppg and 7.1 rpg with 4.0 apg ... Has led Harvard in scoring each of the team's seven games ... Tallied seven steals at Vermont.
• Coming off back-to-back NCAA 3rd Round appearances, Harvard began season ranked No. 24 in preseason poll but lost ranking after falling to Holy Cross, 58-57, at the Coaches vs. Cancer Tripleheader ... The Crusaders outscored the Crimson in points off turnovers, 27-11, as Harvard finished with 24 miscues.
• 6-foot-0 guard Siyani Chambers ranks 37th nationally in assists per game at 5.6 apg.
• 6-foot-7 forward Steve Moundou-Missi averages a team-high 7.9 rpg and 2.1 bpg with 9.1 ppg.
• Team has held five opponents below 60 points this year ... Five of the six victories have been by double digits.
SERIES HISTORY
• Harvard has won the last five meetings after snapping the Terriers' eight-game win streak in 2009 ... The Crimson leads the all-time series, 37-27, in a rivalry that dates back to 1904-05.
• Last year's matchup marked the first-ever overtime meeting between the two teams ... John Papale drained two 3-pointers in the final minute to help BU overcome a seven-point deficit and head to OT ... 11 of Harvard's 13 points in the extra session came from the free throw line.
• Two years ago in Lavietes Pavilion, Siyani Chambers drained a long jumper with five seconds left to give Harvard the 65-64 win.
UP NEXT
• The Terriers will return to Case Gym and host Quinnipiac on Sunday (Dec. 14) at 1 p.m.
• BU has won the last two meetings, including last year's 69-66 victory in which then-senior D.J. Irivng drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
