Boston University
7-8, 3-1PL
Lafayette
10-5, 2-2PL
Lafayette Outlasts BU, 63-62
January 10, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Box Score | Watch Replay | Highlights
BOSTON - Despite holding the nation's No. 27 scoring offense 14 points below its average, the Boston University men's basketball team came up just short in a 63-62 loss to Lafayette at Agganis Arena on Saturday afternoon. Hitting the game winner with 2.1 seconds left off a layup, the Leopards improve to 10-5 (2-2 PL), as the Terriers (7-8, 3-1 PL) had their four-game win streak snapped.
Sophomore Cedric Hankerson led BU with 18 points, while junior Justin Alston had a career-high four blocks and 12 rebounds to help the Terriers out-rebound Lafayette, 35-32. Freshman Cheddi Mosely tallied 13 points, and junior John Papale contributed 11 points with a team-high five assists. BU finished 24-of-55 (.436), including 8-of-20 (.436) from behind the arc, but only managed 11 trips to the line after averaging 23.8 during the win streak.
The Leopards entered the contest shooting 43.1 percent in 3-point territory but only managed to finish 5-of-20 (.250). Still, they avenged last year's sweep with Dan Trist recording a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds in the paint. Seth Hinrichs added 12 points and seven boards with two blocks, while the Patriot League's leading assist man Nick Lindner had 10 helpers with six points. Zach Rufer came off the bench to hit the game winner with a successful drive from the left corner.
After the teams traded baskets for the first five minutes, Hankerson keyed a 9-0 run with a 3-pointer and back-to-back layups for the 19-10 advantage at 12:43. Alston's tip-in at 6:10 gave BU its largest lead of the game, 28-17.
The Leopards clawed their way back into the contest and used a three-second basket by Hinrichs to enter the locker room with a 34-28 deficit. They carried the momentum into the second half, using a 3-pointer by Joey Ptasinski at 16:01 to pull within one (38-37) at 16:01 in the second half.
Lafayette had the opportunity to take the lead after one of BU's 12 turnovers but missed a 3-point attempt. Mosely grabbed the rebound and went across the court for an acrobatic layup. Following Papale's layup, Mosely swiped the ball from Monty Boykins and drained a trey for the 45-37 lead at 13:26.
Papale extended the lead to nine at 12:06 (48-39) on a 3-pointer and at 9:00 (54-45) on a short jumper, but the Terriers could not pull away. After Papale's final basket, Ptasinski hit consecutive 3-pointers with the second coming at 7:04. Trist then took over Lafayette's offense, scoring the Leopards' next 10 points.
He first cut the deficit to one (54-53) at 6:50 and then responded to Hankerson's layup with back-to-back baskets for Lafayette's first lead of the game. Hankerson was fouled at 4:07 while attempting a 3-pointer but only managed to hit one free throw to put the game at 57-57.
Trist gave Lafayette its largest lead (59-57) at 3:02 on layup with assistance from Bryce Scott. Junior Nathan Dieudonne hit his lone 3-pointer to put BU ahead again by one, but Trist came right back with another basket for the 61-60 advantage at 2:20.
Neither team would score again until there were eight seconds remaining. The Terriers missed two 3-point attempts during that time span, and Lafayette hauled in an offensive rebound to help kill more time. Fouled with 29 seconds left, Trist though missed the front end of a 1-and-1, giving BU the opportunity to regain the lead.
Hankerson drove to the hoop and missed the contested layup, but Alston was in perfect position for the tip-in and 62-61 lead. Lafayette called timeout and then found Rufer in the corner before he drove by the BU defender for the game winner.
The Terriers had 2.1 seconds left and managed to get the ball past midcourt. Fanning tried to draw a foul moving toward the 3-point line but was unable to get a call as a Lafayette defender reached in to prevent a shot from taking place.
Entering the contest with the PL's highest RPI ranking at No. 98, the Leopards outscored BU in the paint, 34-28, but the Terriers had a 12-7 lead in second-chance points and 11-5 advantage in points off turnovers. Lafayette finished the game 28-of-61 (.459) after shooting 50 percent from the field in the second half.
BU will next hit the road for two games, starting with a trip to Colgate on Wednesday (Jan. 14) at 7 p.m.
