WORCESTER, Mass. – Boosted by a strong defensive performance and clutch shooting, the Boston University men's basketball team claimed a 78-69 victory at Holy Cross on Wednesday evening.

The Terriers (5-6, 5-6 PL) shot 55.3 percent from the field and limited the Crusaders (3-10, 3-10 PL) to 38.1 FG% to prevail in the rubber game of a three-game series. Junior Walter Whyte went 8-of-9 from the charity stripe en route to 17 points, while senior Javante McCoy recorded 13 points and three steals. Junior Jonas Harper scored all 13 of his points in the second half, and senior Sukhmail Mathon hauled in 10+ rebounds for the second consecutive contest.

Holy Cross held a 38-35 halftime lead by flushing seven of 10 3-pointers and converting 10 BU turnovers into 14 points but only forced two miscues in the second half, as BU outscored the Crusaders by 12. Austin Butler had four steals alongside 19 points and 10 rebounds, while R.J. Johnson posted 12 points, six assists and three steals.

DOWN THE STRETCH

• After Judson Martindale drained his fourth 3-pointer at 10:04 to tie the game for the seventh and final time, 55-55, junior Fletcher Tynen hit one of his own to spark a 10-2 run capped by Harper's fastbreak layup at 6:06.
• The Crusaders called time out and then chipped away at the lead, eventually pulling within four (70-66) at 3:03 on Butler's layup.
• Harper then hit his third bomb, but Johnson came back with one of his own to keep the deficit at four.
• During the final two minutes, the Terriers clamped down on the Crusaders, who missed their final three shots and committed two turnovers.
• Mathon and Whyte combined to hit the final five free throw attempts to seal the victory.

THE SETUP

• Whyte opened the game with a 3-pointer and bonus free throw before adding another layup.
• Despite starting 1-of-10 from the field, the Crusaders eventually pulled within one (12-11) at 12:12 on Matt Faw's 3-pointer and four minutes later cut a seven-point deficit to 20-19 at 7:52 on Johnson's 3-pointer.
• Ryan Wade and Martindale hit back-to-back bombs to tie the game for the first time, 28-28, at 3:15.
• Johnson ended the half with an assist on Butler's 3-pointer and steal to set up Butler's fastbreak dunk for the 38-35 advantage.
• Harper started the second half strong for the Terriers with a steal, fastbreak layup and dunk to put BU back ahead, 40-38.
• The game remained close the rest of the contest with Holy Cross never leading by more than one.

GAME NOTES

• Currently sitting at 1,212 career points, McCoy needs eight more to tie No. 18 Tony Simms ('83), who played for the Canadian National Team at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
• McCoy matched his personal best with three steals, previously hitting the mark five times.
• Whyte has now scored 10+ points in 21 straight games dating back to last year and needs 177 points to become the 40th Terrier to reach the 1,000-point milestone. 
• Mathon has now hauled in 10+ rebounds five times in his career, including three times this season.
• Tynen hit two 3-pointers for the second time in his career, last accomplishing the feat against Emerson as a freshman.
• BU outscored the Crusaders in the paint (34-24), second-chance opportunities (14-6Z) and in bench production (27-18).
• Dropping an 82-65 decision in their last visit to the Hart Center on Saturday, the Terriers are now 3-2 this season against the Crusaders and are currently scheduled to host Holy Cross on Wednesday (Feb. 24) at a time to be determined.

NEXT UP: COLGATE

• BU will remain on the road and travel to Colgate for a pair of weekend games with both contests set for 1 p.m.
• CBS Sports Network will show Saturday's (Feb. 20) game, and ESPN+ will carry the second matchup on Sunday (Feb. 21).
• Sitting at 9-1, the Raiders are on an eight-game win streak that started with two wins at BU back on Jan. 9-10.
• BU will be visiting Colgate for the first time since winning the Patriot League title in Hamilton, New York, last March 11 in a 64-61 thriller.