BOSTON – In a matchup featuring seven ties and 10 lead changes, the Boston University men's basketball team came up short to Holy Cross, 75-70, on Monday night at Case Gym. 

The Terriers missed a game-tying 3-pointer with five seconds remaining to drop to 15-9 overall and 6-5 in Patriot League play. The Crusaders (5-15, 3-5 PL) shot 59.3 percent from the field to overcome a 12-5 disadvantage in made 3-pointers and snap BU's four-game win streak. Demonstrating how close the game was, both teams had six made free throws, 13 bench points and 32 rebounds while combining for 23 second-chance points. 

Graduate student Sukhmail Mathon led BU with his 12th double-double of the season on 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. He was one of four Terriers to score in double digits, as classmate Javante McCoy flushed four 3-pointers en route to 18 points. Both seniors Walter Whyte (13 pts.) and Fletcher Tynen (10 pts.) netted three field goals from behind the arc as well.

Three-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week Kyrell Luch went 10-of-15 from the field for 24 points, while Bo Montgomery earned 16 points and a team-high six rebounds. The Crusaders outscored BU in the paint, 42-24, and recorded 10 blocks with Caleb Kenney swatting away five BU shot attempts.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• With the help of a combined three 3-pointers from Tynen and McCoy, BU jumped out to an early 12-6 lead at 15:15.
• After Luc drove to the hoop to push the Crusaders ahead, 25-23, at 7:35, McCoy flushed back-to-back treys to retake the lead, 29-25.
• Tynen hit his third bomb from the corner at 3:30 to extend BU's lead to 32-27.
• HC scored six straight points in response, but McCoy hit a buzzer-beating jumper and sophomore Caelan Jones converted on his own steal with an emphatic slam dunk to enter the locker room with a 36-33 advantage.
• Malcolm Townsel hit a pair of 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to give the Crusaders a 43-42 lead with 16:42 remaining in regulation.
• Holy Cross grabbed its largest lead, 50-44, four minutes later on Judson Martindale's layup.
• Facing a 57-52 deficit with under 11 to play, the Terriers reeled off 10 straight points over the next four minutes with four Terriers scoring, but BU was unable to pull away.
• The Crusaders went on an 8-1 spurt capped by Gerrale Gates' short jumper at 4:05 to retake the lead, 65-63.
• After Mathon tied the game for the seventh time on the next possession, the Crusaders scored six straight and maintained the lead, 73-67, at 34 seconds on two Luc free throws.
• McCoy then took advantage of two Terrier offensive rebounds with his fourth 3-pointer, and Holy Cross missed a 1-and-1 at the charity stripe on the next possession.
• BU tried to tie the game for an eighth time but missed from behind the arc, leading to a pair of game-sealing free throws from Montgomery.

GAME NOTES

• Tynen hit a personal-best three 3-pointers to score in double figures for the seventh time this season.
• Whyte moved up to No. 29 all-time at BU with 1,111 career points. Mathon is now just 90 away from becoming the 41st Terrier to reach 1,000.
• McCoy moved within two field goals of Max Mahoney for No. 4 all-time at BU with 646 career field goals.
• The Crusaders became the first opponent to shoot over 53 percent this season and the second to win when trailing with under five to play in regulation.

UP NEXT

• After playing 11 games in the month of January for the first time since 1980, BU will open February on Saturday (Feb. 5) at Lehigh with a 2 p.m. start.
• The Terriers topped the Mountain Hawks, 80-74, at home back on Jan. 22.