WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a tightly-contested matchup featuring 17 lead changes, defending MEAC champion Howard pulled away late to defeat the Boston University men's basketball team, 64-53, on Tuesday night at Burr Gymnasium.
The Bison (2-2) entered the contest averaging 87.7 ppg and 50.9 FG% and were held to just 35.2 percent shooting but managed to remain unbeaten at home by boasting a 20-7 advantage in made free throws against the Terriers (0-3).
Senior
Miles Brewster led BU with 10 points alongside four rebounds and three assists, while sophomore
Nico Nobili added a career-high nine points and five assists. Classmate
Ben Roy added a personal-best seven points and career-tying three assists.
For Howard, Bryce Harris was one rebound shy of a double-double with a game-high 19 points. Former Ivy League Player of the Year Seth Towns drained a pair of 3-pointers during a game-changing stretch in the second half en route to 13 points, while Jelani Willians contributed seven points, six rebounds and four steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first half featured a total of 12 lead changes with the Bison responding to Brewster's game-opening layup with two free throws and then a 3-pointer off a Terrier turnover.
- Facing an early 8-4 deficit, freshman Kyrone Alexander hit back-to-back buckets and saw sophomore Otto Landrum score from behind the arc for an 11-8 advantage at 13:28.
- Neither team led by more than two the rest of the half with freshman Matai Baptiste's layup off a nice feed from Nobili at 2:16 giving BU the 24-23 halftime lead.
- Nobili found classmate Ben Roy for a 3-pointer at 14:57 to spark a 7-2 spurt capped by Roy's layup at 13:17 for a 36-29 lead.
- Howard quickly called timeout, and Towns scored eight straight points thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers and a tough jumper to move back ahead, 37-36, at 11:55.
- Roy converted on his steal with a layup to give BU its final lead, 38-37, at 11:31, as Harris took advantage of a BU miscue with a fastbreak layup to pull back ahead, 39-38, at 10:38.
- The teams went back and forth with Brewster scoring from behind the arc at 6:03 to cut the deficit to 46-45, but BU would never get any closer.
- Dockery delivered a gut shot with a 3-pointer at 3:46 and then pair of free throws at 3:19 to extend the Bison's lead to 56-47.
- Howard added five more free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
GAME NOTES
- Brewster reached double digits in points for the fifth time in his career after combining for 11 points through the first two contests.
- Landrum was one rebound shy of his second career double-digit haul.
- After shooting 4-of-9 3FG (.444) in the first half, BU only went 2-of-14 (.143) during the second.
- The Bison went 14-of-28 (.500) during the final 20 minutes of action after going 5-of-26 (.192) in the first half.
- Howard evened the all-time series, 1-1, in the first meeting since BU earned a 71-44 victory in 2012 at the UCF Holiday Tournament.
UP NEXT
- BU will next have a quick turnaround and host Bryant on Thursday (Nov. 16) at 7 p.m.
- The teams will meet for the first time in program history.