BOSTON – Unable to overcome a 10-4 deficit in made 3-pointers, the Boston University men's basketball team fell to UMass Lowell, 71-63, on Friday afternoon at Case Gym.

The River Hawks (8-4) shot a blistering 60.0 percent from the field in the first half to grab a 46-25 halftime lead and then withstood a late push by the Terriers (4-8) that saw the 21-point lead cut to just four (64-60) with 2:03 remaining in regulation. Nearly outscoring BU by themselves, Cam Morris III (25 pts.) responded with a layup plus the bonus free throw on the next possession, and Yuri Covington (28 pts.) added a 3-point dagger following a defensive stop to help put the game away.

Senior Miles Brewster delivered a career-high 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting alongside six rebounds, while sophomore Otto Landrum earned 13 points and team-high seven rebounds despite being plagued by foul trouble. Junior Malcolm Chimezie and freshman Matai Baptiste came off the bench to combine for 15 points.

Covington and Morris went a combined 18-of-26 from the field with Covington flushing seven 3-pointers. They scored 36 of their 53 combined points in the first half to grab the commanding 21-point lead. Morris tied Max Brooks hauling in a game-high eight rebounds apiece, while Covington helped the defensive effort with five steals. Ayinde Hikim overcame a 1-of-8 performance by shooting 8-of-9 at the charity stripe en route to 10 points alongside five assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams traded blows over the first 12 minutes of action with UML briefly grabbing six-point leads at 14-8 (13:38) and 19-13 (10:38).
• Landrum hit a pair of buckets to help BU tie the game for the second and final time with 8:04 left in the half.
• Owning a 22-21 lead with 6:23 remaining, Covington started and ended a 23-4 run with a 3-pointer to enter the locker room ahead, 46-25.
• BU briefly cut the deficit to 14 points (50-36) at 13:18 on junior Ben Palacios' jumper, but the Terriers found themselves down 17 (55-38) with 11:34 remaining.
• Brewster led a 7-0 spurt with two free throws and a 3-pointer to pull within 10 (55-45) at 9:26.
• Covington extended UML's lead back to 14 (61-47) with 6:37 remaining.
• Landrum helped the Terriers continue to claw their way closer with seven points during a 9-0 spurt capped by his lone 3-pointer at 3:27 to face a 61-56 deficit.
• Brewster pulled BU even closer, 64-60, at 2:03 on a successful drive to the hoop, but Morris responded with a layup and the free throw.
• After BU missed a 3-point attempt, Covington all but put the game away with a 3-pointer at the 49-second mark for a 70-60 lead.

GAME NOTES

• Brewster topped his previous scoring high of 14 points set against VTSU-Johnson back in November. He twice scored 13 points last year against Lehigh and Loyola Maryland.
• UML finished the game 10-of-23 (.435) from behind the arc, while the Terriers went 4-of-21 (.190).
• The River Hawks claimed a 17-11 advantage in made free throws, as BU dropped to 0-8 on the season when finishing behind in points scored at the charity stripe.
• BU is now 6-5 all-time in the series after seeing its two-game home win streak snapped.

UP NEXT

• BU will next take a break for the holidays and return to Case Gym on Saturday, Dec. 30, to host Merrimack with a 2 p.m. tip.
• The Terriers are 9-0 all-time, earning a 61-60 victory in the last home matchup back in 2021.