BOSTON – In the final non-conference game, the Boston University men's basketball team shot over 50 percent and held defending NEC champion Merrimack under 40 to roll to a 74-63 victory Saturday afternoon at Case Gym.

The Terriers (5-8) earned a 38-22 halftime lead and built it to as high as 29 (72-43) with 3:17 remaining to improve to 3-0 on the season against the NEC following victories at Sacred Heart and Wagner. The Warriors (6-8) made five of their nine total 3-pointers in the final 2:43 to cut the deficit to 11 before the buzzer sounded.

Senior Miles Brewster went 6-of-8 with from the field with three 3-pointers en route to his second consecutive 17-point performance, matching the career high set against UMass Lowell a week prior. Sophomore Otto Landrum was two rebounds shy of his second double-double of the season with 10 points, while classmate Nico Nobili posted 10 points alongside six rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Ben Roy and junior Ethan Okwuosa combined for 17 points as well.

Devon Savage led Merrimack with 19 points, while Jordan Derkack and Bryan Etumnu combined for 23 points. The Warriors were held to just 32.0 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes of action and would finish at 39.2 FG%, as the Terriers boasted a 40-20 advantage in points in the paint and 16-5 lead in second-chance points thanks to a 39-22 win in rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Etumnu opened the game with a layup and flushed a 3-pointer to tie the game for the only time, 5-5, at 18:04.
• The Terriers reeled off 11 straight points behind a pair of 3-point plays from Landrum and junior Ben Palacios with Brewster scoring from behind the arc and also in the paint for a 16-5 lead at 14:50.
• Facing a 20-9 deficit with 10:16 left, Merrimack went on a 9-2 spurt over the next three minutes and eventually pulled within three (25-22) at 5:03 on Adam Clark's layup at 5:03.
• BU responded by scoring the final 13 points of the half, helped in part by Brewster's four-point play that followed Roy's trey.
• Roy netted the final bucket with 52 seconds left on a perfect feed from Nobili, as the Terriers entered the locker room shooting 68.2 FG%.
• BU reeled off seven more points to open the second half behind layups from Landrum and Nobili alongside junior Ethan Okwuosa's 3-pointer.
• The Warriors would chip away and pull within 15 (51-36) at 13:21 on Derkack's layup plus bonus free throw.
• Merrimack though would only manage seven more points over the next 10 minutes, as BU built the lead to 72-43 on Okwuosa's putback at 3:17.

GAME NOTES

• Brewster scored in double figures for the third straight game, a personal-best streak.
• Nobili dished out at least three assists for the third time this season.
• Finishing 28-of-54 (.519), BU was just the second opponent in 14 games to shoot over 47.3 percent against Merrimack. 
• The Warriors (20-51, .392) were held below 40 percent for only the fourth time.
• The Terriers improved to 10-0 in the all-time series.

UP NEXT

• BU will next open the new year and Patriot League play at Navy on Wednesday (Jan. 3) with a 7 p.m. start.
• The Midshipmen are on a five-game win streak in the series.