EASTON, Pa. – In a contest featuring 14 lead changes, the Boston University rallied to force overtime but ultimately came up short at Lafayette, 69-65, on Saturday afternoon.

The Leopards went 4-of-5 from the field and 4-of-6 at the line in the extra session to improve to 7-7 in Patriot League play and 9-18 overall, as the Terriers fall to 12-15 (5-9 PL). 

Graduate student Walter Whyte led BU with a game-high 20 points and six rebounds, while classmate Jonas Harper tallied 12 points and three assists. Junior Anthony Morales came off the bench with seven points and six rebounds.

CJ Fulton matched Whyte's offensive production at 20 points alongside seven assists. Leo O'Boyle drained four 3-pointers en route to 17 points, and Kyle Jenkins added 11 points. Jenkins also record four of the Leopards' 13 steals, as Lafayette forced BU into 19 turnovers. 

DOWN THE STRETCH

• O'Boyle drained a 3-pointer to give Lafayette a 55-49 lead with 3:23 left in regulation.
• Junior Miles Brewster followed senior Nevin Zink's two free throws with a jumper to cut the deficit to 55-53 at 2:14.
• After Fulton hit a pair of free throws and Zink fed Whyte for a dunk at 1:29, both teams exchanged empty possessions.
• Brewster drew an offensive foul with 20 seconds left, and Whyte made Lafayette pay by driving to the hoop for a layup at 0.6 seconds to send the game to OT.
• Harper opened the extra session with a layup and later found Morales for a 3-pointer and 62-61 lead at 3:27.
• The Leopards though scored five straight points over the next two minutes to grab the lead for good.
• Whyte cut the deficit to 66-64 at 55 seconds on a drive to the hoop and and had another opportunity to tie the game following Lafayette's missed 3-point attempt but was called with a debated charge on his follow up drive to the hoop with nine seconds left.
• The Leopards sealed the win with three free throws.

THE SETUP

• After junior Daman Tate scored from behind the arc and found senior Ethan Brittain-Watts for a 3-pointer on the Terriers' next made bucket, freshman Otto Landrum converted on his own offensive rebound for a 14-13 lead at 9:01.
• The teams continued to go back and forth before Justin Vander Baan set up Fulton's 3-pointer and scored on a turnaround jumper at 50 seconds to grab the Leopards' largest lead, 33-25.
• The Terriers went on a 10-2 spurt over the next five minutes with Zink opening the second half on two free throws and assist on Whyte's 3-pointer.
• Harper tied the game at 15:14 from behind the arc, 35-35, and later found sophomore Malcolm Chimezie for a turnaround jumper to keep the teams even, 37-37.
• Chimezie added another jumper at 11:26 to give the Terriers their final lead of the half, 41-40, which quickly evaporated on O'Boyle's four-point play that included a 3-pointer and bonus free throw.
• The Terriers kept the Leopards within striking distance before making the late push to OT.

GAME NOTES

• Scoring 20+ points for the fourth time this season, Whyte became the eighth Terrier to eclipse 1,600 career points, as he currently sits with 1,617 points and fifth in rebounds at 796.
• Harper is currently tied with Jeff Timberlake ('89) for No. 33 all-time in the record book at 1,066 points.
• The Terriers' 19 turnovers marked tied-for-second most this season for the program.
• Lafayette finished at 45.3 FG% with a 9-8 edge in 3-pointers while holding the Terriers to 42.5 FG%.

UP NEXT

• BU will next visit Holy Cross on Wednesday (Feb. 15) at 7 p.m.
• The Crusaders won the first meeting, 82-70, back on Feb. 1.