PATRIOT LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS
#5 Boston University (15-16, 6-10 PL) at #4 Army West Point (16-15)
Date & Time: Thursday, March 2 | 6 p.m.
Venue: Christl Arena | West Point, N.Y.
Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierMBB

BOSTON – Riding a three-game win streak, the No. 5 seed Boston University men's basketball team will open the 2023 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship at No. 4 Army West Point with Thursday's quarterfinal matchup set to begin at 6 p.m.

The Terriers and Black Knights are meeting in the conference tournament for the first time since BU beat Army at home in the 2014 PL semifinals, 91-70. BU is seeking its second NCAA bid in four years, while Army is after its first.

TERRIER TIDBITS

• Avoiding the first round for the seventh time in nine years, BU is 53-35 (.602) all-time in conference tourneys and 10-8 in the PL with a pair of title game appearances (2014, 2020).
• The Terriers are 26-15 (.625) all-time in quarterfinal games and 2-5 in road PL matchups, most recently falling at Navy in overtime in the 2022 PL semifinals, 85-80. They were last on the road in quarterfinals in 2019 with 81-69 loss at top-seed Colgate.
• BU is 4-5 all-time as a No. 5 seed with a 1-2 mark in the PL. The Terriers fell at eventual champion Lafayette in 2015 quarterfinals and picked up win at Lehigh in 2018 before falling at eventual champ Bucknell in the semis. They reached 1985 title game in the ECAC North Atlantic conference.
• 2023 All-PL Second Team honoree Walter Whyte leads BU at 14.7 ppg and 5.9 rpg with PL All-Defensive Team member Jonas Harper averaging 10.4 ppg with 1.3 spg.
• Over the last four games with a double-double at Holy Cross, freshman Otto Landrum is averaging 7.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg. 
• Junior Miles Brewster has scored in double figures three times over the last seven games with career-tying 13 points against Loyola Maryland and Lehigh.
• Senior Ethan Brittain-Watts is shooting a team-high 38.5 3FG% and owns 58 assists.
• The Terriers are averaging 67.0 ppg and 41.3 FG% while holding opponents to 67.1 ppg and 43.6 FG%.

SCOUTING ARMY WEST POINT

• Ending the regular season with 80-65 win at Holy Cross, the Black Knights are 9-5 at home this season, most recently falling to BU, 73-67.
• 2023 All-PL First Team member Jalen Rucker owns a team-high 15.8 ppg and 3.5 apg with 2023 PL Rookie of the Year Ethan Roberts, Coleton Benson and Chriss Mann all averaging between 12.7 and 10.2 ppg.
• Charlie Peterson is close behind in scoring (8.2 ppg) with a team-high 5.2 rpg.
• Army ranks 27th nationally in FG% (.480) and 51st in rebound margin (4.3 rpg). On the flip side, team is 313th in turnover margin at -2.0.
• The Black Knights are averaging 73.1 ppg and holding opponents to 69.7 ppg with a 44.5 FG%.

SERIES HISTORY

• BU leads the all-time series, 22-16, and is 11-10 in West Point compared to the 11-6 home mark.
• Last week on Feb. 22, BU led 45-37 with 13:49 left before Army rallied to tie the game, 67-67, at 1:53. Harper hit a 3-pointer following two offensive rebounds at 1:07 to help the Terriers claim a 73-67 victory while overcoming a worse FG% (46.3-42.4) with 7-5 edge in made 3-pointers and 16-12 advantage in free throws.
• In the last meeting at home, BU battled back from early 17-6 deficit to tie the game twice in the first half but never grabbed the lead. BU trailed 73-72 at 2:08 before the Black Knights finished on 10-2 run.
• Rucker has led all players with. 26.5 ppg average in the two meetings, while Roberts has averaged 15.5 ppg and 7.0 rpg. Harper has led BU shooting 61.1 FG% en route to 14.0 ppg.

UP NEXT

• The advancing team will either visit No. 1 Colgate or host No. 8 Loyola Maryland in the semifinals on Sunday (March 5) with a 2 or 4 p.m. start time.