BALTIMORE, Md. – Helped by a strong defensive effort and multiple clutch shots down the stretch, the Boston University men's basketball team opened the UMBC multi-team event with a 75-71 victory over the host Retrievers on Saturday afternoon.

In a contest featuring a season-high 10 lead changes after totaling 12 through the first five games, the Terriers (2-4) shot 46.6 percent from the field and held UMBC (3-4) to 38.2 FG%. BU posted a 9-5 advantage in made 3-pointers and more than tripled UMBC in offensive bench production, 31-7, for its sixth straight win in the series.

Graduate student Miles Brewster tallied a team-high 18 points alongside six rebounds, while sophomore Matai Baptiste came up just one rebound shy of a double-double at 13 points. Classmate Michael McNair also scored in double figures at 10 points to finish one ahead of senior Malcolm Chimezie.

Josh Odunowo went 9-of-11 at the charity stripe en route to a game-high 23 points for UMBC while adding a team-high six rebounds and three assists. Bryace Johnson tallied 18 points, and Marlon Short added 10 points with three steals to help the Retrievers to outscore BU off turnovers, 17-4.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams traded blows for most of the first half on eight lead changes with UMBC never leading by more than two.
• Facing a 31-29 deficit following Bryce Johnson's layup and bonus free throw at 3:18, McNair drained a pair of his own free throws followed by a 3-pointer to spark a 15-3 half-ending run by the Terriers.
• McNair added a second 3-pointer with 54 seconds remaining and shortly thereafter set up freshman Azmar Abdullah's trey on BU's final possession to enter the locker room leading, 44-34.
• The teams went back-and-forth over the first three minutes of the second half until Chimezie completed a 3-point play and junior Ben Roy added a jumper in the paint for a 51-40 lead.
• UMBC chipped away and eventually pulled within four (53-49) at 14:57 and later again at 13:04 (55-51) on Odunowo's jumper.
• Baptiste responded with a layup and 3-pointer as part of a 7-0 spurt capped by Roy's layup with 10:20 remaining.
• The Terriers would go scoreless over the next 6:55, and UMBC took advantage by pulling out a 14-0 run finished by Johnson's layup at 3:52.
• On UMBC's next possession following Baptiste's third bucket from behind the arc, Johnson hit a pair of free throws for the Retrievers' final lead with 3:02 left.
• Brewster came right back with a drive to the hoop to tie the game, and Baptiste grabbed the lead for good on two free throws at 2:08 after Chimezie blocked Odunowo's layup attempt.
• Facing a 73-69 deficit with 15 seconds remaining, Johnson drew a foul and hit two free throws, but senior Ben Palacios came right back with a pair of free throws at 12 seconds to maintain a two-possession lead.
• UMBC then missed a contested 3-point attempt, and Baptiste corralled the rebound to seal the victory.

GAME NOTES

• Brewster led BU in scoring for the first time this season and was just three points away from tying his personal best set twice last year.
• Baptiste's nine rebounds were a career high, topping his eight boards earned at both Bucknell and Holy Cross last season.
• Alexander matched his season-high three assists set previously at San Diego.
• The Terriers went 12-of-15 from the charity stripe after going 15-of-26 in Tuesday's loss to Wagner, while UMBC shot a near-perfect 24-of-26.
• BU earned 38 rebounds for the second consecutive game and limited UMBC to just three second-chance points.
• BU improved to 19-7 all-time against UMBC after last posting a 68-59 road win back in 2013 during the Terriers' final season in the America East.

UP NEXT

• BU will conclude the UMBC multi-team event against two-time defending MEAC champion Howard on Sunday (Nov. 24) at 12 p.m.
• The Bison won last year's meeting at home, 74-63, after BU claimed a 71-44 victory in Florida during the 2012-13 campaign.