BOSTON – After recognizing the senior class, the Boston University men's basketball team concluded the regular season with a 66-64 victory over Lafayette Saturday afternoon at Case Gym.

In a second half featuring eight lead changes and 11 ties, sophomore Kyrone Alexander scored what proved to be the game winning jumper at 2.7s seconds, as the Terriers (16-15, 10-8 PL) extended their home win streak to 11 games, the program's longest in 29 years. BU edged Lafayette in made 3-pointers (8-7), points off turnovers (14-11) and in second-chance points (7-5) to also claim a home quarterfinal game against Navy in next week's Patriot League tournament.

Graduate student Miles Brewster totaled 14 points, four assists and three steals to lead the Terriers, while Alexander scored 12 points. Freshman Ben Defty added 11 points alongside seven rebounds, and junior Nico Nobili hauled in double-digit rebounds (11) for the second consecutive contest with six points.

Alex Chaikin recorded a game-high 24 points with the help of three 3-pointers, a total matched by Caleb Williams (15 pts.). Both Williams and Justin Vander Baan (11 pts.) were two rebounds shy of a double-double while combining for eight assists. Vander Baan also earned four blocks to help Lafayette out-rebound BU, 33-28.

DOWN THE STRETCH

• Facing a 54-52 deficit with 6:18 left, the Leopards responded with Chaikin flushing a 3-pointer and later joining Vander Baan in hitting one free throw apiece for their largest lead of the game, 57-54, at 4:51.
• Brewster then found freshman Azmar Abdullah for his second 3-pointer to record the first of five ties over the final 4:40.
• After the teams exchanged three free throws apiece, Defty and Chaikin both hit layups to put the game at 62-62 with 1:51 left.
• Alexander broke the deadlock following Brewster's third steal with a stepback jumper at 34 seconds and came up big again from outside the paint at 2.7 seconds on another jumper after Williams hit two free throws with 23 seconds for the final tie.

THE SETUP

• BU jumped out early for a 10-4 lead behind 3-pointers from Alexander and Brewster at 17:51.
• After the Leopards came back to tie the game, 12-12, on Ryan Pettit's steal and Andrew Phillips' layup, the Terriers reeled off 10 points over the next two minutes with both Abdullah and sophomore Michael McNair scoring from behind the arc.
• The Leopards clawed their way back to within three, 22-19, at 6:26 and later within one (27-26) at 1:40.
• Vander Baan responded to senior Malcolm Chimezie's layup with a 3-point play at 1:05, but Chimezie was able to score again for the 31-29 halftime lead.
• The teams traded blows for much of the second with Williams giving Lafayette its first lead of the game, 39-38, on a 3-pointer at 16:11.
• Brewster broke a 43-43 deadlock on a 3-pointer at 10:31 and extended the lead on a one-handed slam dunk 27 seconds later for the five-point advantage.
• Facing a 49-43 deficit, Lafayette went on a 9-2 spurt capped by Wiliams' 3-pointer at 7:07 set up the exciting finish.

GAME NOTES

• Alexander has now scored the game's final bucket in each of the last three home contests, including a 68-66 win over Loyola Maryland on Feb. 19 and the 93-91 double-overtime thriller against Colgate on Feb. 15.
• Owner of a 12-3 record at Case Gym, BU last won at least 11 straight home victories with five wins to end the 1995-96 season and then a 10-0 mark in 1996-97. The Terriers last won 11 consecutive home games in a single season when they posted an 11-0 record in 1988-89.
• Nobili was one rebound shy of tying his personal best of 12 boards earned on Wednesay at Lehigh.
• Defty has scored in double digits in four of the last five games while earning a season-high seven rebounds in two of thoes contests.
• BU improved to 21-11 all-time against Lafayette, avenging the 60-46 road loss from Jan. 2.

UP NEXT

• Seeded fourth, BU will host No. 5 Navy in the PL quarterfinals for the second consecutive season on Thursday (March 6) at 7 p.m. The programs both finished 10-8 in conference play, but the Terriers had the tiebreaker due to earning a win against No. 1 seed Bucknell.
• Both home teams won during the regular season with the Terriers avenging a 62-47 loss in impressive fashion, 87-65, back on Feb. 5.
• The teams will meet in the PL tournament for the fourth time in six years with BU winning two contests, a 69-63 decision in the 2020 quarterfinals en route to the PL title and a 70-61 contest in 2024.
• BU has been eliminated in each of the last three tournaments in overtime with Navy outlasting the Terriers in the 2022 PL semifinals, 85-80.