Feb. 2, 2008

Box Score

DURHAM, N.H. - Behind tight defense and a second-half 3-point scoring barrage, the Boston University men's basketball team posted a 67-52 victory over New Hampshire Saturday afternoon in Lundholm Gym. The Terriers (7-14, 4-5 America East) went 8-for-10 from the 3-point line in the final frame and held the Wildcats (7-14, 4-5 AE) to one basket in the final eight minutes of the game.

Sophomore guard Corey Lowe (Newton, Mass.) knocked down five 3-pointers to post a game-high 23 points in his first start since missing three games due to injury to earn America East Player of the Game honors. Sophomore forward Scott Brittain (Oakville, Ont.) turned in his second double-double of the year with 15 points and 13 rebounds. He also had four assists. Sophomore guard Carlos Strong (Portland, Maine) was the third Terrier in double figures with 10 points. Mike Christensen and Tyrece Gibbs led UNH with 14 points apiece.

Despite a slow start to the second half, the Terriers' first-period lead never wavered, increasing to as many as 19 in the waning minutes of the contest. BU scored 18 points off 14 UNH turnovers and limited the Wildcats' Alvin Abreu to one field goal and six points, down from his average of 12.5 ppg. The Terriers out-rebounded UNH, 37-23, and held the Wildcats to just two offensive rebounds. For the second game in a row, BU got out to an early advantage and never lost it and that paid off with the Terriers' biggest win of the season.

UNH got out of the gate quickly in the second half, trimming the Terriers' edge to two twice before tying the game, 32-32, on a lay up by Rony Tchatchoua at 16:28. However, junior guard Marques Johnson (Hazlet, N.J.) and Lowe hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Brittain sunk two foul shots to extend BU's lead to eight, 40-32, at 15:00.

The second half became the Corey Lowe Show, with the guard hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 16 of BU's 42 second-half points. The Terriers pushed their advantage to 11, 49-38, on another Lowe trey at 9:28 and then to 18, 62-44, on a John Holland (Bronx, N.Y.) lay up at 3:42. The Wildcats went dry from the floor with 8:17 showing on the clock in the second half, scoring their final eight points on free throws and a pull-up jumper by Tyrone Conley.

BU took an early 7-0 lead when the Terrier defense forced UNH to miss its first 11 shots. Brittain made his presence known early, getting the first four rebounds of the game. The Wildcats finally got on the board at 13:14 with a pair of Christensen free throws, and Gibbs made UNH's first field goal, a 3-pointer at 12:14, to cut BU's lead to 7-5.

Boston University pushed it back to a seven-point advantage, 15-8, after Brittain converted a three-point play and Lowe made a 30-foot three. But the Terriers looked disheveled after that, allowing a modest 5-2 run capped by a length-of-the-court drive for a score by Conley. Strong drove down the left side and went up and under with 3:24 remaining before the half to keep BU in front, 19-15.

The Terriers turned up the defense even more at the close of the first period, forcing UNH into six consecutive empty possessions, including five turnovers on four steals, to take a 25-17 lead into the locker room. BU drew four offensive fouls to contribute to UNH's 10 turnovers in the first half.

Boston University enjoys a bye week before hosting Stony Brook on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. in Case Gym.