Last night, much to the dismay of the 845 fans in attendance, the Boston University men’s basketball team didn’t reach the century mark in BU’s blowout win against the University of Hartford. They scored 97.
Freshman John Holland all-but solidified his spot as the conference’s top rookie with an absolutely dominant 38-point performance, yet didn’t get to 40 like the masses so desperately wanted him to, offering “WE WANT HOLLAND” chants when he came out of the game with about four minutes remaining.
And to be honest, it doesn’t matter.
Sure, it would have been nice to see triple digits on the scoreboard for the first time since 1994, or have Holland become the eighth player in program history to drop 40. But the real drama of BU’s unbelievable turnaround will culminate in Sunday’s 2 p.m. matchup against the University at Albany — not on any stat sheets or in record books.
America East has been about as parity-ridden as it gets this season, and for a large portion of the conference schedule it’s been the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and then everyone else. Even UMBC, which locked up first place in the league last Saturday, has two blemishes on its conference slate (losses to Maine and Binghamton).
Sunday’s contest at SEFCU Arena presents an opportunity many thought wouldn’t appear before the Terriers at the midway point of the season. After stumbling to a 3-10 start and an even-more-discouraging 2-5 beginning to league play, BU has a chance to be the No. 2 seed in the America East Tournament.
Three days ago, BU coach Dennis Wolff made it clear he wants the second slot, and no team is more poised to seize it than the Terriers, who’ve won eight of their last nine.
BU, Hartford and Albany are tied for second place with 9-6 records. The University of Vermont and Binghamton University sit below in a tie for fourth, while the University of New Hampshire is a lock for the seventh spot.
While a significant number of situations could occur in this weekend’s contests, the easiest way to look at the jumble is as follows: BU beats Albany, Hartford loses to UMBC (at the RAC Arena) and the Terriers will play seventh-seeded UNH in the first round of the tournament in Vestal, N.Y. on March 8.
Standing in BU’s way will be a team it hasn’t beaten since Jan. 2005 — a stretch of six meaningful games, including a 10-point loss in the second round of last year’s tournament and the final regular season game of 2007 — also a 10-point defeat. This season, BU was downed by Great Danes by seven Jan. 16 at The Roof.
Unlike last year, the Terriers won’t face Albany following a two-point loss to Vermont. Instead, they’ll be gliding in atop a shellacking of the second-place team in the conference and playing the best basketball they have in three years.
“As rough as the first half of the season was, we all knew as long as we did well within the conference that we could play like we’re playing now,” said sophomore guard Corey Lowe. “And now we’re not going to turn back.”
What’s been prevalent is the team’s sense of confidence. In their own abilities, in each other’s abilities and in the gameplan. Recording the university’s highest point total in 13 seasons, while still holding the opponent under 70, proves that.
“With every game your confidence grows, you start doing better and better, and you start expecting to do well,” Holland said.
Holland has served as a microcosm of the team, continually improving as the Terriers complete the final portion of the schedule and showing an unquestionable desire to win.
That will all be tested when BU attempts to complete its remarkable run toward second place Sunday.
“In [Saturday's win against St. Peter's College], it really didn’t mean anything and we were down 11 points and we could have caved in — but we didn’t,” Wolff said. “So when the coaches got on the bus that day, we said to ourselves, ‘These kids still want to win.’ And it’s exciting and fun for all of us going into the tournament.”
