Fresh off its first win against Boston College since 1974 and finally out of the hole dug with a season-opening four game losing streak, the Boston University men’s basketball team will begin what is arguably the toughest stretch on its 2011-12 schedule. The Terriers (4-4) will make two trips to Philadelphia in the next week, sandwiched around a home game against a ranked opponent in Harvard University at Agganis Arena.
The challenge begins Wednesday evening, as the Terriers make their first trip to Pennsylvania, this time to play the Saint Joseph’s University Hawks. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Michael J. Hagan Center.
Speaking in the lobby of the Walter Brown Arena on Tuesday, senior forward Patrick Hazel was still impressed with the team’s 75-61 win over BC on Saturday afternoon.
“It was huge,” Hazel said. “You don’t like to make a big deal about things like that, but it really does mean a lot to our university.
“I was telling my teammates when I went to class, I was surprised because my classmates were clapping for me, cheering for me.”
The game also saw one of sophomore forward Dom Morris’ best performances in one-plus season of donning a scarlet-and-white jersey. Morris had his first career double-double against BC, posting 11 points while grabbing 11 rebounds.
“I expect to get another,” said Morris on Tuesday afternoon.
Senior guard Darryl Partin continued to be the Terriers’ highest scorer against BC. In both of the Terriers’ past two games, Partin has had 27 points. He now averages the third most points per game in the nation, 23.9. Only Devon Saddler of the University of Delaware and Damian Lillard of Weber State University have higher averages – 24.7 and 28.22 ppg, respectively.
On the other end of the court for Wednesday’s contest, Saint Joseph’s enters the game coming off of a 66-60 loss to American University. Prior to that loss, the Hawks (5-1) were riding a two-game win streak with victories against Drexel University and Penn State University.
Carl Jones leads the Hawks in scoring, averages 19.0 points per game. Following the 5-foot-11-inch junior in that category are Langston Galloway with 14.2 ppg and C.J. Aiken with 12.1 ppg.
According to calculations by college basketball statistical guru Ken Pomeroy, Aiken has emerged as one of the most efficient scorers in the country. Though Pomeroy lists the 6-foot-9-inch sophomore as only taking 17.4 percent of the Hawks’ shots when he is on the court, Aiken has made 63.9 percent of his field goal attempts. The website Basketball State has pinned Aiken’s True Shooting percentage – which takes into account free throws and three-point attempts – at 70.8 percent.
The last time BU and Saint Joseph’s played one another was almost one year ago, when the Hawks came to Case Gymnasium four days before Christmas in 2010. The Terriers snapped a four-game losing streak that night, beating the Hawks 85-79.
Now the Terriers will travel to the City of Brotherly Love, an area where seven of their players grew up, including Morris, who smiled while talking about playing so close to his home in Newark, Del., and his alma mater Friends’ Central School in Wynnewood, Pa.
“I can’t even count how many,” Morris said when asked how many of his relatives and friends would be attending the game. “I won’t have enough tickets for everyone. It feels great though, it’s like a homecoming party.”
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