Last year, it was Stijin Dhondt. This year it was Ryan Butt’s turn.

Like Dhondt the year before, Butt’s three-point play with 7.7 seconds left gave the Terriers (10-6, 5-0 America East) a 59-58 win over the University of Hartford (7-8, 3-2 America East) in Connecticut on Saturday.

Butt’s game-winner, albeit less dramatic than Dhondt’s buzzer-beater that propelled BU into the America East championship game, was just as effective.

After calling his final timeout, in which head coach Dennis Wolff told his team to get the ball down low, sophomore forward Rashad Bell drove to the basket and found Butt, in between two defenders, who scored while being fouled by Hartford’s Ryan Stys.

‘We were shooting two free throws the rest of the way, so the plan [on that last possession] was to get the ball inside to Butt,’ Wolff said.

After making the free throw, Hartford’s last chance evaporated when guard Wayne McClinton missed a jump shot from 12 feet away.

McClinton’s miss capped a frenetic final three minutes which saw the Terriers lose a six-point lead, only to gain it back at the very end.

With 3:09 remaining, BU took a 54-48 lead, but the next time down the court, Hartford’s Aaron Cook cut the lead in half with a three-pointer. Senior guard Paul Seymour then answered for the Terriers to give them a 56-51 lead.

After Seymour’s jumper, the Hawks went on a 7-0 run, keyed by free throws by Cook and a three-pointer by McClinton. Forward Pierre Johnson then hit one of two free throws for the final Hartford tally before Butt hit the clinching shot.

After shooting a season-high 63 percent from the floor in its previous victory against Stony Brook University, the Terriers shot only 39 percent against Hartford. Instead, the victory came in more typical BU fashion: hard-nosed defense with clutch plays and free throw shooting down the stretch.

‘I thought we guarded them pretty good,’ Wolff said. ‘We showed a lot of courage and poise out there.’

The Terriers might not have played as well offensively on Saturday as they did against Stony Brook, but in many ways, this win was more impressive. Hartford is a better team than Stony Brook, and very difficult to beat on the road.

‘Road wins are so important to having a good season in conference,’ Wolff said. ‘To win at Hartford really gives us a leg up.’

Once again, the Terriers were able to win a game at the free throw line. BU, which leads the conference in foul shooting, made 18-21 from the charity stripe. Hartford, on the other hand, was a dreadful six for 13, including a one for seven performance from Johnson that would have made Shaq cringe.

On the season, the Terriers have shot 77 percent from the line, while their opponents have shot under 67 percent.

The Terriers were led by Seymour and junior guard Matt Turner, who each finished with 12 points. Butt led the team with nine rebounds and added eight points. BU continued to show that it has the best depth in the conference, coming away with a big road win, despite Bell being hampered with foul trouble for most of the game.

Bell, who had 19 points against Stony Brook, was limited to four in 21 minutes against the Hawks, as he also collected four fouls. In his place, Turner stepped up after scoring only two against Stony Brook.

‘It’s very good that we were able to win with Rashad in foul trouble,’ Wolff said.

Junior guard Jerell Parker led the Hawks with 18 points and Cook added 13 in the losing cause.

BU looks to up its conference record to 6-0 on Wednesday at the University of New Hampshire, who is currently in last place in the America East. The Wildcats are 1-4 in conference and 3-13 overall, but Wolff and his team are making sure no one looks past them.

‘Every game is tough in this league, especially on the road,’ Wolff said. ‘We can’t sleep on anyone.’