When you lose something valuable, there are generally three things that could happen. You could either realize how valuable it is, you realize that you never needed it in the first place or, sometimes, you realize everything works out perfectly.

Well, maybe not perfectly, but things are looking pretty good for the Boston University’s men’s basketball team, judging from Saturday’s game.

With freshman Corey Lowe out for the past four games because of a day-to-day foot injury, fellow freshman Carlos Strong has picked up the slack on the perimeter. And when the team’s leading rebounder and third-leading scorer, Omari Peterkin, went down minutes into the second half, it was freshman Scott Brittain’s time to shoulder the burden.

Not only did the two rookies fill in admirably for their teammates, but they showed they can handle larger roles (39 minutes) no matter who is in the lineup.

“I have a lot of confidence,” Strong said. “My team helps me. They just tell me to shoot every day, so I do what I’m supposed to do, which is play hard and shoot,” Strong said.

It’s hard to believe a rookie

wouldn’t be brimming with confidence after dropping 20 points on the University of Hartford. Along with redshirt freshman Tyler Morris, who has taken over as BU’s leading scorer (14.2 points per game), Strong seemed to come up with a big shot every time the Terriers needed one.

With BU leading the Hawks, 30-21, with just seconds remaining in the half, Strong drove left baseline, pulled up over two defenders and hit nothing but net to give the Terriers a double-digit lead. When Hartford surged to bring themselves within one point, 41-40, it was Strong who nailed a trey to fend them off.

And when Hartford again brought itself within one with 2:46 remaining, it was again Strong who drained the dagger to kick off the nipping Hawks.

The Terriers’ freshmen, showing signs of maturity, have displayed a willingness to take high-pressure shots that normally would have fallen on Lowe’s shoulders before he got injured.

“This has nothing to do with Corey being either in or out,” BU coach Dennis Wolff said. “We’re playing better basketball. We’re playing better defense, we’re getting better ball movement, and I think the other thing is that Carlos Strong is a good player as well.”

“I just thought since [Lowe] was out, I had to step it up a little bit. It’s not just about me, it’s about the team,” Strong said. “So we try to spread it around a little bit more and everyone, like Scott [Brittain], is getting their points and boards up, and it was just a team effort.”

If it were Strong coming up with all the clutch buckets, it was Brittain who pulled down nearly every big rebound.

Brittain, who has been visibly improving over the course of conference play, helped seal the win in the final minutes by grabbing huge boards off Hartford’s missed free throws. He even saved a Terrier possession, grabbing an offensive rebound off a Valdas Sirutis missed freebie, earning himself a trip to the line.

Brittain’s final line of 15 points and 15 rebounds, both career highs, shows a much higher level of aggressiveness, a far cry from his timid performances early in the season. When he used to pass off quickly or put up a soft shot earlier in the season, Brittain has recently been driving hard to the hole and creating contact with defenders.

“I was just trying to be aggressive and play to what our team was trying to do, and it was just falling for me today,” Brittain said.

“Look at those numbers,” Wolff said. “Very rarely have we had an upper classman have 15 rebounds in a game. He was very aggressive in and around the basket the whole game.

“I think Scott’s played pretty well to be honest with you,” he continued. “He’s an aggressive kid, he’s a skilled kid. Sometimes he’s been his own worst enemy, but within the conference, I think he’s played pretty well.”

Now, with Lowe probable for tonight’s important matchup against the University of Vermont and Peterkin listed as day-to-day, the Terriers will continue to put pressure on their freshman to make large contributions. And when everyone is healthy and ready to go, BU will have a handful of players who have experienced their fair share of big moments.

And a certain intangible swagger could only help BU’s chances in the conference tournament.