The Boston University men’s basketball team extended its winning streak to 11 games Thursday – an impressive enough feat. But for the Terriers – who had already won 11 straight once this year – it’s becoming old hat.
Shaun Wynn scored a career-high 22 points, helping the Terriers defeat Stony Brook University 75-64 on Senior Night at Case Gymnasium.
The win was BU’s 22nd in its last 23 games and clinches the Terriers at least a share of the America East regular-season crown for the third straight season. The Terriers (22-4, 17-1 America East) can capture the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament – and the right to possibly host the championship game – with a win on Sunday at Binghamton University or with a University of Vermont loss to the University of Maine. Vermont remained in the race with a 32-point thumping of the University at Albany on Thursday.
If BU loses on Sunday and Vermont wins, the two would still share the regular-season title, but the Catamounts would garner the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
Despite a slow first half, BU fought back from a seven-point deficit to take a 17-16 lead on a layup by senior guard Matt Turner. The Terriers scored just eight points in the first eight minutes, but would never trail in the game after the 9:40 mark of the first frame. A 10-2 run late in the half gave BU its largest lead to that point at 31-23, and the Terriers entered the break with a four-point edge at 34-30.
“I think that the whole thing to start the game had us not thinking about the game when it started,” said BU coach Dennis Wolff, referring to the Senior Night festivities. “Then I thought we never really played with as much urgency as we have in the other games. We made mistakes in this game that we haven’t made [but] I don’t want to diminish the effort – I think Shaun played great and we did what we needed to do.”
As it has many times before, BU used an early second-half offensive spurt to pull away from the Seawolves (8-18, 5-12). The Terriers went on a 9-2 run in the first 2:50, and then pushed their lead to 12 at 46-34 with 16:12 left. The burst continued, as a step-back three-pointer from Wynn gave the Terriers a 53-36 edge. A top-of-the-key Wynn three-ball pushed the BU lead back up to 17, completing a 22-9 run to start the second half.
BU kept its double-digit lead until Stony Brook forward Cori Spencer’s layup pulled the Seawolves within nine points with 9:20 to play. But the home team was helped by long range shooting down the stretch, as a Chaz Carr three-pointer and a Wynn trey held off the Seawolves’ final push. Stony Brook would get no closer than 68-59, and BU held on for the 11-point victory.
“I thought to start the second half we had pretty good focus and took control of the game right away,” Wolff said.
Wynn led all scorers with 22 points and two steals, while Turner, Rashad Bell and Carr all scored in double figures.
“The success that he is having this year, in my mind, is as well-earned as any guy I have coached in 25 years of coaching,” Wolff said of Wynn. “His energy tonight was a big part of us being able to pull out a win.”
Of the five BU seniors, Turner had the best game statistically, tallying 15 points on 6-11 shooting, including multiple momentum-building long-range buckets. Along with Turner, seniors Kevin Fitzgerald, Daniel Daccarett, Ryan Butt and Jason Grochowalski got starting nods, with Grochowalski chipping in six points and six rebounds.
“I guess it was just my night to have the ball,” Wynn said of his career-best performance. “I was getting open looks and going to the hole. Tonight, the ball was just in my hands and I was just confident shooting it.”
Mitchell Beauford and Mike Popoko paced Stony Brook with 13 points apiece. D.J. Munir – the team’s leading scorer – was held to just eight on 4-9 shooting.
BU closes the regular season on the road Sunday afternoon against Binghamton.