After watching St. Joseph’s University trounce Boston College to open the season a few weeks ago, the Boston University men’s basketball team knew that the Hawks were for real. After last night’s game in Philadelphia, the Terriers do not need anymore proof.

While the Terriers (3-3, 0-0 America East) started strong, leading by as many as five with over eight minutes left in the first, the Hawks turned up the heat on the defensive end and pulled away in the second half to a 71-49 win. Despite 11 first-half turnovers, the Terriers were able to stay close in the opening 20 minutes, only trailing by eight at the break.

But the Hawks (4-0, 0-0 Atlantic Ten) came out firing in the second frame, never allowing the Terriers to get closer than five, and running away to a 22-point rout. A three-pointer by Hawk guard Pat Carroll to start the second half was followed by a 6-0 BU run to cut the BU deficit to five. But the St. Joseph’s defense turned up the pressure, forcing 24 turnovers on the night and sneaking in for 13 steals. With the Hawks committing only 10 turnovers, they were able to toss up 55 shots as opposed to BU’s 44.

The Terriers, who have held teams to just 38 percent shooting this season, allowed St. Joseph’s to shoot just over 49 percent on the night, allowing three Hawks to reach double figures. Guard Jameer Nelson, a John Wooden National Player of the Year candidate, tallied 14 points and five assists on the night and was joined in double figures by Carroll and guard Delonte West with 16 points each. Carroll hit three three-pointers, all in the second half, and also pulled down 10 rebounds for a solid double-double.

The first half was 20 minutes of runs for both teams, including a 9-0 BU run to go up 18-14 with 9:36 remaining. After tying the game at 14 with a steal and lay-up, red-shirt senior guard Matt Turner hit a three to put the Terriers up five with just over eight minutes to go in the half. On the next BU possession however, senior Paul Seymour missed the front end of a one-and-one, and the BU momentum was brought to a screeching halt by a quick St. Joe’s three. Instead of a seven-point BU lead, after the two made free throws the Hawks were within two.

The Hawks didn’t stop there, ending the half on a 19-6 run to lead by eight after 20 minutes. While the Terriers did get the game close in the opening minutes of the second, St. Joseph’s pulled away with a 26-6 run that put the game well out of reach.

Throughout most of the game, it was the incessant Hawk pressure that stifled any attempts by the Terriers to get going. Every time a BU ballhandler turned his back to a defender, St. Joe’s brought a double team and was able to get a steal or force a turnover. Turner was the only Terrier in double figures with 11 points as BU shot a paltry 36 percent from the floor, making just 16 of 44 shots.

Turner was unable to find the scoring touch he showed Tuesday night at Harvard University, and other scorers like senior Billy Collins or junior Ryan Butt were unable to find their stroke, combining for only seven points on 2-of-10 shooting. The Terriers did outrebound the Hawks, 36-26, but that statistic is deceiving since St. Joseph’s put up 10 more shots than BU.

The Terriers return to Boston for only their second home contest of the year this Wednesday against George Washington University.