Who would have thought it?
Twenty-two games into the season, the Boston University men’s basketball team (13-9 overall, 7-3 America East) and the University of Vermont (16-5, 9-1) fought Saturday afternoon for possession of first place in the America East conference.
In what might have been a preview of the America East tournament championship, the Terriers fell 89-85 in overtime to the hosting Catamounts before a capacity crowd at Patrick Gymnasium.
Vermont started out hot, jumping out to an 18-9 lead in the first five minutes of the game. BU rallied with a 10-0 run before the Catamounts answered, taking a 25-19 lead. BU then went on a 20-7 run and took its largest lead of the game, 39-32, with just over three minutes remaining in the half. The Catamounts tied the score at 41-apiece by the intermission.
Thriving defensively the whole season, BU was impressive on the offensive end of the floor in the first half, hitting 50 percent of its shots. The Terriers also converted on six-of-11 three-point attempts and were perfect from the free-throw line, hitting all five of their tries.
The second half was a sea-saw battle that never saw either team lead by more than four points. There were 11 ties and 13 lead changes in the period, but the Catamounts — guard T.J. Sorrentine, specifically — seemed to have an answer for every Terrier surge.
Junior forward Paul Seymour hit a key jumper in the lane with 16 seconds to go in regulation, and the Terriers trailed by one, 80-79. Sorrentine was fouled and made one-of-two free-throws, giving the Catamounts a two point lead. Sophomore guard Kevin Fitzgerald was fouled on the ensuing inbound pass and was given a chance to tie the game and send it into overtime. He hit both shots from the charity stripe.
In the overtime period, the Catamounts used free-throws to eventually bury the Terriers. Freshman guard Chaz Carr made a layup with less than three minutes remaining to bring the Terriers to within three, but they would get no closer.
Seymour, who has struggled from the field in conference competition this season, led the Terriers with 19 points and eight rebounds. Fitzgerald added 16 points and six rebounds and was a flawless five-of-five from the charity stripe.
BU also got key contributions from its dynamic freshmen duo, Carr and forward Rashad Bell. Carr chipped in 15 points while Bell scored 14 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
The Terriers shot 45 percent from the field for the game and 40 percent from three-point country. They also converted on 12-of-15 free throw attempts. BU out-rebounded Vermont, 43-34, for the contest.
The loss was the first conference road loss of the season for BU. The Terriers next play Friday at the University of Maine.
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