This was the game that Corey Hassan had been waiting for.
Three weeks into the season, the sharpshooter had been anything but sharp, mired in a slump that saw him hitting only 29 percent of his shots from the field.
Not anymore.
The freshman exploded for a career-high 17 points in BU’s 72-63 win over Harvard University last night and sizzled from behind the arc in particular, on 4-of-6 shooting.
For Hassan, it was worth the wait.
“I went through a little shooting slump – it happens,” he said after the game. “But I wasn’t really concerned about it, because I knew that eventually my shot would get back on.”
Things were different right from the beginning for the first-year guard, who has suffered steadily in first halves this season. Hassan drilled a 3 to open the scoring for BU, pushing the Terriers to a lead that they would never relinquish.
It may have been just the spark that Hassan needed, as he went on to provide a flurry of offense for BU in the opening minutes, adding a long jumper and three free throws to account for eight of the Terriers’ first 11 points in the game.
“It took a little while to adjust,” Hassan said. “College games, especially Division I, are a lot different than high school, … I think I’m ready to play now.”
Hassan followed in the footsteps of senior Shaun Wynn, who had a breakout shooting game on Saturday against George Washington University. The duo has benefited from the Terriers’ improved inside play over the last two games and the ability of forwards Kevin Gardner, Omari Peterkin and Ibrahim Konate to give them open looks.
“Our offense, we weren’t really doing to well just reversing it around and jacking up threes,” said Gardner. “When you get a post touch everybody sags in more, and it gives the shooters more of an opportunity to knock down shots.”
The forwards must trust their guards, however, and Gardner has maintained confidence in his shooters despite their early-season struggles.
“When the guys drop down on you in the post and you got Corey or Shaun standing there wide open, there’s no hesitation,” Gardner said. “You just throw it right back out to them. You know they’re going to put it up.”
The spark has come at just the right time for Hassan, as the Terriers open their America East schedule against the University of New Hampshire on Thursday.
And Hassan, a New Hampshire native who was recruited heavily by the Wildcats, is ready.
“I kind of wanted to get out of New Hampshire just to see what it was like, because I’ve been there my whole life,” Hassan said. “I know a lot of the kids on the team, so I’m excited to play against them.”
If he keeps shooting like this, New Hampshire won’t be nearly as excited to see him.
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