Minus key players, BU drops AE opener at Albany

ALBANY, N.Y. ‘- Two years ago, they were dubbed the ‘The Big Three’ – an immensely talented group of guards who had never set foot on the collegiate hardwood for a game, but who were nonetheless expected to aid the Boston University men’s basketball team in its attempted return to the 20-win season caliber of play it had executed just one year prior. They certainly weren’t expected to exact the turnaround in their rookie seasons, but by their junior and senior years, the trio would be a force with which to be reckoned.

Thursday night, in a 62-61 loss against the University at Albany at SEFCU Arena, Corey Lowe, Tyler Morris and Carlos Strong did not play.

Unfortunately for the Terriers, two of the three were sidelined because of season-ending injuries – Morris tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in practice Tuesday and Strong tore his meniscus during BU’s Jan. 2 loss to the College of the Holy Cross. The once enchanting thoughts of a dominant run through the conference have crumbled, and BU must now redefine itself midseason. A difficult task, to say the least.

Lowe (the team’s leading scorer at 17.8 points per game) was healthy, but didn’t play due to a decision by BU coach Dennis Wolff to reprimand Lowe for receiving two technical fouls against Holy Cross. Although the junior co-captain would have most likely impacted the game favorably for the Terriers, Wolff stood by his decision in Thursday night’s postgame press conference.

‘You never know what the future’s going to hold in your coaching career. I’ve always tried to do the right thing,’ Wolff said. ‘We didn’t behave correctly [last] Friday night. In retrospect, he [Lowe] was embarrassed and he’s a good kid. We didn’t like anything about the way we acted. I decided this was the best thing to do. It never even crossed my mind [to bring Lowe into the game]. Once I made the decision, that was that.’

In the climactic ending of the game, senior co-captain Matt Wolff’s last-second attempt from 12 feet rimmed out following two converted free throws with 12 seconds left by UA sophomore guard Tim Ambrose (19 points, 11 rebounds) that put the Danes up for the first time since they led with roughly nine minutes to go in the first half. BU sophomore forward John Holland led all scorers with 25 points on a dominant 10-of-16 from the field (4-of-7 from 3-point range), while Albany junior forward Will Harris recorded his second consecutive double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds).

And while the one-point loss (BU’s first of the season) to the Great Danes (9-6, 1-1 America East) in the Terriers’ conference opener was one of the team’s more demoralizing losses this season – and extended BU’s losing streak to five games – the news of two season-ending injuries certainly takes precedence over the game and Lowe’s benching.

BU (5-8, 0-1) was without three of its top five scorers and started four forwards for the first time all season, as senior reserve Marques Johnson was the only guard to take the court for the Terriers. The injuries and absence of Lowe forced Dennis Wolff to manipulate his gameplan to fit the new look of his team, and required three players ‘- Holland, Johnson and Wolff ‘- to log 40 minutes.

Because of the forward-heavy lineup, not only did BU tie a season-high with 30 points in the paint (and certainly fed the post more than it has all season), but played zone defense for virtually the entire game – something Wolff rarely does.

‘If you’re going to play zone like we did against them, you’ve got to chase down some of those long rebounds and they did a good job of beating us to some of them that lead to baskets for them,’ Wolff said of the Great Danes.

The zone worked as well as it could have, as did BU’s interior play. Junior forward Scott Brittain – starting for the first time this season after starting 28 of 30 games last year – scored a season-high 11 points (all in the first half) and grabbed seven rebounds. Brittain’s play was detrimental down the stretch, though, as he turned the ball over on an inbounds play with 23 seconds left and committed the foul on Ambrose that led to game-clinching free throws. With 48 seconds remaining in regulation, Brittain missed two free throws but grabbed his own rebound and got fouled again. He converted 1-of-2 on his next trip, but still wasted three potential points in what was a three-point game in the final minute. The entire team struggled from the charity stripe, converting 10-of-20 attempts.

While BU’s record when leading with 5:00 remaining in regulation is now 5-2, there’s no doubt the Terriers have had trouble finishing close contests. Thursday marked the fifth time this year BU has appeared poised to win but was unable to seal the victory (other games include losses to George Washington University, Marshall University, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Delaware). It’s been an issue in seasons past as well, and somewhat of a bugaboo for the current club.

What also bothered the Terriers was their inability to rebound, particularly late in the game. The Great Danes won the battle on the boards, 44-27, and outrebounded BU 26-11 in the second half – an essential reason why they were able to complete their comeback despite shooting 9-of-30 from the field in the final frame. BU’s leading rebounder was its smallest player on the floor in Johnson, who had eight boards.

‘We needed to make a couple more plays there at the end either clearing our defensive board or being a little smarter with the ball,’ Wolff said. ‘I think for the most part, in terms of everything we’ve been through in the last week, the kids deserve about as much credit as you can give a team that lost the game.’

Johnson, who played 40 minutes for the first time in his career and started for just the seventh, did not turn the ball over and dished out seven assists in as solid a performance as BU could ask given the burden suddenly placed on a team on which he’s now the only true point guard.

‘We had a bigger chip on our shoulder,’ Johnson said. ‘Corey was out, Tyler was out, Carlos was out. I’m sure a lot of people thought we would come out there flat and just lay down, so we knew we had to come and prove everybody wrong. We did a good job fighting, but ultimately, we still lost.’

Holland was as dominant as he’s been since setting foot on the court for BU, as he hit shots in a variety of ways – driving the lane, stepping back from downtown, pulling up in the paint, coming off screens – and his frustration with the loss showed following the game. In the press conference he was visibly upset, slouched in his chair, pulled away from the table with his head down and, when asked a question, his answers trailed off.

‘John played terrific,’ Wolff said. ‘We couldn’t ask him to do any more than he did.’

Oddly enough, Holland’s emotion is a great sign for the Terriers given how apathetic the team seemed over the last two contests. Seeing that type of frustration following a one-point loss is encouraging given the drastic turn of events that has struck BU, as well as the burden that’s been placed on Holland to carry the Terriers even more now than before the team lost two of its premier players to injury.

‘It’s been a rough three days,’ Wolff said. ‘These kids showed a lot of character tonight. I’m proud of them. As disheartening as [last] Friday night was for our school, in regard to the behavior and the lack of effort, tonight it’s too bad we were here in Albany because it would be nice for the people who follow our team to see that the kids are still going to play throughout the year.’

For more regarding Thursday’s game and how the look of BU changes without Morris and Strong in the lineup, check out www.dailyfreepress.com/hoops.