Men’s basketball bests Norfolk State for 1st win of season

After a disappointing season-opening loss against Northeastern University Sunday, the Boston University men’s basketball team rebounded Wednesday night with a 71-63 road win against Norfolk State University. Despite trailing at halftime, BU came out in the second half with a 21-2 run that propelled the visitors to a victory.

The Terriers (1-1) required the leadership of their junior class, particularly guard John Papale, who scored a team-high 17 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the 3-point range. Junior forward Nathan Dieudonne recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and classmate forward Justin Alston added 13 points and two blocks.

“Any time you win on the road, you need your upperclassmen to step up and lead by example,” said BU coach Joe Jones.

The Spartans (1-2) were guided on offense by the duo of forward — and former Terrier — Malik Thomas and guard Jeff Short. Thomas, who transferred from the Terriers in early April, finished the night with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Short added a game-high 28 points along with 6 rebounds. The two ended the game shooting 34 of the team’s 52 attempted field goals.

The two sides were narrowly separated during the first half. Five minutes in, Alston dunked off an assist from freshman guard Eric Johnson to give BU its first lead. Johnson started the game over freshman guard Cheddi Mosely, who was in the starting lineup in the loss against Northeastern.

“Just a coach’s decision,” Jones said about the replacement. “You’re going to see that a lot this year. There will be different guys starting for sure, especially in that spot right there, that extra spot.”

Papale made four of his 3-pointers in the first half and was the primary source of offense for the Terriers at that point. Yet Short was in control for the Spartans, leading the way with 17 first-half points.

Norfolk State led 34-32 at halftime. BU was more accurate shooting the ball than the Spartans in the first period, but its nine turnovers kept the Terriers trailing.

To start the second half, BU managed to take the first large lead of the game. After a layup by forward LaTre’e Russell for the Spartans two minutes into the period, Norfolk State went scoreless for the next five minutes of play.

On the other side of the floor, the Terriers scored 16 straight points, a run sparked by two back-to-back 3-pointers from Mosely. With 13 minutes remaining, BU led 53-36, the largest differential in the game.

“We got into a rhythm. We were able to get some stops,” Jones said. “We did a good job with our zone. We were able to neutralize… Short. We were very active, and once we got some stops, we were able to push the ball up the floor and create some scoring opportunities in transition.”

BU was guided offensively in the second half by sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson, who excelled in getting to the free-throw line. Having shot the ball poorly to begin the game, Hankerson made 10 free throws in the second half and finished with 16 points, 7 assists and three steals.

“He’s [Hankerson] just such a great teammate,” Jones said. “He got himself to the foul line, as well as setting up his teammates. It got to be more of a transition game where he was able to outlet and make plays for his teammates. In the half court, he got to the rim and got to the foul line.

“He’s going to try to do whatever we need. If it’s guarding the opponents’ best player, if it’s scoring, if it’s rebounding, he’s the kind of guy that’s going to try to do everything to help us win.”

Despite the scoring output from the Terriers, the pair of Thomas and Short managed to find the Spartans a way back into the game. Ending the team’s scoring drought with 12:35 left on the clock, the two scored six unanswered points, and two minutes later, Thomas converted a layup that cut BU’s lead down to 10.

Even with a fifth 3-pointer from Papale, Thomas and the Spartans persisted as the redshirt senior hit a 3-pointer with 6:31 remaining to cut BU’s lead to four.

Hankerson’s shooting, however, provided BU with enough lift to edge out the Spartans. The sophomore hit a shot from long range to give the Terriers a nine-point lead with five minutes left, and then converted on four more free-throw attempts to help BU finish on top.

After the win, Jones said it was refreshing to once again see one of his former players in Thomas — even though he was donning an opposing jersey.

“It was good to see Malik,” Jones said. “We wish him the best. We all miss him. I’ve coached against my brother. I’ve coached against my best friends. You’re kind of used to the competition. You blank those things out once the ball goes up. But we wish the best for Malik in his year at Norfolk State.”