The Boston University men’s basketball team got back on the winning track in a big way Wednesday night, defeating Binghamton University 77-65 at Case Gym.
The victory was the second this year for the Terriers (2-4) and snapped a three-game losing streak, which included a loss to No. 1 University of Kentucky and a 69-59 home defeat at the hands of the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Sunday.
“We got a good team effort from a lot of guys,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “We played really hard with a lot of energy. After the Kentucky game, it was kind of a rocky week for us. It was good to see our team really compete and play hard tonight. Regardless of the final score, I thought we played very hard throughout the game.”
The Terriers relied on the 3-point shot to oust the Bearcats (1-7), as BU went 14-for-28 from the perimeter, including 7-for-11 in the second half. Leading the offensive attack were sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson and junior guard John Papale. The two hit a combined seven long-range shots. Freshmen guards Will Goff and Cheddi Mosely, along with sophomore guard Eric Fanning also had success from downtown, as each hit two 3-point shots of their own.
Fanning came off the bench to contribute 14 points, three rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes of play. Goff and sophomore forward Dylan Haines also played significant supporting roles. Jones said he was impressed with the bench support the Terriers received.
“They [the bench players] came into the game and really helped us,” Jones said. “They competed, they played hard, they really gave us a spark. I think a big part of the game is when we go to the bench, ‘Can we get productivity?’ We did tonight.”
BU went back and forth with the Bearcats in the beginning of the game, as neither team led by more than five points in the first twelve minutes. Eventually, the Terriers found success from deep, hitting six 3-point shots in seven minutes and extending their lead to 11 by halftime.
In the second half, BU remained locked in on offense, as it was able to build its lead to 22 points with less than ten minutes remaining. However, the Bearcats refused to go away. Binghamton’s freshman center Dusan Perovic hit a remarkable five long-range shots in the second half to keep the game somewhat close. Perovic finished with a school-record 34 points.
“I looked up at the board, and he has 18 points. All of a sudden, he had 34,” Jones said. “He was just drilling shots when the game got a little out of reach. I was hoping if he missed one or two, we could just extend the lead, but he just kept making them. I thought he actually played well.”
In the end, the Terriers were still able to prevail, even coming off a string of poor performances. Jones said he is trying to instill a hard-working “blue-collar” mentality in his players.
“We talk about being tough and playing with effort, and we just didn’t do that for two games,” Jones said. “My thing is, if guys aren’t going to compete, I’m just going to take them out. If they don’t take charges or dive for loose balls, I’m just going to take them out.
“I’m just not going to stand for it, so hopefully that’ll get the message across. We have to become a blue-collar team. This team is trying to change the make-up of our program, and it’s going to take time.”
Hankerson, who is the team’s leading scorer this season, is averaging just over 20 points a game. Wednesday night marked his fourth consecutive game in which he scored over 20 points. Jones said he was impressed with Hankerson’s response to the early adversity the Terriers have faced and added that he is confident Hankerson will help lead this young team in the right direction.
“We talked to [Hankerson] before the season started about being the best all-around player in the league,” Jones said. “He’s definitely stepping up. After our loss to UMass Lowell, he had the two best practices that I’ve ever seen anyone have here, in terms of his energy, attitude and leadership. He was off the charts.”
Nick is currently writing for the Boston Hockey Blog. In the past, he has served as associate sports editor, and has covered men's and women's cross-country, women's soccer, men's basketball, and men's lacrosse for the Daily Free Press. You can keep track of Nick's exciting life by following him on Twitter at @nikfraz14
