Following a first-round bye in the Patriot League Tournament, the Boston University men’s basketball team, the fifth seed, will travel to fourth seed Lafayette College Thursday night for a quarterfinal matchup.
BU (13-16, 9-9 Patriot League) and Lafayette (17-12, 9-9 Patriot League) split the season series, but the Terriers won the most recent matchup 74-60 at Lafayette on Feb. 9. Both teams have been streaky this season, but their defenses, which rank in the bottom three of the Patriot League, have been the limiting factor in the majority of the two teams’ losses.
Lafayette boasts the most potent offense in the Patriot League, averaging 73.8 points per game. It also ranks in the top 25 nationally in field goal percentage and assists, shooting 47.8 percent and averaging 15.6 helpers per game.
Two seniors, Dan Trist and Seth Hinrichs, lead the way for the Leopards as they carry the scoring and rebounding load. On the season, they have combined to average 12.5 rebounds and 30.8 points per game.
“They are two really talented players,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “Both guys can hurt you inside and out.”
Jones said junior forward Justin Alston will be man-marking Trist to start the game while his more athletic classmate forward Nathan Dieudonne will try to shut down Hinrichs.
In addition to the two Lafayette senior forwards, Jones said he is concerned with shutting down sophomore Nick Lindner on Thursday. The offense runs through the 5-foot-11 guard who leads the team in minutes per game and averages 11.6 points and 5.4 assists per tilt.
“I think Lindner is the biggest key to the game,” Jones said. “We have to contain him.”
Jones said sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson will attempt to keep Lindner out of the paint.
On the offensive end, the Terriers have struggled as of late, failing to register more than 70 points in each of their last four games.
After receiving a bye in the first round, the Terriers need to win three games in a row to win the Patriot League Tournament, which would punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. BU started conference play with a three-game winning streak, and it will now be tested to win three in a row to end the season.
In February, when BU left Kirby Sports Center victorious, it relied on a balanced scoring attack with four players in double-figures. However, BU leaned heavily on the 3-point shot as well, firing off 29 deep balls and only sinking 16.7 percent in the second frame. Junior guard John Papale nailed four 3-pointers in the Terriers’ last visit to Easton. The team shot a surprisingly low seven free throws, about 16 below their season average of 22.7 a game.
“You have to take what they give you,” Jones said. “It is all about balance. Sometimes, we can settle for the jumper. We need to make sure we get the ball into the paint first.”
BU has struggled this season protecting the basketball, as it ranks second to last in the Patriot League in turnover margin.
“We have been struggling when teams put pressure out on us,” Jones said. “It has been an Achilles heel for us.”
Jones said he is confident that his young Terrier team can advance well into the postseason if it executes at a high level.
“I think we can win three games in a row. We have the ability to do that,” Papale said after the Terriers’ last loss against the College of the Holy Cross. “I think we can beat anyone.”
Another junior leader who will be counted on to provide leadership and physical presence is Alston, whose improvements have impressed Jones, especially as of late. The big man has exploded for 33 points in his last two games, including a career-high of 18 against the United States Military Academy on Feb. 25.
“He has been terrific,” Jones said of Alston. “He has been someone you can count on. He is a great kid, and he is a winner and wants to do it the right way. He epitomizes what we are all about.”
The Terriers should be confident going into Thursday’s contest, as last time the two teams met, BU had one of its strongest defensive outings in the 14-point victory, limiting Lafayette to shoot just 39.6 percent from the field.
Jones said first and foremost, his team needs to play aggressive high-energy defense to beat Lafayette.
“I think the first thing is a defensive rebounding mentality,” he said. “We have to play with more energy, and we have to control the game with energy.”
