Coming off a disappointing loss to the New Jersey Institute of Technology in which it was largely outplayed and outfought, the Boston University men’s basketball team needed a confidence boost.
Saturday night in Tampa, Florida, the Terriers (2-2) got just that in the form of a 78-66 win over the University of South Florida.
As has often been the case throughout the young 2015-16 season, BU was carried by its outside shooting. Sophomore guard Cheddi Mosely scored a season-high 21 points, 15 of which came in the second half, and senior guard John Papale went 5-of-9 from downtown in a 17-point performance. As a team, BU shot 45.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Senior forward Nathan Dieudonne had 12 points, six rebounds and five assists before fouling out late in the second half.
For the Bulls (0-4), center Jaleel Cousins, looking reminiscent of his older brother, NBA All-Star DeMarcus, bullied the Terriers inside for 14 points and 12 rebounds. USF shot 43.4 percent from the field on the night and failed to connect on any of its 10 3-point attempts.
Though the Terriers would handily take over in the second half, they struggled to get going, starting the game just 2-of-8 from the field.
Meanwhile, the aggressive Bulls fed the 6-foot-11, 255 pound Cousins and 6-foot-8, 250 pound forward Chris Perry early and often. The Terriers opened the game in a 2-3 defensive zone, meant to keep the team out of foul trouble, but the Bulls’ size advantage proved too much for the Terriers to handle in the formation.
“They were just so big,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “They were getting rebounds on the back side when they were, 6-foot-8, 250 pounds going against [6-foot-3, 195 pound] John Papale and [6-foot-3, 185 pound sophomore guard] Will Goff. There’s no way they’re rebounding the ball over that guy.”
After Cousins converted on a 3-point play that gave the Bulls an 18-10 lead near the midway point of the first half, Jones had seen enough, and shifted schemes to a man-to-man. Then, the tide turned. Stops on defense turned into plays in transition, which helped BU get into an offensive flow.
Three 3-pointers from Papale quickly got the Terriers back into the contest, and with just over five-and-a-half minutes left in the half, Mosely drained a trey on a fast break to give BU a 26-24 edge.
“They’re starting to get that kind of confidence that they can make a run,” Jones said. “Every game we’ve played, we’ve been down. The games we’ve won, we’ve been down and come back. I thought we panicked a little bit Thursday night, but tonight we didn’t.”
The Terriers were even able to fight back against USF’s big men. Though Cousins and Perry outweigh sophomore forward Nick Havener by 30 and 25 pounds, the Sarasota, Florida, native stood tall, coming up with three key rebounds and a block during BU’s run. Playing in front of his family and friends, Havener ended the night with five points and a career-high six rebounds.
“He’s got no fear,” Jones said. “I’m so happy for him … He played well. He played tough. It was great to see him really step up and play so well.”
This tenacity in the paint wasn’t limited to Jones’ bench. On BU’s last possession of the half, Dieudonne battled to pick up a rebound off a Papale miss and drew contact. He made both free throws and the Terriers headed into the locker room with a 34-32 advantage.
Papale’s 12 points on four 3-pointers topped BU, who shot 38.7 percent from the field in the half. Cousins flirted with a double-double at the break, scoring seven points to go along with eight rebounds.
Dieudonne kicked off the second-half scoring with a layup and the Terriers never looked back. While Papale guided the team in the first frame, BU spread the wealth in the second half, wearing down the USF defense and opening up a 13-point lead.
“We were just kind of taking what they gave us,” Jones said. “We wanted to make them move around and play defense and guard us. That’s the big thing. At times, we just hold on to the ball and we don’t get it moving and that really hurts us, but tonight we did a good job in the second half of moving the ball and making them play defense.”
The Bulls were able to cut the BU advantage to 61-56 with 6:21 remaining, but Mosely responded with a 3-pointer and the Terriers continually broke through the Bulls’ pressing defense. Freshman point guard Kyle Foreman’s 3-pointer with 2:01 to go ended USF’s comeback hopes and BU cruised to its first road win of the season.
Even in victory, Jones noted areas of concern, particularly on the defensive side. BU’s inability to execute in zone led to Dieudonne fouling out of his second-straight game as well as a 41-30 rebounding disparity.
Still, the fifth-year coach took pride in the way his team competed on the road, especially after Thursday’s loss.
“We wanted to be more focused and not let the atmosphere and the referees dictate how we were going about our business,” Jones said. “I was really pleased to see how our guys approached everything. It was great to see.”
Jackie is a sports reporter for The Daily Free Press and has previously served as Managing Editor and Associate Sports Editor of the FreeP. At this moment, she's probably watching Shark Tank and thinking of ways to work, "and for that reason, I'm out," into casual conversations. Please send all inquiries in the form of a box combo from Cane's with no coleslaw and extra fries or follow her on Twitter at @jackie_bam
