Despite scoring 48 points in the second half, the Boston University men’s basketball team could not overcome a poor first half effort, falling to Harvard University by a score of 75-69 Tuesday night at Case Gym.
The Terriers (3-5) have now lost back-to-back contests for the first time this season, as they were uncharacteristically inconsistent from behind the 3-point line, shooting only 23.5 percent against the Crimson (3-6). Junior guard Eric Fanning led both teams with 19 points, while sophomore forward Nick Havener totaled 18 points and 11 rebounds to notch his first career double-double.
“I thought in the second half we played much tougher,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “[In] the first half we were very tentative. We’re not going to make any excuses for our sloppy play. We’ve had a lot of guys in and out, so our flow wasn’t great. I’m frustrated for our guys because we haven’t had a chance to get any continuity with the guys on the floor.
“But that’s not to make an excuse, we were very sloppy and tentative in the first half of the game,” Jones added. “We played better in the second half, but we didn’t defend well. They shot 53 percent in the second half. I thought we played with more energy, but we didn’t get the job done.”
Harvard came into the game having lost their last three contests, but looked like the better team through most of the first 20 minutes. The Crimson were led by guard Corey Johnson, who scored the first nine points for his team with three 3-point shots. He would finish with 18 points in the game.
Meanwhile, the Terriers struggled to create scoring opportunities in the first frame, shooting only 36.4 percent from the field, and finishing the half 0-for-7 from deep. The team also finished with only nine assists in the game, tied for a season low.
This offensive lapse could be due to junior guard Cedric Hankerson and senior forward Nathan Dieudonne being unavailable for the game, as well as freshman guard Kyle Foreman playing fewer minutes than usual due to an ankle injury.
With these offensive playmakers out, the Crimson focused entirely on senior guard John Papale and sophomore guard Cheddi Mosely. The two 3-point shooters were dormant for most of the game, shooting a combined 2-for-11 from behind the arc. Jones credited Harvard’s defense in shutting down his two deep threats.
“They did a good job chasing those guys and making it hard for those guys to score,” he said. “On our hand-offs and ball screens, they did a good job of making it difficult. There were times we got some open looks and didn’t make them and other times where we were rushed. Right now, we need production out of John and Cheddi on a consistent basis for us to be a productive team right now.”
In the second half, BU continued its sluggish play on offense, until Havener and Fanning got it going. Down 14 points with 6:48 left in the game, the duo contributed five points in an 8-0 run to cut the lead to six with 4:10 remaining.
However, the late charge would not be enough for the Terriers to earn their first win against the Crimson in seven years. Papale hit two late 3-pointers in a span of 75 seconds, but BU was unable to contain Harvard’s Johnson, who sunk a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left to seal the win for the Crimson.
“It was a tough one,” Jones said of Johnson’s late dagger. “It looked like we had a decent contest on him, but in that situation, you just don’t want that guy to get the shot. We gave him a little bit too much room. He’s too good of a shooter and he’s got good size, so if he can get it here, he’s going to shoot it right over you.”
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
