The Boston University men’s basketball team took care of business at home to earn its first victory of the season, thumping Dartmouth College 78-50.
After two tough losses against the University of San Diego and the University of California, BU (1-3) looked to get back on track Saturday afternoon.
“We were ready to go,” head coach Joe Jones said. “We did a good job, and it started and ended with our defense.”
Throughout the game, the Terriers forced the Big Green (2-2) to rely on individual brilliance. The home team held the away side to just 29.3% from the field, preventing Dartmouth from establishing any rhythm.
Despite starting 0-8 from deep, the Terriers understood the message early on: score at the rim.
BU went to freshman forward Ben Defty early and often. He recorded 8 of the team’s first 24 points, imposing his will down in the paint. Senior forward Malcolm Chimezie had the same effect in his 19 minutes, finishing with 9 points on just five field goal attempts.
Dartmouth kept the game close until midway through the first half, trailing only by a bucket or two. Sophomore guard Kyrone Alexander splashed home two triples, and just like that, BU turned a one-possession game to a 32-19 lead.
“Just trusting in my ability, playing within the offense, staying confident,” Alexander said. “That helped me to just kind of propel and get into a good shot, so it could help my team.”
From one guard to another, freshman guard Azmar Abdullah shined. He scored all 9 of his points in the second half, and he did so in a variety of ways. After making a shot off the dribble and two free throws, Abdullah showed fans his craftiness at the rim by going up and under a defender to finish a layup on the other side.
“For me, being a freshman, just getting that first BU win, definitely a great accomplishment of ours,” Abdullah said. “Definitely been a dream of mine to get a Division I win.”
Like Alexander, he affected the game outside of his scoring. Midway through the second half, Abdullah skied in for the offensive rebound twice in one possession.
With about seven minutes left in the game, Abdullah nearly shut the gym down. He sprinted back after a loose ball, and as Dartmouth sophomore guard Ben Brown went for a bucket, the Terrier guard flew in and smacked the layup off the glass. Case Gym erupted.
BU controlled most of the game from start to finish. In a complete performance, the team’s 54.5% shooting from the field stood out the most. With this efficiency on offense, coupled with a defense-first mentality, the team showed a glimpse of their true potential.
“If we can just get to the point where we’re consistent at what we’re trying to do, I think we have a chance to have a really good team,” Jones said. “Tonight, it was pretty good to see us get a lead and then stay with it, and then also be able to expand the lead in the second half.”
