DAYTON, Ohio — With 14 minutes remaining in the second half, sophomore forward Jake O’Brien followed a drop-step deuce on the low block with a 3-pointer to pull the Boston University men’s basketball team within four of the University of Dayton, 54-50.
A 17-2 first-half deficit had been all but erased. BU coach Pat Chambers’ club had proven that, in fact, it did have the right character to weather the role of visitor in an atmosphere akin to a Fourth of July celebration.
But BU was done in by what was lurking in the final 10 minutes: exhaustion.
The 7-deep Terriers’ (5-7) fuse blew when Dayton junior star Chris Wright scored six points coming out of a timeout to put his team up 60-50. Playing above the rim all night, the highest-flyer banked on two aggressive post moves garnished with a half-court alley-oop to put Dayton up for good, en route to 19 points and a 74-60 win.
‘They wore us down there’s no doubt about it,’ Chambers said. ‘They’re deep, we’re not.’
Five Terriers logged over 30 minutes, while Dayton coach Brian Gregory managed to keep everyone in his 10-man rotation under that mark.
A substitution scheme that included heavy doses of senior forward Valdas Sirutis and a 1-in-3 possession turnover between senior guards Carlos Strong and Tyler Morris couldn’t save them.
Neither could a team-high 17 points from senior guard Corey Lowe. Dayton junior guard Rob Lowery saw to that with a team-high 23.
Lowe had some words for Lowery after swishing a trey that narrowed Dayton’s lead to 50-42, and it was evident the junior college transfer had taken exception when he drained a three on the opposite end to cap the next possession, before shouting in the face of Morris.
It was just Lowery’s night. He came into the game averaging 5 points per game and left with his greatest Division 1 performance. A 3-pointer from just inside halfcourt as the first half expired did little to prove he wasn’t simply a one-hit wonder.
‘He was phenomenal, 7-for-9 from three,’ Chambers said. ‘I promise he was in the scouting report, but I didn’t think he’d have 23. It didn’t matter what defense they had out there, they always made the extra pass.’
The Flyers cruised to the hoop with ease in the first five minutes. Quick interior passing stratified the Terrier zone, and Dayton found uncontested shots down low.
Bewildered, BU couldn’t put together a foul-free, turnover-free possession to stop the bleeding.
‘They’re such a good team, and they throw so many people at you,’ Chambers said. ‘Our guys looked a little timid instead of going out, making plays.’
The tide turned when BU adjusted its help defense inside to buttress each block with a man or two in tow on every entrance pass.
Strong sparked the BU comeback with back-to-back treys from the right side to make a 21-7 game 24-13. Then after Lowe sunk a pair from the line, Strong struck with one more to make it 27-18.
‘You practice the way you play,’ Chambers said. ‘It’s like I’ve been saying, and Strong has looked great in practice.’
While Strong couldn’t miss, junior forward John Holland seemed lost behind the arc. BU’s leading scorer (18.5 ppg) air-balled a couple early and couldn’t shoot his way out of his funk, finishing 0-for-8 from range and failing to top 10 points for the first time this season.
‘I think he was just a little excited playing in a great environment,’ Chambers said.
Freshman guard B.J. Bailey was unavailable after leaving the team at the end of the semester with plans to transfer. His absence didn’t help things when BU ran out of gas.
‘I saw a team that doesn’t quit, that’s going into the league with a certain attitude,’ Chambers said. ‘I’m not sure they’ve played this way before, not with the same consistency.’
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