With just six games remaining in the regular season, the Boston University men’s basketball team will look to push its win streak to three games when it takes on Colgate University Wednesday.
This was a key victory for BU as it pushed them into a tie for fourth place in the Patriot League, just two games behind Colgate (11-14, 8-4 Patriot League).
“We’ve worked hard the last week, trying to improve defensively,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “I may have gone too fast defensively in terms of getting ready for games, so we talked a lot about the opposition and what they like to do, and we lost some of our principles, and that hurt us.”
After winning their first five of six Patriot League games, the Raiders have struggled recently to find consistency. Colgate has alternated wins and losses in each of its last seven games, most recently coming out with a 59-43 victory over American University on Saturday.
Guard Austin Tillotson and forward Matt McMullen both had big games for the Raiders with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Colgate also held the Eagles (13-11, 6-6 Patriot League) to 29.4 percent shooting in the first half and took a 34-14 lead that proved to be insurmountable.
For the year, the Raiders have three scorers in double-digits and are led by guard Damon Sherman-Newsome, who averages 14.7 points per game.
“Colgate is a competitive team. They have five guys on the floor that can all shoot, dribble and pass,” Jones said. “That makes them very dangerous, but I think our guys will be ready and prepared and up for the challenge, but they’re a very good team.”
In their last matchup on Jan. 14 in Hamilton, New York, the Raiders beat the Terriers 62-53 and Sherman-Newsome led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds.
While the Terriers’ strength resides on the offensive end, the Raiders make their money on defense, where they rank second in the league in scoring defense.
The matchup that the Terriers will likely be looking to exploit is on the 3-point line. BU leads the league in 3-point field goals made per game while Colgate is ninth in the league in defending the 3-pointer, allowing opponents to shoot 38.9 percent.
In its last two games, the Terrier defense has been particularly strong, as they have held opponents to 60 points or fewer in both contests, well below their season average of 69.4 points.
For the year, sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson is the team’s leading scorer with 16.2 points per game with the only other double-digit scorer being sophomore guard Eric Fanning. But since conference play has started, it has been a completely different story.
In 12 conference games, the Terriers have four players in double-digits with two additional players at 9.6 and 9.0 points per game. Fanning is leading the team in conference play with 14.7 points a game, while Hankerson has slid to second place with 13.9.
“We’re a team that’s developing. You start the year, and you’re not quite sure where you’re going to get your scoring from,” Jones said. “Now, we have six guys that on any given night can score double figures, and most of those guys are either averaging double figures or close to averaging that.”
What has helped the Terriers is the improved 3-point marksmanship from freshman guard Cheddi Mosely and the resurgence from junior guard John Papale. Mosely is a 40 percent 3-point shooter on the year, but in conference, that mark stands at 42.4 percent. Papale, known last season for his ability to hit the 3-pointer, jumps his percentage from 38.8 to 42.6 in Patriot League play.
Papale also boasts the second highest assist-to-turnover ratio in the Patriot League with a 3-to-1 ratio, demonstrating that he can be both the facilitator and scorer that the Terriers need.
“[Teammates scoring] helps John because early in the year, he was the known quantity for us, and then Cedric got off to such a good start, scoring wise,” Jones said. “I feel like now we have a much more balanced team, and that will help John’s production as well, but to be honest with you, that’s not really a concern of mine. My major concern is are we focused on the defensive end.”
