GAMEDAY: Yale vs. Boston University

After Saturday's closely contested loss to Marshall at Agganis Arena, the Terriers return to their the friendly confines of The Roof to host another of last year's opponents. While BU sought to vanquish memories of last year's 70-47 loss to the Thundering Herd in last weekend's game, the Terriers have fonder memories of Yale stemming from their December 11, 2007 win by a 76-67 score.

Last year's meeting, which resulted in BU's first-ever defeat of their New Haven opponent, went particularly well for Corey Lowe. The then-sophomore guard exploded for 35 points on 13-of-20 shooting, exceeding the totals of the Bulldogs' top three scorers combined. Lowe had not reached the 35-point mark again until Saturday's game at Agganis.

Needless to say, Yale's primary task in this game will be to stop Corey Lowe, or at the very least slow him down. To do so, the Bulldogs will have to produce a better defensive performance than Saturday's exhibit against Wagner, in which the Seahawks shot a blistering 60 percent from the field.

The Terriers have a few concerns as well, primarily finding a way to deal with senior forward Ross Morin. Morin leads the Bulldogs in rebounds and is also averaging a healthy 12.6 points per game. Yale's primary scoring threat is junior guard Alexander Zampier, but Morin provides a perimeter-oriented Terriers squad with a difficult matchup problem. Yale's offense has managed an anemic 88.8 points per 100 possessions thus far, so keeping Morin under control should be enough to cripple the Bulldogs' attack.

Yale, like many Boston University opponents this season, has a defense whose foundation is an ability to force turnovers. Tyler Morris' improved play the past few games has masked lingering ball control issues. Morris was injured early last year and did not play in the Yale game, so his return provides the Terriers with a key advantage, but that advantage will be negated should the junior guard continue to cough the ball up.

Projected starting lineups





Links:
BU looks to right the ship v. Yale