By Luke Coughlan/DFP Staff
Despite leading for less than one quarter of the game, the Boston University men’s basketball team rode a 29 point, seven rebound performance from senior forward John Holland to steal a 67-62 victory over Stony Brook University on Thursday evening.
The Seawolves (7-11, 2-4 America East) ran out to an early 21-11 lead in the game’s first nine minutes behind an 8-0 run by freshman guard Anthony Jackson and stifling defense on the other end of the floor.
BU’s (9-11, 4-2 AE) top scorers—Holland with 19.2 ppg and junior guard Darryl Partin with 13.2 ppg—were held in check throughout the first half to the tune of 12 points between them.
The Terriers managed to clamp down on the defensive end over the half’s final minutes, however, and spread the scoring around while their star players were having trouble finding the hoop to the extent of which they were accustomed. BU got points from seven of eight players who saw playing time in the first half, and finished down only three, 36-33. They were shooting 44.7 percent to the Seawolve’s 44.9 percent.
In the second half, junior forward Dallis Joyner emerged as SBU’s most potent scoring weapon. He would finish the game a perfect 5-of-5 from the field for a team high 15 points and six rebounds, all six of which were on the offensive end.
The big man frustrated the Terriers to open the second half, contributing four points to a 10-4 run to open the stanza. However, from there, Holland and freshman guard D.J. Irving began to take the game over.
Utilizing an offense designed to move SBU’s defense side to side, the Terriers managed to open scoring lanes. Irving, who finished 4-of-8 for 13 points and a game-high six assists, effectively drove the lanes and found Holland for open shots. Once Holland started hitting those shots, there was no looking back for the America East scoring leader.
The Terriers rode a 23-6 run over the next ten minutes to open up a 60-52 lead, their largest of the game, behind a 13-0 run by Holland.
Holland reentered the game after sitting out until the 10 minute mark with three fouls and never looked back. He went 5-of-5 over the 13-0 run in which all 13 points were his. He finished the run with a two-handed slam and a banked in trey from the left side.
Holland’s success seemed to reenergize the Terriers on the defensive side of the ball as well, as they held SBU to just 25.9 percent shooting in the second half.
The Terriers would allow the Seawolves to remain in contention in the game’s final minutes, as the lead was cut to three with 37 seconds remaining and later with 10 seconds left.
However, the Terriers went 5-of-7 from the charity stripe to close the game with a 67-61 victory.
The game marked the first time in eight games that the Seawolves allowed more than 60 points. While both teams are suffering from injuries of key players at this point in their season, the Terriers managed to hold off junior guard Bryan Dougher, a player who has had much success at Case Gymnasium in the past. They held him to 5-of-10 from the field and only 1-of-5 from beyond the arc for 12 points.
With 33 seconds left, freshman guard David Coley forced a steal deep in the Seawolves offensive zone with his team down by three. SBU had an opportunity to tie the game in heartbreaking fashion, but Coley missed the jumper, and Partin secured the defensive rebound and made it a two possession game again after going 1-of-2 from the line.
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