The Day After: Delaware 70, BU 68

Well that certainly wasn't the outing Terrier fans were hoping for.

Following about as encouraging a loss as a team can have against then-No. 12 Notre Dame at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Ind., the Terriers had a chance to assert themselves as one of the top teams in the conference with a resounding victory over a team that should have beaten.

As was mentioned in the post-game press conference, once the Terriers went up 19-7 against the University of Delaware, BU coach Dennis Wolff said his team thought the Blue Hens weren't going to keep playing. In most circumstances -- and in the circumstances that create a champion -- the team leading should have continued to pour it on and bury the opponent. BU didn't.

Instead, the Terriers were outscored in the second half for the fifth time this season (in all five of their losses) and dropped another game by a single-digit margin -- this loss being their most heartbreaking given the dagger 3-pointer by D.J. Boney with four seconds left on the clock. After playing solid defense in the first half, BU became lackadaisical in the second half, as the Blue Hens shot 57.1 percent from the floor. It didn't appear that BU was tired, just not getting to the proper spots on the floor. That's not taking credit away from Delaware, they executed very well offensively, but the Terriers have guarded far better than that on multiple occasions this season, so it was troubling to see such a shoddy effort. On the other side, UD's defense was better than it's been as it allowed 68 points after entering the game having given up 74.3 points per game.

One of the biggest problems with the loss was BU's lack of attention to detail. Multiple times Wolff was visibly upset coming out of a timeout when his team seemingly forgot the play, didn't execute it well enough, or it wasn't conveyed properly in the timeout. It's not clear whether the timeout gameplans need to be described better to the players or there's a listening problem, but it's happened far to often this season for BU to be considered an elite club in the AE.

The Terriers are on their first losing streak of the year and things aren't going to get easier against Cornell, the defending Ivy League champion and a team that's unbeaten on its home court. If you thought the game against Delaware was a test of BU's fortitude, that game will be dwarfed by the importance of the Terriers' trip to Ithaca. If BU wishes to still be considered one of the premiere teams in America East, they're going to need to start playing like it soon as only two non-conference games remain before the Terriers are thrown into the fire of conference play against Albany and Vermont.

Pros:
-- Comeback ability: Jake O'Brien's high-pressure 3-pointer and Matt Wolff's free throws were the highlight of a very collected BU comeback after trailing by eight with 3:44 remaining. A good sign, all things considered, as there's not much you can do about an unlikely 3-pointer from the Blue Hens.
-- Matt Wolff: Again, Wolff's aggressiveness kept the Terriers in the game at points, especially when BU's 3-pointers weren't falling. He had a few key rebounds and his free throws at the end were huge. Not to mention he notched his first career double-double.

Cons:
-- Holland's defensive effort: While did dive on the floor for loose balls, Holland finished the game without a defensive rebound in 21 minutes. It's the second time it's happened this year and despite the "dumb luck" that brings certain rebounds to spots on the floor, he really should have had at least one.
-- Back-to-back losses: One of the best things about the Terriers' season until Sunday's loss was their ability to recover from a defeat and win their next game. It didn't happen this time, and even worse, the loss came at home.

Links:
Late 3-pointer does in Terriers
Boston University Terriers left feeling blue
Boney's late 3-pointer lifts Hens in Boston

Post-game Audio & Photos (Delaware 70, BU 68)

No photos this time. All our photographers were already home from break, but here's audio from BU's 70-68 loss to the University of Delaware.

BU coach Dennis Wolff's opening statement


UD coach Monte Ross' opening statement


Wolff doesn't think the layoff can be used as an excuse


Wolff wasn't pleased with the mindset of his players


Wolff knows his offense could have played much better


Ross wanted to key-in on defending the 3-pointer by BU


D.J. Boney reflects on the game-winning shot


Ross had high praise for Boney's recovery after missing four free throws

Live Blog: University of Delaware v. Boston University

This afternoon's game between the University of Delaware Blue Hens (4-6) and the Boston University Terriers (5-4) at Case Gymnasium tips off at 12:00 p.m. and is televised locally on CN8.

Here are the starting lineups:

University of Delaware Blue Hens
01 G Marc Egerson
03 G Jawan Carter
05 G Brian Johnson
11 G Alphonso Dawson
34 F Jim Ledsome

Boston University Terriers
02 F Matt Wolff
13 G Corey Lowe
21 F Jake O'Brien
23 F John Holland
24 G Tyler Morris

Final score: University of Delaware (5-6) 70, Boston University (5-5) 68

Leading scorers:
UD -- Alphonso Dawson, 20
BU -- Corey Lowe, 20

Leading rebounders:
UD -- Jim Ledsome, 6
BU -- Matt Wolff, 12

Leading assists:
UD -- Jawan Carter, 9
BU -- Tyler Morris, 4

GAMEDAY: University of Delaware vs. Boston University

This time of year is usually interesting in college basketball. You've got tons of holiday hoops tournaments going on this week and next, yet students aren't in class at the majority of institutions around the nation and players have just had an extended practice break because of final exams. These games sometimes have the ability to feel like a shell of contests the team has played earlier in the season, when the students were in school and able to cheer on their team. Even given BU's sparse crowds at Case Gymnasium, the spectators will most likely be even more spotty Sunday afternoon for a 12 p.m. tip-off.

That means that both the Terriers and Blue Hens will need to rely on their own energy to win -- which is no easy task given the two squads just finished their finals, haven't played a meaningful game in over a week and the crowd will be a non-factor. This, perhaps, is an even bigger test of BU's fortitude than playing against nationally-ranked Notre Dame was last Saturday. It's pretty easy to get pumped up for a game against the then-No. 12 team in the nation, but a game against an unranked opponent from the CAA (albeit a former rival from in the North Atlantic Conference and America East) the task may not be as effortless (BU trails the all-time series, 16-10).

What has been a bone of contention with BU's coaching staff and team for the first six games of the season (the lack of gritty plays) has all but been eliminated -- 1) with a stout defensive effort against Yale and 2) with an incredibly focused hustle performance in a narrow loss to Notre Dame. BU's contest against Delaware will be a huge benchmark into determining whether the lack of grit BU coach Dennis Wolff spoke of earlier in the season is truly gone, as it appears to be. If the Terriers are able to get up for this game -- three days before Christmas and after an eight-day break -- and down a team they lost to last season in Delaware (73-55), it will be an extremely encouraging sign regarding the mentality of BU and its goals for the season. Another story line to follow will be the continued improvement of Tyler Morris, who managed 23 points in his first six games, but has 32 points and 16 rebounds in his last three and played one of the best games of his career against Notre Dame. Interestingly enough, Morris' first game back following his Rookie of the Year campaign was in BU's lopsided loss against the Blue Hens last season.

Delaware, like the Terriers, isn't particularly strong in the interior, so expect a lot of 3-pointers attempted on Sunday. The bulk of the Blue Hens' scoring comes from three players: Marc Egerson (averaging a double-double at 14.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game) Alphonso Dawson (17.3 ppg) and Jawan Carter (18.6 ppg). It's not likely that the Terriers shutdown all three, but if BU can manage to hold one of them under double digits or limit Egerson's second-chance opportunities as the team's best rebounder, they should be in good shape. Delaware is a good matchup for the Terriers as UD dosen't have anyone who can do serious damage in the post. The Blue Hens mainly rely on perimeter shooting, which BU excels at guarding against.

Projected starting lineups: