One-Bid Wonders

Boston University point guard Maurice Watson Jr. converts a tough lay-up in traffic in the Terriers 79-69 win. Watson posted his second career, and second straight, double-double with 11 points and 10 assists (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – With 10:15 remaining in the second half Wednesday night, Boston University freshman point guard Maurice Watson Jr. stood with the ball, motionless, on the right wing. In the blink of an eye, Watson put the ball on the floor and, in one zero-to-sixty step, was at full speed, driving the lane and the Albany Great Danes were backpedaling on their heels.

Just as quickly, Watson stopped on a dime and fired the ball to freshman gunner John Papale on the right wing, sending Albany scrambling in an air raid drill. In one swift motion, Papale caught Watson’s dish and swung it – like a hot potato – to junior point guard D.J. Irving, the second half of the Terriers lightening-fast dynamic ball handling duo, in the right corner.

Albany forward Jayson Gurrier, in an all out dive, managed to take out Irving’s legs, sending him sprawling to the hardwood, just as the junior let fly. It was no use: with the referee’s whistle echoing off the rear-wall of Case Gymnasium, Irving’s three settled, soft as silk, through the bottom of the cylinder, pushing the Terriers lead to 53-49.

On the ensuing possession, the Great Danes worked the ball to their own star point guard, Mike Black, who sprung loose on the left wing. Black let fly, but his shot fell flat, clanging off the back iron and caroming over the top of the backboard and out of bounds.

It was the night in the nutshell, as Boston University continued its personal vendetta against the America East; punishing every conference foe that gets in their way on their way out the door. On Wednesday night, it was Albany’s turn, with BU stepping on the gas to dust the Great Danes, 79-69, in a run-and-gun romp.

“You’re either going to give up lay-ups off to those two guys,” said Brown off the Terriers dual-point guards, “or they’re going to find [Papale] and he’s going to hit jumper after jumper.”

In their best offensive outing of the season, the Terriers shot 51.9 percent from the floor (28-of-54), 40 percent from downtown (10-of-25) and moved the ball magnificently, dishing out 17 assists to just four turnovers. Four players broke double-figures for BU, which has now won a season-best five straight games and ten of their last twelve. (more…)

New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion (Photo by Sam Perkins)

(Boston, MA) – For New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion, this was personal.

One game after becoming the all-time leader in America East wins with the 153rd conference victory of his career – a dramatic 92-86 overtime thriller over visiting UMBC – Herrion watched as his Wildcats reverted back to their losing ways; chucking up three’s, forcing shots and stumbling to a 68-56 road loss to Boston University in a game that was never close.

It was the 134th meeting between the two schools, who date back as founding members of the ECAC North Conference – the predecessor of the present America East – in 1979. It’s been a rivalry akin to that of a hammer and a nail, with the Terriers owning a 96-38 record in head-to-head matchups.

With Boston University leaving the America East for the Patriot League at season’s end, the game marked the end of an era – and a 33 year partnership that survived three different conference incarnates – for the two schools, and the final time they would meet as conference foes.

Following the final buzzer, for Herrion, the magnitude of the moment went far beyond the game, the rivalry, or the season: It was far more than a tough, old-school head coach taking another one on the chin in a year full of lumps, or the New Hampshire program once again being pummeled by a team that has used it as a perennial punching bag.

For Herrion, it was a trip to his former home and a place that will forever hold special significance in his heart. It was at Boston University where Herrion, a native of Oxford, Massachusetts and Merrimack College graduate (1981), got his start, being hired as an assistant under then-Terriers head coach Mike Jarvis in 1985.

“I spent five years here as an assistant from 85 to 90, with Mike Jarvis – he was the head coach,” reflected Herrion. “My five years here as an assistant, we never played a game here in the Roof [Case Gymnasium]; we used to play all the home games in the Walter Brown – in the rink.”

“We went to two NCAA Tournaments, we went to an NIT; We played Providence in the NIT here when [Louisville head coach Rick] Pitino was coaching at Providence and [Florida head coach] Billy Donovan was playing,” he explained.

In his first two years as a Terrier, Herrion was immediately thrown into the fire of the BU-Northeastern rivalry, losing back-to-back conference Championships to the Huskies.

“My first two years here at BU in 85-86 and 86-87, we lost in the finals to Northeastern. You don’t even realize what the Northeastern-BU rivalry used to be – it was big time,” he emphasized. “[late NBA great] Reggie Lewis was at Northeastern and they beat us our first two years here in the finals to go to the Tournament.” (more…)

Boston University point guard Maurice Watson Jr., pushed the ball in transition against New Hampshire Sunday afternoon. Watson posted his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, adding six assists and three steals in the Terriers 68-56 win (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – Following Boston University’s 68-56 win over visiting New Hampshire, BU freshman point guard Maurice Watson Jr. – listed at 5’10” on the Terriers’ official roster – was asked just how tall he would like to credit himself with being.

“Five-ten,” said Watson with a mischievous smile, “Five-ten and a half in my sneakers.”

Dwarfed by a surrounding scrum of 5’9” writers, it was immediately apparent that the Lansdowne, Pennsylvania native was taking some serious liberties in assessing his stature.

But Watson and equally diminutive back-court mate D.J. Irving played like seven-footers on Sunday, as the dynamic-duo dominated the game and destroyed the visiting Wildcats on the glass, 43-28. The pint-sized playmakers powered the Terriers, combining for 23 points, 19 rebounds, 12 assists and five steals.

“Those two kids can play – they can play basketball, doesn’t matter if they’re five-whatever or six-four, those two kids can play,” said New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion of the tiny tandem.

A week after notching a career-high 13 assists, Watson posted his first career double-double, pulling down a game and career-high 10 rebounds to go with 13 points. The America East leader in assists at 5.2 per game, Watson dropped six dimes and swiped three steals.

Officially listed at 6’ but checking in much closer to 5’9”, Irving added nine rebounds and ten points, to go with six steals and two steals. After spending his first two years on Comm. Ave., as the Terriers starting point guard, the junior from Chester, Pennsylvania, moved off the ball this year to make room for Watson, but still ranks fifth in the America East in assists.

“Either one of those guys can initiate offense,” said Boston University head coach Joe Jones.

Junior forward Dom Morris continued his stellar junior season, scoring 13 points, shooting 5-of-9 from the floor and a perfect 3-of-3 from the line, to go with eight rebounds and three steals. Red-shirt sophomore forward Malik Thomas added 10 points and freshman sharp-shooter John Papale added nine points, with the duo combining to connect on four of the Terriers seven made three’s.

The Terriers shot 45.5 percent from the floor (25-of-55), 43.8 percent from behind the arc (7-of-16) and 78.6 percent from the line (11-of-16). BU jumped all over New Hampshire in the opening stanza, leading 34-17 at the half and pushed their lead to 20 early in the second, before coasting to the win.

“I thought we played a great half of basketball – I was very pleased with our effort for the first 20 minutes,” said Jones. “In the second half, just like you knew they would, they played with great heart in the second half. For the majority of the second half I thought they outplayed us.”

The Wildcats continued their season-long trend of being unable to put the ball in the bucket, shooting a dismal 37.5 percent from the floor (21-of-56), while bombing their way to a horrifying 4-of-22 (18.2 percent) from downtown.

“In the first half we were just three happy again,” said Herrion with a snap of his fingers, “when we do that, we’re not good.” (more…)

(Lowell, Massachusetts) – Sometime soon – maybe in as little as a few hours, maybe as long as a couple of days – it will be officially announced that the University of Massachusetts Lowell is making the jump from Division II to Division I Athletics and will be joining the America East as a full conference member.

You hear that? It’s the sound of the deafening silence that has enveloped the America East ever since Northeastern ditched the league for the Colonial Athletic Association in 2005 being shattered by a solitary golf-clap.

In all seriousness, I’m happy to hear the news – dare I say, downright excited. (more…)

Sponsored by Marcie Mitler

6’6″ 250 pound Boston University forward Dom Morris (right) drives against 6’7″ 260-plus pound Maine center Alasdair Fraser (left) Tuesday night. Morris scored a career-high 20 points for the Terriers in a 79-72 win, while Fraser was held to 16 points in the loss (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – If the definition of insanity is repeating the same mistake over and over again and expecting different results, then the Boston University Terriers and the University of Maine Black Bears played one bat-something-crazy game Tuesday night.

Facing off for the 100th and final time as conference foes, both teams continued their season long trends of shooting themselves in the foot while doing their best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Terriers pounded Maine’s porous perimeter defense, burying 11-of-22 3-pointers and rode a scorching hot first half to a 79-72 win, but not before nearly blowing a 22 point second half lead while displaying an inexcusable lack of effort.

“We played a great first half,” said BU head coach Joe Jones. “The first seven, eight minutes of the second half I was pleased with and then we lost our concentration: I thought we could have extended our lead – it was really poor on our part in terms of decision making on offense down the stretch.”

The league’s worst 3-point field goal percentage defense, the Black Bears once again employed their never-fails-to-fail 2-3 zone defense of doom in an attempt to combat a barrage from downtown – a defense as useful defending the 3 as a screen door is on a submarine.

“We missed a couple shots, they got a couple turnovers, they got in transition and they hit 3’s – it wasn’t 2’s,” said Maine head coach Ted Woodward.

Not to be out-done, after dropping four conference games – along with a near epic meltdown against an overmatched UMBC squad – by simply not playing hard until the final buzzer, the Terriers once again failed to show even the slightest sense of urgency while mailing it in down the stretch.

“When we don’t play with energy, we’re not very good,” said Jones. “If we’re not going to come out and go after people, we’re going to struggle.”

The Terriers shot 58.1 percent from the floor (18-of-31) and 57.1 percent from behind the arc (8-of-14) in the opening stanza, and 49.1 percent from the floor (28-of-57) and 50 percent from three (11-of-22) for the game. BU dished out 18 assists, forced 18 turnovers and won the rebounding battle against the bigger and stronger Black Bears 34-33.

But the Terriers committed 16 turnovers of their own – many of them by simply being lazy and careless with the ball – resulting in 24 Black Bears points, allowing Maine to make a game of it. The Black Bears also scored 38 points in the paint to the Terriers 20, but shot just 26.7 percent from 3 (4-of-15).

“There were some really positive things: we shot 58 percent in the first half, we were 11-for-22 [from three], we had 18 assists – which is huge,” said Jones. “But if we want to be a championship caliber team… We have to concentrate at a higher rate a lot more consistently.”

Junior forward Dom Morris scored a career-high 20 points shooting a stellar 9-of-13 from the floor, to go with seven rebounds, two steals and a block to pace the Terriers.Freshman point guard Maurice Watson Jr., scored 14 points, dished out eight assists and swiped three steals. Freshman gunner John Papale scored 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and junior wing Travis Robinson added nine; The duo combined to shoot 7-of-13 from behind the arc. Junior guard D.J. Irving struggled through a tough night on offense, shooting just 1-of-5 from the floor and committing six turnovers, but the diminutive 5’10” guard found a way to contribute, pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. (more…)

Sponsored by Alex Lauritson-Lada and Liberty Concepts.

Founded in 2000, Liberty Concepts is a full service digital communications agency that specializes in helping create brands and develop online communities around them. A full service shop, Liberty Concepts has helped clients from discovery through execution.

UMBC forward Adrian Satchell (30) and guard Ryan Cook (12) battle with Boston University forward Dom Morris (15), Travis Robinson (24) and Nate Dieudonne (right foreground) as Terrier guard Zach Chionuma looks on (3) (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – Forwards Dom Morris and Chase Plummer did their best Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo impressions on a wind-swept winter afternoon in Boston. Case Gymnasium stood in for the O.K. Corral and the Wild West deserts of Tombstone, Arizona, as and the Boston University Terriers and University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers engaged in an all-out shootout on Saturday.

Morris led six Terriers in double-figures, scoring a career-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting while pulling down a team-high eight rebounds to lead the Terriers to an 81-75 win.

“I think we were doing a really good job offensively – for the most part – getting what we wanted but we just weren’t able to get stops in the second half,” said UMBC interim head coach Aki Thomas.

“We’re trying to get our guys to understand the importance of playing their best night in and night out and tonight we just didn’t have it,” said Terriers second year head coach Joe Jones. “The silver lining is that we won the game and we made the plays that it took down the stretch to win the game.”

Boston University head coach Joe Jones was unhappy with the Terriers’ lack of intensity and energy in Monday’s 81-75 win (Photo by Sam Perkins)

Boston University freshman point guard Maurice Watson Jr. scored 10 points while dishing out six assists to just one turnover, forward Malik Thomas scored 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds and freshman forward Nate Dieudonne scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in just 14 minutes off the bench. Guard D.J. Irving added 13 points and freshman gunner John Papale chipped in 11.

Plummer was brilliant for the Retrievers, shrugging off swarming double-teams to pour in 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, burying three triples and ripping down a game-high 11 rebounds.

“He’s quick: Once he gets the ball he’s turning. I know what he’s doing but by the time you react to it the ball is already in the air,” said Morris, a rival and nemesis of Plummer’s since their high school and AAU days.

Guard Ryan Cook added 15 points, six rebounds and three assists to just one turnover, hitting 6-of-9 shots and swishing all three of his three-point attempts. Senior guard Brian Neller scored 12 points, burying four bombs from long range and forward Adrian Satchell added 11 points and six rebounds.

Boston University shot a red-hot 51.7 percent from the floor (31-of-60), while UMBC shot an even hotter 52.5 percent from the floor (31-of-59) and a scorching 54.5 percent from behind the arc (12-of-22). The Retrievers dished out 17 assists to the Terriers 15. But the Terriers outscored the Retrievers 46-26 in the paint, committed just five turnovers on the day while forcing 12 Retrievers fumbles, and hit 15-of-20 free throws while UMBC attempted just two all game.

“There’s no need to talk about the free-throws because we didn’t guard anybody,” said Jones.

Fresh of an 85-80 overtime road win at Albany on Wednesday which saw Irving score six points in the final nine seconds of regulation, the Terriers appeared to be suffering from a hangover after Wednesday’s emotional high. After Cook opened the game with a lay-up, Thomas threw the ensuing unpressured inbounds away, leading to a Satchell lay-up. After Morris missed a bunny for the Terriers, Plummer drilled a three and UMBC led 7-0.

“The first possession, we go to take the ball out after they score – when that happens you’re just not ready to go,” said Jones. “Whether the Albany game – the overtime win, the emotional win – had anything to do with it, who knows, but the bottom line: We did not come out with the energy that it takes to be a great team. And that’s what we’re striving for.”

The Retrievers were selfless with the ball and stifling defending the perimeter, pushing their lead to 25-15 on a pull-up three by Cook with 7:09 left in the first.

UMBC freshman point guard Aaron Morgan pushes the ball in transition Saturday (Photo by Sam Perkins).

But the Terriers woke up, rattling off 10 straight points over the next four minutes to tie the game, with Morris and Papale providing four points apiece during that stretch.

The Retrievers responded with brilliant ball movement, as Plummer threaded the needle with a left handed hook pass from the paint past three defenders to Neller, who banged a three. Point guard Quinton Jones found Neller again with a nifty no-look pass out of a loose ball scramble for another deep three with 56 seconds remaining and the Retreivers went into the half leading 32-31. (more…)

Sponsored by Alex Lauritson-Lada and Liberty Concepts. Founded in 2000, Liberty Concepts is a full service digital communications agency that specializes in helping create brands and develop online communities around them. A full service shop, Liberty Concepts has helped clients from discovery through execution.

Boston University point guard Maurice Watson Jr., corrals a second-half pass with UMBC point guard Quinton Jones in hot pursuit (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – Offense was at a premium and defense hard to find on Saturday as the Boston University Terriers out-dueled the University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers 81-75 in an all-out shootout between two run-and-gun offenses.

“We came out with no energy right from the start,” said BU head coach Joe Jones. “The silver lining is that we won the game and we made the plays that it took down the stretch to win the game.”

“Bottom line, we give up 50 points in the second half and that’s pretty much the tale of the game,” said UMBC interim head coach Aki Thomas.

Dom Morris led six Terriers in double figures, scoring a career-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting while pulling down a team-high eight rebounds. Point guard Maurice Watson Jr. scored 10 points and dished out six assists to just one turnover, forward Malik Thomas scored 10 points to go with eight rebounds, freshman forward Nate Dieudonne scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, guard D.J. Irving added 13 points and guard John Papale chipped in 11.

Chase Plummer scored 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds and was generally the best player on the floor. Guard Ryan Cook scored 15 points, shooting 6-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-3 from behind the arc, and added six rebounds and three assists to just one turnover. Senior guard Brian Neller scored 12 points, on 4-of-9 shooting from downtown and forward Adrian Satchell added 11 points and six rebounds.

The game was played at a run-and-gun break-neck pace, with both team’s shooting better than 50 percent from the floor and posting a positive assist to turnover ratio. The game featured 10 ties and seven lead changes. (more…)

Hartford guard Wes Cole (Right) buries one of his six three’s of the game. Cole scored a game-high 22 points and Hartford knocked off Boston University 77-74 on Saturday in Boston (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – “Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn’t Work Hard.”

It is a well trod saying in the lexicon of sports, referencing effort as the great equalizer. No team in recent history has better epitomized that saying than the University of Hartford men’s basketball program, and no where was the saying more fitting than in summarizing the Hawks 77-74 come from behind road win over Boston University on Saturday.

Effort, energy and intestinal fortitude were the deciding factors, as the Hawks refused to lose, out-hustling and out-muscling the Terriers to every loose ball and rebound while charging back from three separate eight-point deficits. During the games frantic final minutes, Hartford shifted into overdrive, while Boston University simply ran out of gas.

“You have to credit the defense in the second half for that stretch there where we got stops,” said Hartford head coach John Gallagher, visibly exhausted after the game.

“I’m just really disappointed in our effort,” said Terriers head coach Joe Jones. “They just beat us to loose balls, chased down loose balls; we got out-rebounded by a team that we’re even bigger than.”

Sophomore’s Wes Cole and Nate Sikma combined to score 41 points for Hartford. Cole came off the bench to score a game-high 22 on 7-of-15 shooting including six 3’s, and Sikma added 19 to go along with a game-high eight rebounds.

Bulldog sophomore guard Corban Wroe scored just three points, but played an equally huge role in the Hawks win, playing balls-out defense on the Terriers vaunted back-court, swiping three steals, drawing three second-half charges and making an incalculable number of hustle-plays. (more…)

Harvard freshman point guard Siyani Chambers jumper swished through the net with five seconds remaining to give the Crimson a 65-64 win over BU (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Allston, Mass) — The Boston University Terriers are three defensive stops away from a 6-3 record to start the season.

Instead, the Terriers sit at 3-6.

Three times this season, Boston University has had a momentous upset within their grasp in the game’s final seconds. Each time, the Terriers have needed a defensive stop on the game’s final possession. And each time, the hard-fighting, hard-luck team from Comm. Ave has seen the opponent’s final shot find nothing but net.

“We come up with three stops late this year, and we’re having a great year,” lamented head coach Joe Jones following the Terriers 65-64 loss to Harvard Tuesday night.

Harvard point guard Siyani Chambers swished a pull-up jumper off of a baseline drive with four seconds remaining, tearing out the Terriers hearts for a third time this season.

“I was very proud of the guys’ effort; we’ve got to be able to come up with a stop – we just haven’t been able to do it.”

Chambers scored a team-high 21 points, 17 of which came in the second half, powering the Crimson to a dramatic come from behind victory. Harvard guards Wesley Saunders and Christian Webster added 16 and 13 points, respectively.

The game was a back and forth roller-coaster ride and featured 13 ties and 18 lead changes.

Moments before Chambers’ game-winner, Boston University guard D.J. Irving appeared to have stolen the show for the Terriers. With 19 seconds remaining, Irving curled around a screen, took a pass and buried a jumper, giving BU a 64-63 lead, stealing the momentum and silencing the partisan crowd at Lavietes Pavilion.

Irving’s shot seemed to have sealed the win for BU, but instead set the stage for Chambers’ heroics and the Terriers’ heartbreak.

“They’re hurting,” said Jones of his team, which has also lost at Northeastern and at George Mason on a made basket in the final seconds. “They played hard; they put themselves in a position to win, now we gotta come up with the last play: we just haven’t been able to do that.”

Irving led the way for the Terriers, scoring a game-high 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-7 from downtown. Junior forward Dom Morris was a monster, ripping down 12 rebounds – all on the defensive end – to go with 15 points and two blocks. Freshman point guard Maurice Watson added 12 points and four assists on 6-of-11 shooting, and controlled the tempo for virtually the entire first half. (more…)

Demetrius Pollard (Center) was the hero for the Huskies, hitting a game winning three-pointer with 0.7 seconds remaining to lead Northeastern to a 65-64 win over rival Boston University (photo by Sam Perkins)

(Boston, MA) — The fifth three-pointer of Demetrius Pollard’s career would prove to be the biggest shot of his life. Pollard, a sophomore guard, drilled a top of the key 3 with 0.7 seconds remaining to give the Huskies a dramatic a 65-64 win over cross-town rival Boston University. It was his only field goal of the night.

The “Battle of Boston” as it has been branded, has become a season-opening tradition between the two schools, whose rivalry dates all the way back to the old ECAC North Days, and seems to annually produce high-stakes drama. The last four meetings between the two programs have come down to the final possession in regulation, with two needing an overtime period to determine the winner.

“A few more games like this and people are going to be talking about these games for years to come,” said Northeastern head coach Bill Coen.

Senior guard Joel Smith scored a game high 20 points to go with five rebounds and five assists before fouling out with nine seconds left; forward Reggie Spencer scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds and two blocks; and forward Quincy Ford added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Huskies.

Junior point guard D.J. Irving paced the Terriers with 18 points on 8-of-19 shooting, red-shirt sophomore forward Malik Thomas added 13 points and seven rebounds. Freshman forward Nathan Dieudonne pulled down a team-high nine rebounds to go with seven points, and freshman point guard Maurice Watson dished out a team-high four assists. (more…)