Boston University
Pittsburgh
Terriers Drop 80-53 Contest to No. 11/14 Pittsburgh
November 27, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2007
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Boston University men's basketball team (1-5) continued to struggle as the Terriers lost 80-53 to No. 11/14 Pittsburgh (6-0) Tuesday evening in the Petersen Events Center. The Panthers went on a pair of long runs, one in each half, to put the game out of BU's reach.
Sophomore guard Carlos Strong (Portland, Maine) led the Terriers with a season-high 24 points. Freshman John Holland (Bronx, N.Y.) followed with a career-best 14 points. Sophomore forward Scott Brittain (Oakville, Ont.) had a team-best six rebounds along with eight points. Pitt had four in double figures, led by Sam Young's 15 points.
The Terriers missed their first five shots in the second half before Strong knocked down a three at 13:36 which started a 12-2 BU run that cut the Panthers' advantage to 57-31 with 10:06 to go in the game. Holland went on a personal 7-0 spurt during that span. Boston U pushed that rally to 17-2 on a long three by Strong and two Brittain free throws to inch BU within 23, 59-36, the closest the Terriers got the rest of the way. BU fought hard all game on defense, forcing 16 Pitt turnovers and blocking a team season-high four shots. The Terriers picked up their offense in the second period, scoring 34 points to Pitt's 38. Four of Strong's six 3-pointers came in the final frame.
Pittsburgh grabbed the opening tip, but BU came out strong on defense, with red-shirt junior Ibrahim Konate (Bamako, Mali) blocking a shot by Young and forcing a shot-clock violation. The Terriers scored the first field goal of the game, a fast-break layup by junior guard Marques Johnson (Hazlet, N.J.). But the Panthers hit three straight 3-pointers on the way to a 19-4 lead at 9:42. Pittsburgh made 57.7 percent of its shots in the first half (15-for-26), including 62.5 percent from deep (5-for-8) to take a 42-19 lead into the locker room.
Turnovers continued to be a problem for the Terriers, as BU committed 10 in the first half and 19 for the game. Pitt's 42 first half points were the most scored by an opponent since Northeastern tallied 46 in a 73-54 win on Nov. 21, 2006. Boston University's 19 first-half points were the fewest since posting 18 in the first round of the 2006 Aeropostale Holiday Festival on Dec. 28, 2006 against Saint Joseph's.
The Terriers return to Boston to host Manhattan on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 4 p.m. and Harvard on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in Case Gym.
