WORCESTER, Mass. – Highlighted by graduate student Sukhmail Mathon's 14th double-double of the season and a strong defensive effort in the paint, the Boston University men's basketball team claimed a 78-65 win at Holy Cross on Wednesday night.

With the score tied at 50-50 with 13 minutes remaining, the Terriers (19-9, 10-5 PL) went on a 10-1 run and never looked back for their eighth win in nine games. Besides posting a 42-33 advantage in rebounds, they shot 52.4 percent from the field to help outscore the Crusaders (8-18, 6-8 PL), 54-34.

Mathon went 11-of-16 FG and added four free throws for a career-high 26 points alongside a game-high 13 rebounds while classmate Javante McCoy earned 19 points, five boards and four assists. Both seniors Walter Whyte and Fletcher Tynen finished in double figures as well, combining for 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Burning BU back on Jan. 31 with 24 points, five-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week Kyrell Luch recorded a team-high 16 points but needed 23 shot attempts to reach the mark, as he went 0-of-6 in 3-point territory while adding five assists. Gerrale Gates was one rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points, and Caleb Kenney combined with DaJion Humphrey for 23 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams went back-and-forth early in the game and were tied, 9-9, with Mathon scoring the Terriers' first six points.
• With the help of 3-pointers from both Whyte and McCoy, BU scored 17 of the next 24 to grab a 26-16 lead at 8:02 on sophomore Andrew Patnode's layup.
• Holy Cross chipped away and pulled within two, 28-26, at 5:32, but the Terriers remained composed against the Crusaders' pressure and continued to score inside to enter the locker room ahead, 41-34.
• Facing a 43-36 deficit, Bo Montgomery scored from behind the arc, and Kenney added a pair of free throws at 17:21.
• Luc eventually tied the contest with two more free throws four minutes later, but Mathon came right back with a jumper to retake the lead for good, 52-50, at 12:48.
• After hitting two of his own free throws, McCoy intercepted a pass and helped set up a fast break slam dunk from Whyte to extend the lead to 58-51 with 10:13 remaining.
• Senior Jonas Harper took advantage of sophomore Daman Tate's steal with an offensive putback to prompt a Holy Cross timeout at 6:35 with a 66-54 lead.
• The Crusaders tried to mount a rally, using a second-chance 3-pointer from Humphrey to pull within eight, 73-65, at 3:40, but they missed their last five shot attempts for the double-digit loss.

GAME NOTES

• Owning a 10-5 conference record, BU has double-digit PL wins for the sixth time in nine seasons. The Terriers were 12-6 in 2019-20 when they last won the tournament crown.
• With 7:27 remaining in regulation, Mathon became the fourth Terrier in program history and 10th PL player to reach 800 career rebounds and is now at 803 total.
• Mathon's 285 rebounds this season are the 10th most ever at BU. He needs 15 more to become the first Terrier since BU Hall of Famer Tunji Awojobi ('97) to haul in at least 300 in one year.
• After earning his fifth 20+ point performance of the season, Mathon also has 974 points, 26 shy of becoming the 41st Terrier to reach 1,000.
• McCoy now needs just 13 points to become the fifth Terrier to hit 1,800 points and is six assists away from tying for 10th all-time at 366 total.
• Patnode scored his first two career buckets in the first half, giving BU 15 men with at least one made field goal this season.
• The Terriers moved to 3-1 this season in avenging earlier PL losses (wins vs. Loyola and Army) and will have three chances for a sweep to end the regular season.

UP NEXT

• BU will visit Holy Cross on Saturday (Feb. 19) at 1:30 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network.
• The Terriers won the first matchup at home, 76-72, back on Jan. 28 and will be seeking their first sweep in the series since 2014.
• The teams have met at Colgate in each of the last three PL tournaments with BU winning the 2020 title. The Raiders prevailed in both the 2019 and 2021 quarterfinals en route to the conference title.