FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Highlighted by a strong defensive effort and 11 3-pointers, the Boston University men's basketball team claimed a 70-49 victory at NEC preseason favorite Sacred Heart Saturday afternoon.

With the help of 18 assists, eight Terriers tallied at least six points points apiece while a ninth scored from behind the arc, as BU (3-5) collected its first road win of the season. The Pioneers (4-5) were held 30 points below their scoring average behind a 35.3 field goal shooting percentage. 
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Freshman Matai Baptiste netted a team-high 12 points, while senior Miles Brewster earned eight points, six rebounds and season-tying five assists. Both junior Ethan Okwuosa and sophomore Otto Landrum came up just one point shy of reaching double figures.

Nico Galette led SHU with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals, while Aidan Carpenter posted 12 points and two blocks. Alex Sobel contributed 10 points and six boards to give SHU three Pioneers in double figures.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• With an early 6-5 lead, the Terriers went on an 8-0 spurt capped by back-to-back 3-pointers from junior Ben Palacios and freshman Matai Baptiste at 12:24.
• Carpenter flushed a trey in response to spark an 18-2 SHU run with Raymond Espinal-Guzman hitting a pair of free throws at 4:06 to pull ahead, 23-16.
• The Terriers reeled off eight straight points again behind layups from sophomore Otto Landrum and Baptiste, both of whom were fouled, along with freshman Kyrone Alexander's 3-pointer.
• Carpenter hit a layup on the next possession, and Okwuosa drained a pull-up jumper before the buzzer for a 26-25 halftime advantage.
• The Terriers would never trail in the second half, thanks in part to eight 3-pointers over the final 20 minutes of action.
• Palacios scored from behind the arc at 14:07 for a 39-33 lead, and sophomore Ben Roy scored in 3-point territory two minutes later to remain ahead by six, 42-36.
• After BU forced back-to-back turnovers with a 45-42 lead, Roy hit back-to-back free throws to spark a 23-3 run capped by a pair of Landrum free throws at 3:09.
• The Pioneers went 1-of-6 during that stretch while committing two turnovers as well for the loss.

GAME NOTES

• Baptiste led BU in scoring for the third time this season, as he finished in double figures for the fourth time.
• Team improved to 3-14 all-time under head coach Joe Jones when only one Terrier finishes in double figures, last posting a 54-40 victory over Holy Cross on Jan. 14, 2018, when Cedric Hankerson ('18) scored 10 points.
• The Terriers netted double-digit 3-pointers for the third time this season after hitting 14 apiece against Bryant and VTSU-Johnson at home.
• BU earned a 41-28 advantage in rebounds and improved to 3-0 this season when outscoring an opponent in second-chance points (4-2).
• The Terriers' bench outscored SHU's bench, 33-30.
• BU won its first-ever meeting against the Pioneers, who were 2-0 against the Patriot League this season with wins over Holy Cross and Loyola Maryland. The Terriers have two more games remaining against the Northeast Conference with a trip to Wagner and home visit by Merrimack.

UP NEXT                                                                                                                                               

• BU will return home to put the five-game home win streak on the line against Maine Wednesday (Dec. 6) night at 7 p.m.
• The Terriers and Black Bears will meet for the 103rd time after BU won on the road, 78-69, in 2017 and at home, 102-78, in 2016.