By: Hannah Yoshinaga
Led by senior center Max Mahoney, the Boston University men’s basketball team continued their offensive tear and secured their third-straight victory with a 77-57 win over Bucknell.
The Terriers (13-10, 7-3 PL) have shot at least 50 percent from the field and scored 77 or more points in their last three contests. Mahoney has been a key part of the Terriers’ offense in all three games. Against Bucknell, Mahoney scored 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and kept BU in control on the glass with 11 rebounds.
The other two members of the Terriers’ big three also came up big against the Bison. Junior point guard Javante McCoy scored 15 points and dished out five assists. Sophomore forward Walter Whyte added 12 points and seven rebounds.
Rebounding was one of many areas where Bucknell was unable to match BU. The Bisons’ top rebounder was Andrew Funk, who grabbed only five rebounds in 30 minutes. The entire Bucknell roster secured only 27 boards all night, limiting their second-chance scoring opportunities.
The Bison also failed to keep pace with the Terriers’ prolific three-point shooting. BU shot 46.2 percent from deep, their best mark from beyond the arc during their win streak. Junior guard Andrew Petcash, the Terriers’ three-point specialist, hit two threes off the bench. Petcash finished with 8 points, his best scoring total since December 29 against Merrimack.
The typically turnover-prone Terriers were able to reverse that trend as well. They forced the Bison into 17 giveaways while committing only 12 of their own. Although Jonas Harper struggled on the offensive end, the sophomore guard stole the ball three times and kept BU’s energy up on defense.
The Terriers’ defensive efforts were their best in weeks. They gave up only 57 points, the lowest total they have allowed since January 13 against Loyola Maryland.
Essential to BU’s game plan on defense was shutting down Jimmy Sotos and Avi Toomer. Both have been forced into larger roles in Bucknell’s offense following an injury to the Bisons’ top scorer John Meeks. Toomer went 6-for-13 from the field and Sotos only took six shots all night.
Defense will be the most important part of the Terriers’ game against Army. The Black Knights have scored at least 73 points in five of their last six contests and possess a six-game win streak of their own. The last team to beat them was BU on January 11, and the Terriers will look to repeat that performance in West Point. BU and Army face off on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
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