Men’s Basketball: Terrier offense flounders in loss to Vermont

By: Ethan Fuller

BOSTON, MA — The offense just wasn’t clicking for Boston University men’s basketball on Wednesday.

An abysmal 29.8 teamwide shooting percentage doomed the Terriers (1-2) in Burlington, as they lost 47-62 to the 3-0 Vermont Catamounts in their first road game of the year. Only one player — junior sharpshooter Andrew Petcash — made more than 50 percent of his looks in the defeat.

The usual scoring stars underwhelmed; sophomore Walter Whyte (3/14) and senior Max Mahoney (2/10) struggled to find easy scoring chances, much less convert them. Mahoney did grab 12 boards and dish out four assists — more than the rest of the team’s combined assist total.

The Cats clamped up the Terriers in the second half. After starting off the second period with a bucket, BU was subjected to a brutal 20-4 run that turned Vermont’s 30-29 edge into a 50-33 blowout.

The problems seemed reminiscent of BU’s first contest against Northeastern. Vermont, another team with size and mobility on defense, kept the Terriers from pounding the ball inside to Mahoney or Sukhmail Mathon consistently. Javante McCoy, Alex Vilarino and Walter Whyte relied too much on isolation drives and singular high ball screens and were forced into tough contested layups.

Add on the paltry 60 percent free throw rate, and nothing seemed to be going well offensively.

The rough offensive showing negated a fairly strong defensive performance by the Terriers. The team held UVM to 43 percent shooting from the field and a 25 percent clip from beyond the arc. Mid-major superstar Anthony Lamb scored just 15 points on 14 shots, and BU generated ten steals on the night.

Forwards Robin Duncan and Ryan Davis were the most efficient offensive weapons for the Cats. They went to work in the post numerous times and isolated BU defenders without much help, leading to baskets generated from their individual skill.

After this tough road test, the Terriers should be pleased to find themselves returning home for a Saturday matchup with the University of New Hampshire. They’ll look to find some offensive consistency and regroup, as this is their last contest before the Cancun Challenge. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.