Men’s Basketball: BU Falls 74-60 in West Coast Matchup vs. USD
Featured image by Spirit Veron
By Samantha Genzer
Boston University Men’s Basketball (0-2, 0-0 PL) fell to the University of San Diego Toreros (1-1, 0-0 WCC) on Friday night at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, California.
“We hung our heads when things didn’t work out, and then we didn’t make shots,” BU Head Coach Joe Jones said. “We’ve got to learn from it, and use this game as a tool to get better.”
USD opened with a strong 8-1 run, capped by Kjay Bradley’s 3-pointer, setting an early tone of offensive control.
BU faced shooting struggles early, missing their first six field-goal attempts before BU senior forward Malcolm Chimezie connected with sophomore forward Matai Baptiste for a three-pointer to cut the deficit in half.
BU then found momentum with three-pointers from sophomore guard Michael McNair and Palacios, followed by a layup from grad student guard Miles Brewster to tie the game at 17-17.
Despite the Terriers’ comeback efforts, USD responded quickly. Santiago Trouet’s three-pointer initiated an 8-1 run that gave the Toreros the lead for good, keeping the Terriers at bay.
A late three-pointer from Palacios brought BU within two points, but missed opportunities allowed USD to enter the locker room with a 34-30 lead.
Brewster opened the second half with a layup, briefly bringing BU within two, but the Toreros quickly regained momentum. USD went on a decisive 15-0 run, ignited by Kody Clouet’s jumper and fueled by three back-to-back three-pointers, widening their lead to 52-34 with 13 minutes remaining.
Although Palacios scored six straight points in response, BU struggled to cut the deficit further, ultimately falling 74-60.
“We struggled keeping our composure and staying positive as the game went on,” Jones said. “Because we weren’t making shots, I thought we really let that affect our focus.”
Jones said a lack of defensive stops, particularly in the second half, contributed to the Terriers’ struggles.
“Even though we weren’t scoring, we needed to stay tough and come up with some stops, and we weren’t able to do it,” Jones said. “There are some demoralizing plays that went down, and you’ve gotta be able to fight through that.”
Although the game ended in a loss for the Terriers, Palacios’ 15 points marks his most as a Terrier after he recorded 14 points last November against Bryant.
“[Palacios] was able to make shots and make plays. He was a bright spot for us offensively,” Jones said. “I was really, really proud of him.”
The Terriers look to adjust their offensive strategy as they go up against University of California, Los Angeles on Nov. 11 in Los Angeles, California, with tipoff set at 10 p.m. with streaming available on the Big Ten Network.