Men’s Basketball: Terriers Look to Defend Perfect Home Conference Record Against Holy Cross

Featured image by Spirit Veron

By Brendan Galvin

Boston University men’s basketball picked up a much-needed win Saturday against Bucknell, moving to 5-0 in-conference at Case Gymnasium. 

Now, BU (10-11, 4-4 PL) has an opportunity to continue their dominance at home on Monday in their first of two games this season against Holy Cross. 

The Terriers sit just a game-and-a-half behind second place in the conference but are also just a game ahead of second-to-last. The Crusaders (11-10, 3-5 PL) are one of those teams trailing BU, so this game means a lot to both teams’ season trajectory. 

A win for the Terriers, combined with losses from Army and American could mean a share of second-place in the conference. A loss followed by wins by the teams below them could mean dropping to seventh or eighth. For Holy Cross, a loss on Monday could mean falling just a game ahead of last place in the conference. 

As the Patriot League schedule heats up for both teams, these next few games mean a lot in terms of outlook as the conference tournament looms just a few weeks away. 

For the Terriers, sophomore guards Kyrone Alexander and Michael McNair have led the way in the scoring department, both averaging double-digit points per game. Alexander, also top-two on the team in the rebounds and assists department, will need to continue to step up as these games start to mean more and more down the stretch. 

Holy Cross’ scoring output has been much less concentrated, with three players averaging over 11 points per game. Freshman guard Max Green has carried the load offensively, leading the team in points and assists per game. 

The matchup between Green and Alexander will likely tell the story of who wins the game. 

The game also marks the annual Club Sports Night at BU. Club sports athletes from all of BU’s teams will be in attendance to cheer on the Terriers. Recently, the team has not had great success in what is usually their most-attended regular season game. Last year, the team fell 73-57 against Lehigh on Club Sports Night. In 2022, the team lost 64-51 against Colgate. 

Look out for how the bigger-than-usual crowd influences the game this year. 

Tip-off on Monday night is set for 7 pm. With streaming available on ESPN+.