Men’s Basketball: BU Drops A Close Game Against Lehigh University

By Celine Cheung

Boston University’s Men’s Basketball (13-16, 8-8) narrowly lost their eighth Patriot League game of the season against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (13-16, 9-7), 67-70, in Bethlehem, PA on Sunday afternoon.

“We controlled most of the game. We just couldn’t put the game away,” BU Head Coach Joe Jones said.

Coming into the game, both teams were tied with American University for third in the Patriot League, with league records of 8-7. With two games in the regular season left after Sunday, every game is crucial for determining playoff matchups and the loss against the Mountain Hawks dropped the Terriers to fifth place. 

The Terriers were fresh off of a five-game winning streak going into the game.  They’re seventh nationwide in 3FG%, shooting a lights-out 49.9% In addition to their team success, many of their players hold national rankings in various stats. Sophomore guard Azmar Abdullah tied the NCAA Division I record on Monday for most 3-pointers made while shooting 100 3FG%, with eight made beyond the arc. Junior guard Michael McNair was fourth in the nation for 3FG% at 46.0%. Sophomore forward Ben Defty had a 68.0 FG% in all of Division I. Freshman guard Chance Gladden was ranked eighth in assists by rookies, with 132. His classmate Sam Hughes was seventh in the rookies for three-pointers made, with 64.

Winning the tipoff, Gladden immediately kicked off the action with a layup within 20 seconds of the first possession. Soon after, Lehigh guard Nasir Whitlock hit a three, a result that the Terriers would soon get used to, as Whitlock averaged a team-high 20.2 points per game. After a hook shot by Lehigh post ​​Hank Alvey and free throws by Gladden, McNair then stole the ball and made a step-back three. The Mountain Hawks quickly responded with another three and BU found success in the paint with Defty’s hook shot and Gladden’s tip in layup, prior to the official TV timeout.

After another Lehigh basket and a string of missed shots and turnovers from the Terriers, Donte Tisinger Jr. eventually made a jump shot in front of the right elbow to break the team’s three minute scoring drought. With Whitlock free throws and a Defty layup, the score was 15-14 over halfway into the first half, low-scoring for BU and Lehigh, who average 76.3 and 72.6 points per game, respectively. 

With a much-needed spark for the team, Gladden hit a 3-pointer, made a layup, stole the ball, and assisted on Defty’s layup, all within one and a half minutes of game time. They grew the lead to eight points, and forced the Mountain Hawks to take a timeout.

Out of the timeout, Lehigh went on a 15-6 run, with Whitlock leading the charge, scoring eight points and assisting on a layup. The first half ended with Lehigh in front, 29-28. While both teams shot 11 threes in the first half, the Mountain Hawks made five of theirs while the Terriers only made two. Lehigh scored 14 points off the bench and 11 points off of turnovers, while BU scored eight from the bench and 17 from turnovers.

Abdullah kicked off the second half with a 3-pointer at the top of the key. The Terriers’ momentum grew as Gladden and Defty each scored another layup. After another Abdullah three forced a Lehigh timeout, they quickly laid two shots up and in, cutting the lead to four points. McNair then responded with a pump fake from the three-point line and an emphatic two-foot dunk over 6′ 9” Alvey. However, Alvey didn’t let the poster deter him, as he then responded with his own dunk in the following possession. With two straight McNair three-pointers, the Terriers’ lead grew to 10 points, at 48-38.

With both teams trading baskets, BU’s lead stayed in the low double-digits halfway through the second half, forcing another Lehigh timeout. Led by Whitlock’s crafty drives to the hoop, the Mountain Hawks persistently chipped away at the Terrier lead, and Jalen Vazquez’s free throws after a Hughes foul brought Lehigh back in front.

Though McNair made a strong drive to the hoop and scored a layup, Whitlock’s pull up jumper and Peter Kramer’s three gave the Mountain Hawks a five point lead. With back and forth points in the paint, free throws, and a missed BU three at the end of the game, Lehigh successfully completed their comeback, 67-70, after being in a 13-point deficit.

Whitlock led all players in scoring with 30 points, and was one of two Mountain Hawks in double digit scoring. Gladden and McNair both led BU with 17 points and Defty followed behind with 14. Overall, both teams scored 50% from the field, with 13 lead changes throughout the whole game.

BU will face College of Holy Cross for their last regular home game of the season on Wednesday, February 25, at 7pm. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.

“I’ve gotta give Lehigh credit. They had a great game plan,” BU Head Coach Joe Jones said.