QU Men's Basketball Falls To Boston University In See-Saw Affair

Sunday, December 13

Hamden, CT

2:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

4-5

Boston University

5-5

Boston University

Quinnipiac

QU Men's Basketball Falls To Boston University In See-Saw Affair

12/13/2015 4:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: QU Sports Information

HAMDEN, Conn. - The Boston University men's basketball team used a balanced offense to overcome a big day from Quinnipiac senior guard Giovanni McLean (24 points) and capture a 64-57 win over the Bobcats on Sunday afternoon at the TD Bank Sports Center.

With the win, Boston University levels its record at 5-5 on the year, while the Bobcats fall to 4-5 on the year with the defeat, snapping a two-game winning streak, both of which came on the road (at Canisius and at Hartford).

The game was a see-saw battle as Boston University led by as many as 10 in the first half (22-12) before the Bobcats surged ahead 30-28 at the break. Quinnipiac then led by as many as 13 in the second half on two occasions, the second coming at 47-34, before the Terriers swung the momentum back with a 23-3 run to take a 57-50 lead with 5:17 to go. The run was started by a three from senior guard John Papale and ended on a three-pointer from Kyle Foreman as the shot clock expired.

A pair of jumpers from junior forward Donovan Smith (Chicago, Ill.), sandwiched around a pair of Papale free throws, got the Bobcats within 59-54 with 3:11 to go. After Eric Fanning hit one foul shot for the Terriers, McLean hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 60-57 with 1:29 left to give Quinnipiac some life. Papale made one of two to push the lead to four, and McLean had a running shot rim out with 52 seconds left that would have brought the Bobcats within two, before the Terriers were able to hold on 64-57.

McLean had 16 of his 24 points in the first half, as he set a new personal best in scoring, eclipsing the 22 he had in a win at Hartford earlier this week. He started the comeback from down 22-12 with a jumper, and then hit a three-pointer to give the Bobcats a 27-25 lead with 2:24 to go. He added another trey with 41 seconds left in the half to put the Bobcats ahead by four at 30-26, capping an 18-4 run before the Terriers scored the final basket of the half.

The second half saw an 11-0 run for Quinnipiac that stretched its lead up from 34-32 to its largest advantage at 45-32. Freshman forward Abdulai Bundu (Upper Marlboro, Md.) started the run with two foul shots, and junior guard Daniel Harris (Tampa, Fla.) followed with a three-pointer. Senior forward Will Simonton (Vienna, Va.) followed with a layup of a McLean feed, McLean hit a jumper in transition, and Smith capped off the 11-0 run which saw five different Bobcats score.

Boston University outrebounded Quinnipiac 23-15 in the first half, but the Bobcats returned to form in the second and ended up with a narrow 41-40 rebounding advantage, behind nine from Bundu (six offensive). Quinnipiac is now 95-3-4 in the rebounding department in its last 102 games since the start of the 2012-13 season.

Papale, Fanning and Cheddi Mosely tied for team-high scoring honors for Boston University with 13 points apiece. Smith (14 points) joined McLean in double figures, but nobody else on the team had more than four.

Quinnipiac will now have eight days off before returning to action with a road game at Oregon State on Dec. 21. The Bobcats defeated Oregon State at home last season at the TD Bank Sports Center.