Terriers’ rally falls just short
Celebratory moments have been hard to come by for Boston University this season, but when Joe Jones saw Andrew Petcash release a 3-pointer in the left corner with seconds remaining yesterday — one that would have given his Terriers an improbable victory — the coach was ready to let it all out.
“I was about to run out the gym,” Jones said. “I was about to just do the Larry Bird. You ever see Larry Bird on the 3-point shot, where he just puts his hand up? That’s what I was going to do. I just knew that was going in.”
But in what’s become a theme for a young BU team, it didn’t go the way he wanted.
The Terriers trailed Lehigh by 19 with 8:13 remaining and rallied to make it a two-point game in the final minute, but Petcash’s 3-pointer was off the mark, and the Mountain Hawks survived for an 84-79 victory at Case Gym.
The loss was the fourth in a row for the Terriers (11-16, 4-10), who are dead last in the Patriot League standings.
“The last shot, you feel good about that, because you got a great look when they went zone,” Jones said. “We moved it, we got a great look. We actually executed down the stretch a lot better than we did throughout the game. It’s a shame.”
Lehigh (17-8, 10-4) controlled most of the game, and actually led by 18 with 5:36 to go, before BU, desperate for a comeback, switched to a full-court press. It seemed to rattle the Mountain Hawks.
Despite that, though, the chances of a comeback seemed bleak in the final minutes. But after Max Mahoney’s layup made it a 10-point game with 2:11 left, Tyler Scanlon picked Kyle Leufroy’s pocket, and Jonas Harper drilled a 3 to make it a seven-point game with 1:39 to go. Scanlon then forced another steal, and Alex Vilarino made a free throw to make it 76-70.
Harper hit a deep 3 to make it 78-73 with 1:08 left, and a Mahoney layup made it 80-75 with 50 seconds to go. Vilarino then forced a steal and was fouled, and made both free throws to create a one-possession game.
Joe Foley hit one of two free throws before Mahoney’s tip-in pulled BU within two. Then, Lance Tejada missed both free throws to give the Terriers a chance. Scanlon drove from the left wing and pulled defenders, and he found Petcash for an open look. But the sophomore’s shot was long and Lehigh pulled down the rebound.
“It’s a wonder that it ended up being a one-possession game at one point, because you didn’t really play that great,” Jones said. “But that’s basketball. If you just keep coming, keep coming, we have good enough players that something good’s going to happen.”
Leufroy scored 18 points and Tejada added 17 for Lehigh, which shot 54.5 percent in the first half on its way to a 13-point lead at the break. Jones said his team came out lacking energy, and it looked like it would be a rout before BU came alive.
“I’m proud of the way we fought and battled,” Jones said. “You don’t get anything for that, but I’m still hopeful that it’s going to lead to good things down the road. …
“We’re 4-10. I don’t know if we’re a 4-10 team in our league. I really don’t feel that way. But we also haven’t won. I’m sure the guys feel that way, like how come we haven’t done it? But we just haven’t been able to put it together.”