Terriers Show Some Fight, End Losing Skid
by Sam Perkins
BOSTON – No one would say it, but for Dennis Wolff and the Boston University Terriers, this was a must win game. Boston University entered their match-up against conference rival UNH riding a four-game losing streak. Corey Lowe put the Terriers on his back, and continued to make a strong early case for Player of the Year, but it was forty minutes of effort and team basketball that made coach Dennis Wolff proud, as he remarked, “Obviously, when we’ve been struggling the way we have been, to get back on track is good. I felt great effort the whole game.”
After looking like they were on the verge of finding their identity as a team, with valiant efforts against UMass and Holy Cross, the Terriers took a tremendous step backwards in their conference opener, getting blown out by Binghamton. Against the Bearcats, the Terriers played sluggish and uninspired, and seemed to be playing as five individuals instead of as a team while being outplayed and outworked in every aspect of the game.
After BU sleep-walked through their game against Binghamton, New Hampshire seemed to be one of the worst possible match-ups for the Terriers, as lack of effort proved deadly for Albany when they faced the Wildcats last week. While they may be inexperienced and undermanned, the Wildcats have no shortage of heart, as it has been their staple all season long: The Wildcats have played “Balls-to-the-wall” all season, and they seemed to have finally put it together, taking out Albany before giving conference heavyweight UMBC everything they could handle, and it has become apparent that if you don’t show up mentally and physically ready to play forty minutes of all out basketball, and don’t keep the intensity up, UNH will make you pay.
Coming off of a demoralizing loss, one in which BU was never truly in the game, it was obvious that the Terriers needed an injection of energy in their game, and Wolff made things more interesting in practice, leaving the rotation up for grabs.
“We were all disappointed in the way we handled Binghamton on Sunday, so we made it a competitive deal in practice,” said Wolff.
As a result of those competitive practices (and Scott Brittain’s pulled glute) Max Gotzler and Valdas Sirutis, whom had played a combined five minutes versus Binghamton, and John Holland, who didn’t play a minute against the Bearcats, all found themselves in the starting lineup.
Coming off of his worst game of the season, a game in which he scored five points on 2-8 shooting, Lowe had something to prove, and boy did he, as Lowe unleashed a three point barrage that the Wildcats could never recover from. Lowe put the team on his back, scoring the Terriers’ first twelve points, all from behind the arc, and the Terriers followed suit, as Carlos Strong complemented Lowe’s outside barrage with an inside one of his own, converting three tough lay-ups in traffic.
“If you’re making shots the way Corey’s making shots you’re going to get us off to a good start, and it became a little bit contagious with Carlos made some tough shots,” reflected Wolff after the game.
Strong’s play gave the Terriers a big boost, as he chipped in 14 points, and helped to carry the Terriers during two stretches in the middle of the 1st and 2nd halves when Lowe went to the bench. Wolff felt that coming off the bench may have helped Strong to return to his game, saying, “I think that Matt (Wolff) and Carlos, because of their intensity, have been fighting themselves a little bit… I think Carlos came in and just kind of played instead of trying too hard to begin with.”
But the night was all Lowe all the time, as he was a man possessed and scored at will despite the Wildcats keying on him on defense. Lowe scored in every way possible, on and off the ball, running through screens, creating his own shot, elevating over bigger defenders and beating smaller one’s off the dribble en route to a game-high 30 points. Lowe attributed his play to a different attitude on the court, as after the game he said, “I just tried to come in with a more positive outlook on things today. I hit my first couple of shots and was in a rhythm.”
Lowe’s importance to the team has never been more evident than it was against the Wildcats, as without Lowe Boston University would not have stood a chance. Lowe’s importance to Boston University, and his overall talent, are why he should garner considerable attention for Player of the Year, as the Terriers would be winless if not for him, as he runs the point, and is currently second in the league in scoring despite playing without a true second scorer, which has allowed defenses to zero in on him. Some players would burn themselves out after an opening span like Lowe had, however, he kept up his output for the entire game, making 11 of 22 shots from the floor.
As big as Lowe’s game was, the Terriers’ defense was just as important early on, as the Terriers zone defense forced the Wildcats to play in a way that they hadn’t at any point in the entire year: scared. Boston University hasn’t played up to Wolff’s standards on the defensive end during the early season, but for the opening frame against the Wildcats, the Terriers were at their best. They returned to the 1-3-1 zone that they had moved away from for much of the season and forced 17 turnovers during the game, resulting in 20 points, many of them during the first half.
“We really struggled against the one-three-one,” reflected New Hampshire Coach Bill Herrion.
No one played bigger on defense than Holland, whom made his presence known immediately, playing at the top of the zone. Holland dropped jaws during the non-conference season with some highlight-reel dunks and energy on offense, but he seemed lost on the defensive end, which caused Dennis Wolff some heartburn and resulted in Holland spending extended periods on the bench. But against New Hampshire, Holland was a bundle of energy and wreaked havoc. He clogged passing lanes, coming away with a game and career-high six steals, and forced several more Wildcat miscues.
What was most impressive for the Terriers, however, was how they handled a New Hampshire team that refused to quit, and withstood a hard charge by the Wildcats in the second half, the same kind of a charge that Albany had failed to contain a week prior.
The Terriers were able to match the intensity of the Wildcats, and did not back down when the game took a physical turn, with the hard fouls being exchanged and bodies flying in the second half. For Wolff, the effort and toughness displayed was an encouraging sign, as he had often pointed at the lack of toughness and effort as his team’s major weakness during their losing skids early.
“We have such a young group… I’m thrilled that we won tonight,” said Wolff, before adding, “these guys worked really hard the last two days, and we have to go one day at a time.”
For the young Terriers, it will be a long haul, as one game does not make a season. The preseason expectations heaped upon BU seem, in hindsight, to be a bit misguided, and unfair, as Boston University is an incredibly young team still learning the game. The Terriers do not have a physical presence in the paint, and with Tyler Morris still a long ways from being his normal self on the court, its asking a lot to expect Corey Lowe to carry the team all season long.
However, in their win over the Wildcats, the Terriers displayed the ability to play physical and hard, and provided a glimpse at how good they can play. If Morris can return to some semblance of his form from the previous season, with Lowe and Strong clicking, BU can play with anyone in the conference.
