Boston U. Knocks Off Crosstown Rival Boston College, 75-61

Boston U. Knocks Off Crosstown Rival Boston College, 75-61

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Courtesy: Boston U. Athletic Communications

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Behind senior Darryl Partin's game-high 27 points and sophomore Dom Morris' first-ever double-double, the Boston University men's basketball team extended its win streak to four games with a 75-61 victory at Boston College on Saturday afternoon.

Improving to 4-4, the Terriers earned their first win over the Atlantic Coast Conference since beating Florida State, 84-69, on a neutral court in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl Classic. They also earned their fourth straight victory against a non-conference opponent for the first time since accomplishing the feat during the 2004-05 season.

The win was America East's second over an ACC foe in the last three years. Maine downed the Eagles, 52-51, on Jan. 2, 2010. It's also the league's ninth win over a BCS conference school since 2008.

Trailing 45-44 with 11:16 remaining, BU went on a 14-3 run over the following four minutes and only temporarily saw its lead fall to six before pulling away. The Terriers shot 53.3 percent in the second half, including 7-of-15 from behind the arc, and ended the game with a 39-28 advantage in rebounds.

Entering the contest ranked fifth nationally in scoring, Partin went 10-of-22 (.454) for his second consecutive 27-point performance to help BU snap an eight-game losing streak to Boston College that dated back to 1974. Morris tallied 11 points and 11 rebounds, while classmate D.J. Irving had 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block. Senior Matt Griffin was the fourth Terrier in double figures with 11 points.

Lonnie Jackson led the Eagles (2-6) in scoring with 11 points, while Ryan Anderson and Dennis Clifford each had nine points. Clifford and Gabe Moton finished with a team-high four rebounds, as Boston U. held BC to just six offensive rebounds.

The Terriers jumped out to a 11-4 lead after Irving hit two of his four 3-pointers on the game. BC responded with a 21-5 run capped by Jackson's trey at 7:29 to grab its largest lead of the game, 25-16.

BU needed little time to rebound, scoring 10 straight points to grab the lead again, 26-25, after Partin drained both free throw attempts at 4:35.

In a contest featuring nine ties and 13 lead changes, neither team would move ahead by more than four until the middle of the second half. BU went into the locker room with the score, 31-31, despite shooting 6-of-21 from behind the arc by grabbing 10 offensive rebounds.

Trailing 40-36, with 16:00 left in regulation, the Terriers found their stroke and took the lead for good with a 15-5 run behind two 3-pointers from Griffin and another by Irving. Hazel capped the spurt by hitting both of his free throws. 

Matt Humphrey cut the deficit to three with a 3-pointer, but Partin took over the game with seven straight points off two contested jumpers and a 3-pointer. He later drained 3-pointers at 5:46 (63-53) and 2:35 (68-59), respectively.

Following his season-high fifth trey of the game, the Terriers' defense clamped down and forced the Eagles into four turnovers, leading to seven points. Irving finished the game's scoring by stealing from Patrick Heckmann and driving across the court for the fastbreak layup in the final minute. He hit his free throw after the foul and gave BU its largest margin of victory over the Eagles since an 81-64 win back on Jan. 5, 1960.

Boston U. and BC finished even in turnovers at 12 apiece, though the Terriers were more efficient on the opportunities with 17 points against the Eagles' 10. BU also had 16 second-chance points after recording 15 offensive rebounds.

Senior Patrick Hazel provided two of them to finish with six total rebounds. He also had four assists and three blocks to move into a tie-for-sixth place all-time at Boston U. with Larry Jones ('90) in career blocks at 78.

After earning their first regular season road win against a major conference opponent since beating Michigan in 2004, the Terriers will next travel to St. Joseph's on Wednesday (Dec. 7) for a 7 p.m. tip-off.