AU’s rough skid continues as they drop their third game in last four contest, falling to Boston University Terriers 61-52 in Bender Arena.
The Eagles shot 7-for-26 from the three-point line and 18-for-53 from the field and only led for a little less than two minutes of the entire game.
“They’re a good team. They have a lot of good offense weapons and they’re tough to stop,” head coach Mike Brennan said.
The problems for the Eagles (14-13, 7-8 PL) started early in the game. Senior point guard Darius “Pee Wee” Gardner picked up two quick fouls and went to the bench with 15:55 remaining in the first half, and he would stay there until halftime. Senior center Kevin Panzer went down after BU guard Cedric Hankerson kicked out at Panzer while he was contesting his three point shot. Panzer went down hard and did not return to the game.
Along with two of their starters heading to the bench early, the Eagles shot a miserable 24 percent from the field, including an abysmal 2-for-15 from the three point line. The Terriers (12-14, 8-7 PL), dominated the Eagles in the paint, jumping out to a 16-8 advantage down low. BU also shot 50 percent from the field and outrebounded the Eagles 19-10. The Terriers went into the half up 27-15.
The Eagles came out for the second half a much different team with Pee Wee back in the game, and they got as close as five points with 9:25 remaining in the half. BU responded by going on a quick 7-0 run that put the game out of reach. After that point, AU would only get as close as seven points.
Brennan rotated Marko Vasic and sophomore guard Jalen Rhea in place of Panzer in the second half. Rhea scored 10 out of his 12 points in the second half on 4-for-5 from the field and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Panzer's status was unknown after the game according to Brennan, who had not had the opportunity to speak with the team’s trainers yet. If Panzer is out for the next game, with junior center Zach Elcano nursing an ankle injury, the Eagles are down to one big man, freshman center Gabe Brown. The 7-foot big is seldom played and lacks experience, seeing only 42 minutes all season.
The Eagles closed the rebounding gap but still lost the battle 31-28. The Terriers dominated the paint, outscoring the Eagles 32-20.
Junior guard Jesse Reed lead all scorers with 17 points, and pulled down four rebounds in 40 minutes of play. In only 25 minutes of play, Pee Wee Gardner totaled eight points, five rebounds and two assists.
The Terriers were led by sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson who scored 14 points. Junior forward Nathan Dieudonne chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds.
With this loss, the Eagles are now tied for fifth place with Lafayette.
The Eagles head to West Point to play Army at noon Feb. 22.
mholt@theeagleonline.com
