WORCESTER, Mass. – Freshman forward
Joe Pridgen totaled 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists, but the Holy Cross men's basketball team was defeated by Boston University 79-64 at the Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex. The Crusaders fall to 3-18 on the season and 2-6 in the Patriot League with the loss, while the Terriers improve to 11-10 overall and 5-3 in the conference.
Holy Cross committed a season-low seven turnovers on the day, but made just 41.0 percent of its field goal attempts and 55.6 percent of its free throws. Boston University hit on 50.0 percent of its shots from the floor, while holding a 44-29 rebounding advantage.
The score was close early on, with the Terriers holding a 20-19 lead after the first 12 minutes of play. Boston University used a 12-3 run to increase its lead to double figures, and was later up 34-27 with 2:29 left before the break. The Terriers then closed out the half by scoring nine straight points, to take a 43-27 advantage into the locker room.
Boston University was still up by 16 (47-31) early in the second half, when the Crusaders went on a 14-0 run to make it a two-point game (47-45). Holy Cross connected on four three-pointers during that spurt, including two from junior guard
Austin Butler. The Terriers responded by scoring the next nine points, and eventually went back up by 14 (65-51) with 6:47 left to play. The Crusaders refused to go away quietly, closing back to within six (69-63) with three minutes remaining. But that was as close as Holy Cross would get, as Boston University pulled away in the closing minutes for a 15-point victory.
Butler finished the game with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists, while junior forward
Matt Faw added 12 points. Max Mahoney led the Terriers with 18 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Holy Cross returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 29, when it travels to Navy for a 7:00 p.m. game.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
• Following the contest, Mahoney received the Martin J. O'Malley Award as the most outstanding player in Holy Cross' Winter Homecoming game.
• Pridgen scored 20 points for the seventh time this season.
• The crowd of 2,063 was the largest for a Holy Cross home game this season.
