Quinnipiac men’s basketball fell to Boston University 64-57 on Sunday in a matinee at the TD Bank Sports Center. Poor free throw shooting, as well as a lack of team production as a whole for the Bobcats, overpowered strong play from both Quinnipiac forward Donovan Smith and point guard Giovanni McLean.

“A lot of guys have to play better,” Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore said. “Just look at the balance of BU. The balance after their first guy was very good.”

Smith and McLean accounted for 38 of Quinnipiac’s 57 points. McLean hit three shots from beyond the three-point line as well.

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Quinnipiac began the contest in the driver’s seat, leading by three up until about five minutes into the game before the Terriers went on a big scoring run that put them up 22-12. The 10 points would be the half’s largest lead.

After hitting a jump shot with about 7 minutes to go in the first half, McLean went 6-9 from the field in what remained of the half, hitting two three-point jump shots in the process. McLean would end the first stanza with 16 points.

“I think we just got to get more people to step up and score baskets,” McLean said. “Even tonight when they double-teamed me, we need to have another person step up.”

The score at the end of the first half was 30-28 with Quinnipiac holding onto the lead.

From the beginning of the second, the Bobcats looked like a team poised and ready to run away with the victory.

Donovan Smith recorded seven points total in the second half. The junior forward put Quinnipiac up by 13 points about five minutes into the half when he sank a close jump shot.

Following this run, it was not until there were eight minutes to go in the game when Boston University would tie it up at 50-50 after a missed free throw by McLean. The Bobcat’s shot only 42.9% from the free throw line in this game.

“We cannot go 3 for 12 from the line in the second half,” Moore said. “We can’t play as soft offensively as we did in the second half.”

The same trends continued for Quinnipiac and Boston University did not look back.

Despite a deep three from McLean with about a minute and half left that cut the Terrier’s lead to 60-57, Quinnipiac could not put all the pieces together and get a win.

“A loss is always frustrating to me because I am a winning guy,” McLean said. “It helps you and hurts you at the same time but I hate losing. I do not want anything to do with losing.”

This loss brought Quinnipiac to 4-5 on the season. The Bobcats will travel to Corvallis, Oregon next week to battle Oregon State.