ORONO – In a game featuring two basketball teams trying to break the habit of losing in the final seconds, it was the University of Maine men who displayed steadier nerves in the late going, thereby earning a 78-73 victory over Boston University Thursday night at Alfond Arena.

Maine made five of six free throws in the final 55 seconds and defended well enough to see the hard-luck Terriers miss their final three field-goal attempts. Result: the end of the Black Bears’ two-game losing streak.

Maine (8-7, 3-2 in the North Atlantic Conference) will next face Northeastern Saturday at home.

Boston University, which had previously lost three NAC games in the final 30 seconds, dropped to 2-14 (0-5 NAC).

“We just had to keep plugging away and keep playing hard and we knew we’d get back on track,” said Maine center Francois Bouchard, referring to the recent losses to Hartford and Hofstra which featured Maine playing poorly down the stretch. “The past few games we played stupid basketball. I thought we kept our heads tonight and played smart basketball.”

In this case, smart basketball consisted of Maine getting the ball inside. Aside from the late-game drama, the contest seemingly sought to answer the question, which is mightier, the 3-pointer or a center intent on scoring?

Maine proved it is the center.

Senior backup pivotman Dan Hillman powered in 22 points and Bouchard added 19 more to carry Maine’s low post-oriented offense.

Dan DelGardo (21 points) kept BU in the hunt by hitting four of the Terriers’ seven 3-point baskets on the night. His last tied the game at 65-65 with 5:50 to play.

But when the 6-foot-8 Bouchard answered by tipping in his own miss to make it 67-65 Maine at 5:31, the Bears would never trail again.

“They’re bigger than we are,” said BU Coach Bob Brown, referring to the 6-8 Hillman and Bouchard, who played much of the game as a tandem. “And if they’re allowed to push and shove, they’re stronger than we are. They’re going to get it done.”

While Maine’s big men got it done, BU’s didn’t.

After BU center Rick Rosu-Myles missed a pair of free throws, Kevin Terrell answered for Maine with a conventional three-point play to make it 70-65 with 4:28 remaining.

A missed 3-pointer by BU forward Jeff Storm produced a 3-on-2 fastbreak for Maine punctuated by Casey Arena’s layup. The UM freshman (13 points) was fouled on the play and made the freebie to make it 73-65 Bears with 3:29 left.

The Terriers got it back to 73-70 on two Dave Wallace free throws and a conventional three-point play by forward Dave Stiff (15 points). Arena responded by making one of two from the line (74-70).

BU closed within 74-73 on a Stiff putback and one free throw by DelGardo. But Terrell was fouled with 30 seconds and made both. Wallace missed a pair of 3-point tries for the Terriers. Bouchard rebounded a Stiff miss, was fouled, and hit two from the line at :02 to ice it.

“Almost everything we did on offense was great compared to the last few games,” said Hillman, who overcame back spasms. “We went in with a game plan to get the ball to the post. Our guards did a great job doing that, and it opened everything up.”

Maine junior guard Deonte Hursey was solid, scoring 11 points and dishing eight assists.

BU led 34-33 at the half thanks in large part to making four 3-pointers (Maine had none) and not panicking on the two occasions Maine went up by nine (19-10 and 29-20).

The Terriers switched defenses from man-to-man to a 2-3 zone well enough to help cause 11 Maine turnovers in the period which, in turn, BU turned into nine points on the other end.

DelGardo’s 10-foot jumper in the lane with 7:07 left in the period ignited the 9-0 BU run that tied the game at 29-29.

It went like this: Hursey of Maine was called for an illegal pick, setting up a 3-pointer from the right wing by Jeff Storm. BU center Rosu-Myles intercepted a Hursey lob pass intended for Hillman, which led to Storm’s baby hook in the lane. Maine freshman Terry Hunt missed a transition banker, leading to a 12-footer by BU guard Robert Bailey.

Arena broke a four-minute scoring drought for Maine with a single-pump scoop in traffic at 3:17, putting the Bears up 31-29.

A David Wallace 3-pointer at 1:13 gave BU the lead at 32-31.

Bouchard of Maine hit a low banker off an Arena feed with 58 seconds left (33-32). Terrell of Maine stripped Tim Westerfield of BU at :31, but was called for an offensive foul on the other end.

Wallace gave BU the lead at intermission when his lane jumper rolled in at the buzzer.

Black Bears 78, Terriers 73

Maine men Boston University

Name AG G AF F TP Name AG G AF F TP

Terrell 4 1 3 3 5 Wallace 13 4 2 2 12

Hursey 11 5 1 1 11 Bailey 6 2 0 0 4

Arena 9 5 3 2 13 Wstrfield 0 0 0 0 0

St.Laurent 3 0 0 0 0 Harris 1 1 3 2 4

Hunt 4 1 0 0 2 Delgardo 12 5 9 7 21

Jones 0 0 0 0 0 Bosu-Myles 6 3 6 3 9

Marseille 4 3 0 0 6 Storm 7 3 2 1 8

Collins 0 0 0 0 0 Stiff 11 5 5 5 15

Kearson 0 0 0 0 0 Price 1 0 0 0 0

Hillman 12 10 3 2 22

Bouchard 12 8 6 3 19

Totals 59 33 16 11 78 Totals 57 23 27 20 73

Maine 33 78

Boston University 34 73

3-pt. goals: Maine (1-7): Arena 1-3, Terrell 0-2, St. Laurent 0-2; Boston University (7-17): Delgardo 4-9, Wallace 2-5, Storm 1-3.