Albany, N.Y. 70, Boston U. 63

1/16/2008 9:37 PM

BOSTON (AP) - Brian Lillis continued his torrid scoring with 27 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as Albany led wire-to-wire for a 70-63 victory over Boston University Wednesday night.

The Great Danes (8-9, 3-2), the two-time defending America East conference champions, scored the game?s first nine points and built a 17-point first-half lead before holding off a BU challenge.

BU (4-12, 1-3 AEC) lost for the sixth time in the last seven games. The Terriers are 1-3 in league play for the first time in eight years.

Lillis, averaging 25 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists over the last four games, scored 13 of his team?s last 14 points, 11 of them at the foul line, where he was 15-for-16 in the game. The double-double was the second straight for Lillis, his third of the year.

BU closed the first half with an 8-0 run to cut Albany?s lead to eight at the break and closed within a point with 15:27 left. The Great Danes went up by 10 midway through the second half and then fought off another BU charge.

Brent Wilson scored 12 points and Brian Connelly had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Danes, who out-rebounded the Terriers, 38-20.

Corey Lowe scored 20 points - his third straight game with at least 20 - and freshman John Holland added a career-high 19 points and a team-high five rebounds for the Terriers.