HANOVER, N.H. (Interstat) — The Dartmouth men’s basketball team used a dominant first-half offensive display to build a substantial lead and then held off a persistent Boston University squad for a 77-64 victory on Saturday afternoon at a sparsely attended Leede Arena.

A crowd of 898 watched the Big Green improve to 4-5 on the season, while the Terriers fell to 4-8.

The story of the game was written in the opening 20 minutes, as Dartmouth raced out to a 43-32 halftime advantage. The Big Green shot efficiently from the floor, connecting on 12 of 31 three-point attempts in the game, and capitalized on their opportunities at the free-throw line, making 19 of 26. Boston University, conversely, struggled with its shooting touch all evening, finishing 23 of 62 from the field and a frigid 8 of 30 from beyond the arc.

Dartmouth’s backcourt duo of Kareem Thomas and Jayden Williams proved too much for the Terriers to handle. Thomas, a junior from Wilmington, Delaware, led all scorers with 22 points, adding three rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes. Williams, a sophomore from Windermere, Florida, provided crucial scoring support with 18 points and seven rebounds. Their combined 40 points anchored a Big Green offense that operated with precision, posting an offensive rating of 114.3 points per 100 possessions.

Boston University was led by its 7-foot center Ben Defty, who posted 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Michael McNair added 14 points for the Terriers, who managed to match their first-half output of 32 points in the second half but could never seriously threaten the double-digit deficit established before the break.

The most critical sequence of the game occurred late in the first half, transforming a competitive contest into a comfortable Dartmouth lead. With just over seven minutes remaining and Dartmouth holding a 25-22 edge, the Big Green unleashed a decisive 18-7 run to close the period. The surge was fueled by a combination of stifling defense and timely shooting. It included a three-pointer from Kareem Thomas, a driving layup from Jackson Munro, and a corner three from Jayden Williams, pushing the lead to 39-27. After a Boston University free throw, Williams struck again from deep with 10 seconds left, followed by two Niko Abusara free throws after a foul in the closing second, sending Dartmouth into the locker room with a commanding 43-32 advantage.

Boston University never got closer than nine points in the second half. Each time the Terriers showed a sign of life, Dartmouth answered. A Chance Gladden three-pointer cut the lead to 52-45 with 15:17 to play, but Williams immediately responded with a three of his own on the ensuing possession. Later, a Donte Tisinger layup made it 63-55 with just over 10 minutes left, only for Brandon Mitchell-Day to drain a three-pointer 20 seconds later to restore an 11-point cushion.

Mitchell-Day, a sophomore from St. Louis, was a force for Dartmouth all afternoon, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Munro contributed seven points, five rebounds and a game-high four assists. For Boston University, Ethan Okwuosa grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, but the Terriers were hampered by poor shooting and an inability to string together stops during Dartmouth’s first-half blitz.

The game’s statistical profile underscored Dartmouth’s control. Despite having two fewer possessions than Boston University, the Big Green scored 13 more points. They also won the battle at the charity stripe, making nine more free throws than the Terriers, who shot 10 of 17 from the line. Boston University did hold advantages in offensive rebounds (11-6), steals (6-3), and blocks (4-2), but their 37.1% shooting from the field proved insurmountable.

Dartmouth, which was projected with an 80.4% probability to win by Interstat’s ELO system and was a 2.5-point pregame favorite, will look to build on this performance when they travel to face Holy Cross on Tuesday. Boston University, which saw the total score of 141 fall well under the over/under line of 151.5, will return home to host Massachusetts-Lowell next Sunday.