FOUNTAIN HILL, Pa. (Interstat) — In a game that mirrored their season-long struggle for consistency, the Boston University Terriers and Lehigh Mountain Hawks battled through another tense Patriot League affair Sunday afternoon. This time, it was Lehigh that made the critical plays in the final seconds, edging Boston University 70-67 at Stabler Arena before a crowd of 774.

The victory avenged a 93-91 overtime loss for Lehigh in Boston on Jan. 14 and squared the season series. More importantly, it pulled both teams even at 13-16 overall, a reflection of a conference campaign marked by narrow margins and dramatic finishes.

The most important part of the game unfolded in a chaotic final four seconds, a sequence that decided a contest featuring 14 lead changes and eight ties. With the score knotted at 68, Lehigh’s Nasir Whitlock, who finished with a game-high 30 points, drove the lane and was fouled by Boston University’s Chance Gladden with eight seconds remaining. Whitlock calmly sank both free throws to put the Mountain Hawks ahead by two.

On the ensuing inbound, Boston University’s Michael McNair was fouled on a desperate 3-point attempt by Lehigh’s Joshua Ingram with four ticks left, sending him to the line for three shots and a chance to win. McNair made the first, but missed the second. After a Boston University timeout, he sank the third to tie the game at 69.

Lehigh immediately advanced the ball. Whitlock, again the focal point, was fouled by Azmar Abdullah on the inbound pass with four seconds still showing. The sophomore guard from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, returned to the line and delivered once more, making both free throws to restore Lehigh’s two-point lead at 70-69.

Boston University’s last chance ended when Gladden’s rushed 3-point attempt from the top of the key as time expired missed everything, sealing the Mountain Hawks’ hard-fought victory.

The game was a study in contrasting efficiencies. Both teams had an identical 59 possessions, but Lehigh’s superior shooting from distance and the foul line proved decisive. The Mountain Hawks shot 42% from 3-point range, making eight, and were nearly perfect at the charity stripe, converting 12 of 13 attempts. Boston University, meanwhile, was just 7 of 21 from beyond the arc and attempted only five free throws, making four.

Whitlock’s 30-point performance, which included four assists, was the engine for Lehigh. He scored 18 in the second half and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line, including the four decisive ones in the final moments. Jalen Vazquez added 10 points, while Hank Alvey contributed nine points, three rebounds and two blocks, including a key swat on Gladden in the final minutes.

Boston University was led by a balanced attack. Chance Gladden scored 17 points and dished out four assists, while Michael McNair also had 17 points. Ben Defty, the 7-foot center from Berlin, Germany, was a force inside with 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists. The Terriers shot 50% from the field but were ultimately undone by their lack of trips to the line and Lehigh’s late execution.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with Boston University taking a 28-29 lead into the break. The Terriers built several small leads in the second half, the largest being five points at 40-35 after an Azmar Abdullah 3-pointer with 16:45 to play. Lehigh responded with a 9-2 run, capped by an Alvey dunk, to take a 44-42 lead, setting the stage for the nip-and-tuck finish.

Neither team led by more than five points in the second half. The game was tied for the final time at 68 following McNair’s clutch free throws, setting up Whitlock’s closing heroics.

The win gives Lehigh momentum heading into its final two regular-season games, at American on Wednesday and home against Bucknell on Saturday. Boston University, which had won three of its last four, looks to regroup at home against Holy Cross on Wednesday before traveling to American on Saturday. Both teams will now look to secure positioning for the Patriot League tournament, where, as Sunday’s game demonstrated, any outcome seems possible.