By: Patrick McHugh, News Staff
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Chaisson Allen sat on the Northeastern bench with a look of disgust on his face.
The senior captain and guard just picked up his fourth foul with about 17 minutes to go in the men’s basketball team’s Tuesday morning contest at Southern Illinois, putting him one foul away from disqualification. With zero points scored and his team trailing by eight in the second half, Allen was frustrated, but kept his mind focused.
“The guys off the bench gave great effort and great energy,” Allen said. “[Head] Coach [Bill Coen] just told me to keep my head in the game and stay ready, so that’s what I did.”
Allen returned to score 12 points, including the game-winning free throw with 2.4 seconds remaining in overtime, to give Northeastern a 63-62 win Tuesday morning in Carbondale, Ill. The game was part of ESPN’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon in which the network broadcast games for 24 consecutive hours. The win improved the squad to 2-0 on the season for the first time since 2005.
It was a challenging game for Allen, a preseason all-conference selection who scored 20 points Friday in NU’s season-opening win against Boston University. Allen missed his first six shots and had difficulty making a positive impact. Instead it was sophomore guard Joel Smith who stepped up the scoring, totaling a career-high 19 points, including four 3-pointers in the victory.
“Coach [Coen] told me to get in the gym and be aggressive because Chase needs help, so that’s what I did,” Smith said of his offseason talks with the fifth-year head coach. “I was aggressive and just tried to help my team out as best I could.”
The Huskies trailed by six points at halftime and struggled to find a rhythm offensively without Allen leading the way. In the second half, Northeastern switched to a 2-3 zone, defensively forcing 23 Saluki turnovers in the game, which the Huskies converted to 20 points on offense.
When Allen returned he carried the scoring load for the visitors, scoring his team’s final nine points in the second half and overtime. He had a chance to win the game with a free throw with three seconds remaining in regulation but his shot was no good and both teams went to overtime tied 60-60.
“It was kind of like a heavyweight boxing match,” Coen said. “I think both teams were fatigued to play that hard this early in the season. We were just fortunate to win.”
The teams traded baskets in overtime and were deadlocked 62-62 with 10 seconds to go in overtime. After a missed shot by Allen in the final five seconds, Mamadou Seck and John Freeman of Southern Illinois grabbed the rebound on the floor and signaled for a timeout. The Salukis did not have any timeouts remaining, however, and a technical foul was issued against the home team. Allen was awarded two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining, and hit one to make it 63-62. A last-second pass by SIU was intercepted as the buzzer sounded, giving Northeastern the win.
The Huskies began the 2010-11 season with a 66-64 win Friday night at Matthews Arena over cross-town rival Boston University. Allen, who scored 16 points in the first half and finished with 20 in the game, was one of four Huskies players to score in double-digits.
“It’s a great challenge for me as a player and as a leader,” Allen said. “Guys look to me and I look to them too.”
In his first collegiate game, freshman guard Alex Harris made an impact for NU, scoring 12 points off the bench including a thunderous dunk in the first half that brought the 3,045 spectators in attendance to their feet. Despite leading by as many as 13 points the Huskies needed two free throws from Harris with 5.4 seconds to go to seal the victory. Terriers senior guard John Holland led all scorers with 25 points in a losing effort.
Northeastern returns to action Saturday, hosting Siena University during Homecoming Weekend. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Matthews Arena.
