By: Patrick McHugh, News Staff
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – As each shot ripped through the net, the Huskies’ bench repeatedly exploded with joy.
The men’s basketball team was off to a hot start shooting, as the Huskies took an 11-point lead over Providence College (PC) early in the first half of action last night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. The Huskies, who shot 89 percent from the floor in the first four minutes of the game, seemed poised to upset the Friars and end their two-game losing skid.
But Northeastern’s early offensive surge did not carry throughout the contest and PC responded to take a 77-72 win over NU.
“I thought when we came out we were patient, and moved the ball well and got our feet set for good shots,” Northeastern head coach Bill Coen said. “I thought we got away from that, started over-dribbling a little bit and started creating our own turnovers.”
Every Northeastern starter scored in the opening four minutes of play, as senior captain and guard Chaisson Allen led the visitors with eight points early on. The Big East Conference foe Friars seemed stunned and out of sorts to begin the game, shooting just over 30 percent from the floor.
In the second half, however, PC proved why it began the season with a 7-1 record, limiting NU’s open looks and creating transition baskets of its own. Led by senior guard Marshon Brooks’ 27 points, Providence gained control of the game and led by as many as nine in the final 20 minutes, eventually hanging on for the five-point win.
The disparity in rebounding did not favor Coen’s squad and the Friars grabbed 47 rebounds to Northeastern’s 27.
“I thought we could have gone to halftime with a double-digit lead if we could just rebound the basketball, and I thought we did a very poor job of that this evening,” Coen said.
Allen, who entered the contest averaging 17 points per game, scored a team-high 24 points in the defeat, followed by sophomore guard Joel Smith, who had 15. This is the third season in a row Northeastern has faced Providence, with the Huskies taking a 70-66 win at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in 2008 and the Friars winning 76-72 at Matthews Arena last season.
Hot 3-point shooting nearly earned the Huskies a win in Logan, Utah, Saturday night against Utah State (USU). Northeastern was 9-of-16 from beyond the arc with Smith leading the barrage with 15 points on five-of-six shooting. Smith teamed with Allen, who added 18 points and seven assists, to lead the NU offense.
The visitors led by as many as eight points in the second half, but the Aggies, who are 232-22 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum since 1994, rallied in the closing minutes to take a 56-54 win.
Though his team emerged victorious, Utah State’s head coach Stew Morrill said the win was not earned.
“We are lucky to win tonight,” Morrill said. “It’s not a game I feel like we deserved to win. We were primed and right and deserved to get beat.”
Deadlocked 26-26 at halftime, both teams traded leads in the final three minutes until Utah State grabbed the lead for good with 1:16 to go. The Aggies led by two points with 1.9 seconds remaining, leaving the Huskies one final chance to tie or win. On the game’s final play NU could not inbound the ball to Allen or Smith and were forced to give the ball to freshman guard Alex Harris, who could not get his final shot off before the clock ran out. The two-point win for the Aggies avenged a 64-61 win by Northeastern Nov. 21, 2009 at Matthews Arena.
Coen said the play of USU senior forward Tai Wesley, who scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, was the key to the game.
“We couldn’t do much to stop [him],” Coen said. “He got the ball towards the end and either drew the foul or scored a bucket. I thought he was the difference in the game.”
Northeastern now sits at 2-3 on the season. It will host Colonial Athletic Association foe Drexel Saturday at TD Garden, a matchup that is part of the inaugural Boston Tip-Off Classic which benefits Children’s Hospital Boston and Al’s Angels. Tip-off between the Huskies and Dragons is at 4 p.m., followed by Boston College and UMass-Amherst at 6:30.
“Drexel is a tremendous rebounding team,” Coen said. “Having played five games already teams know our tendencies so we can’t get away with any trick plays once we get into conference play. This is just about heart and determination.”
