By Jill Saftel, News Staff
With a 15-point lead at halftime, the men’s basketball team found themselves only leading by three points at the three-minute mark, allowing the College of William & Mary to score 49 points in the second half. The Tribe’s 19 points on the first half were the fewest allowed by Northeastern this season, but the Tribe’s second-half tear kept the Huskies on their toes in the 95-91 double overtime victory at Matthews Arena last night.
The team continued its undefeated streak in Colonial Athletic Association play with the win over the Tribe.. At 7-0 and first place in the conference, the Huskies got off to a strong start against the Tribe.
“We’re still learning, we’re still growing,” head coach Bill Coen said. “The best thing about the 7-0 start is that we’re continuing to improve.”
First half highlights included an 11-2 run for the Huskies with 3:57 left in the half and a Jonathan Lee two-point, buzzer-beating jumper to end the half. Senior captain Lee led the Huskies in scoring throughout the first half with 10 points, followed by freshman guard David Walker with eight.
The Tribe took its first lead of the game in the first overtime period on foul shots. It was the first time the Huskies trailed in 142 minutes of action. With 3:51 left the teams found themselves deadlocked again at 70-70. Neither the Tribe nor the Huskies would back down halfway through OT, going back and forth still tied at 74-74.
After nearly two five-minute OT periods, senior guard Joel Smith scored back-to-back baskets to give the Huskies a 95-88 lead. A three-pointer from William & Mary’s senior guard Matt Rum with one second to play would close the gap but wasn’t enough for the Tribe to overthrow the CAA’s lone undefeated team.
Northeastern was able to stay on top in the end thanks to some stellar individual efforts. Walker continued to earn his starting spot on the court, scoring a career-high 17 points and matching his career best in three-point shooting with three made. Smith carried the team on his back during overtime and tied his own career-best 29 points, scored at St. John’s on Nov. 26, 2011. Lee ended the game the team’s second-highest scorer with 19.
“It was really the mental toughness of our senior backcourt, particularly Joel Smith, who stepped up possession after possession and made huge plays for us,” Coen said.
The 95 points for the win were also a season high for the team. The 7-0 start is a program-best since joining the CAA in 2005, and is the best conference start since 9-0 in 1986-87 as a member of America East.
“We were very, very fortunate tonight to come away with the victory. There were a lot of mistakes made in the second half, but what I really admired was the mental toughness and the togetherness we displayed,” Coen said. “A lot of teams, after surrendering a 15-point halftime lead, wouldn’t be able to find a way to win, but it speaks to this group because they stuck together, they believe in one another.”
The Huskies return to the court in a rare Sunday night matchup against George Mason University (12-7 overall, 5-2 CAA). Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
