By Zolan Kanno-Youngs, News Correspondent

The first round of the National Invitation Tournament marked the closing of an incredible four-year span of two co-captains and the homecoming of a sophomore who will be there next year to fill their void.

Senior point guard Jonathan Lee led the Huskies with 13 points in their 62-43 loss to Alabama – the home of Tuscaloosa native sophomore Reggie Spencer – while his co-captain Joel Smith watched from a sideline with an injury he picked up in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament.

After the first 12 minutes of the game, it looked like NU would have to overcome another huge halftime deficit with Alabama leading 24-7.

“Alabama is a pretty big team in the SEC,” sophomore forward Quincy Ford said. “I don’t know if we were just nervous coming out of the gate. As the game slowly went on we started to calm down and got into a stable offense and defense.”

Whether it was nerves or the 20-hour trip the Huskies had to endure to get to Tuscaloosa, Northeastern was able to defeat the shaky start and get back into the game.

It began when Spencer, who led Hillcrest High School to the 2010-11 Alabama state championships, hit a jumper to spark what would be a 9-0 run for the Huskies. The center ironically capped off the run with a jumper from about the same distance.

After the teams traded baskets, Alabama connected on two free throws to give the Crimson Tide a 10-point lead. However, after Ford then connected on two of his six free throws, Lee stepped into a three-pointer from the right wing to cut the Crimson Tide’s lead to 28-23.

“I think we just matched their energy and that was really the only part of the game where I thought we did that – we at least played as hard as they were playing. When you do that you give yourself a chance,” head coach Bill Coen said. “I think during that stretch we only had one turnover, we took good care of the ball, we executed our offense – so we were able to climb back into the game.”

Lee wasted no time in continuing the Husky run in the second half. In less than 90 seconds, the senior scored four straight points to bring Northeastern within one point.

“As the team calmed down, we started to talk to each other. In the second half, we began to have a spurt and we started to have a run where we kept making them turn the ball over, which changed the game,” Ford said.

However, the Husky comeback, which Northeastern fans have been so accustomed to seeing throughout the season, could not be completed.

After Levi Randolph hit a basket for two of his team-leading 13 points, his fellow sophomore Trevor Lacey hit possibly the most impressive shot of the game, a shot-clock beating, deep three-pointer with Demetrius Pollard’s hand in his face.

The two baskets were a part of a 22-0 run for Alabama to blow open the game and close the door on Northeastern’s season.

“I thought we got down so we got anxious defensively. I think in a closer basketball game we could have played a little more position defense,” Coen said. “We got caught in an anxious mindset where we were trying to make plays, trying to get a steal and gave them angles to the basket and they did a great job of attacking the rim, particularly from the corners.”

The two seniors certainly have left their mark on the Northeastern basketball program, leading their team to the CAA regular season title. They also won numerous individual words including both being 1,000-point club members.

Even though Smith didn’t play against Alabama, the Leander native will always be remembered for his pure shooting as he still holds Northeastern’s all time record for shooting percentage (.851) and this season set a Northeastern record for three-pointers made (81).

Lee, who hit the game-winning layup to send the Huskies to the CAA tournament final, also had an incredible comeback season. After missing the first nine games of the season due to a foot injury, he finished the season as the second leading scorer on the team and still holds the single-season Northeastern record for 3-point percentage (.472).

While their last game ended with a loss, the last season for the two co-captains will certainly be remembered.