By Zolan Kanno-Youngs, News correspondent

There was something very different about Saturday’s men’s basketball homecoming game against Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). Yes, the game was in the much smaller Cabot Center as opposed to the historic Matthews Arena, but it was also about 10 times more electric.

I happened to be broadcasting the 73-66 Huskies win and had soundproof headphones on, and I still couldn’t hear myself think. I had never experienced that atmosphere in a basketball game since coming to Northeastern.  the basketball team may be better off playing in Cabot Center as opposed to Matthews Arena.

The last game I’ve been to that even came close to matching the atmosphere of that game was last year’s season opener against Boston University – a game that filled half of Matthews with an attendance of 3,242. There was less than half of that attendance at the game on Saturday, but there was still more cheering, noise and general excitement throughout the matchup.

This could be because more fans are physically closer to the game in Cabot. In Matthews, there is a student section on the floor but everyone else is left to sit in the bowl. Whether you are in the first row or the last, you still have a realistic chance of catching a ball that is swatted away in Cabot. Sophomore forward Derrico Peck proved this on Saturday after a few emphatic rejections.

“In Cabot, since it’s smaller, fans are closer to the action which makes their presence felt even when it’s not filled to capacity,” junior guard Marco Banegas-Flores said. “This makes it a fun environment to play in. Matthews is obviously a bigger, better venue but the infrastructure really separates the fans from the players making it hard to feel their presence.”

As I looked on from my sky view on press row, I actually saw a game that had the appearance of homecoming. It wasn’t just a couple groups wearing the same colored shirts; it looked like the entire crowd was one whole “N-Zone.” It was one of the better events exemplifying school spirit I’ve witnessed.

I’m not the only one who thinks this way. Peck and junior guard Demetrius Pollard said they felt as if there was more energy in Cabot Center and that the crowd was far more involved in the game.

“Playing in Cabot felt great because our crowd had an influence on our opponent’s composure,” Peck said. “When a team has a strong student section behind them, it creates energy that we might need to get on a run.”

Pollard agreed that the energy provided at Cabot can be crucial when the team is down and needs a boost.

“There was a lot more energy in the Center and having that energy in the Center gave us players more excitement, which made us play harder,” Pollard said.

If the athletic department needs any motivation to play in the Cabot Center – besides the fact that the team already practices there – they should just look at some of the games at Matthews Arena that have been nationally-televised. A wide-shot of the game captured students courtside, but behind them in the bowl are more empty seats then one would see the first three minutes of a Miami Heat game.

This isn’t intended to insult the history of Matthews Arena. I realize the Celtics used to play there, but it’s not 1946 anymore. I’m also going to go out on a limb and say Northeastern isn’t going to fill up 6,000 seats this season. So why not play some game in the more humbling, yet far more electric, Cabot Center?

 –Zolan Kanno-Youngs can be reached at [email protected].