By Matthew MacCormack, news staff
For the Northeastern men’s basketball team, last week began in defeat but ended with program history being made.
After falling 65-60 to Drexel University in Philadelphia on Wednesday, the Huskies rebounded with a Saturday night home victory over Elon University, 80-61. Redshirt junior forward Quincy Ford netted 12 points in the Elon win, becoming the 33rd player in program history to score 1,000 career points in black and red.
“[It’s] a nice individual accomplishment,” Ford said post-game. “But as a team we just have bigger goals… we want to accomplish this year, and that’s what my eyes are on.”
Undoubtedly, one of those goals is bringing home a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship for the Huskies (15-8). NU has compiled a 7-3 CAA record, which slots it as the No. 2 seed in the CAA, just behind the College of William & Mary, with eight games remaining.
After falling to William & Mary last Saturday, the Huskies traveled to Philly hoping to avoid their first pair of losses of the season. NU entered the Drexel game with a 6-0 record after losses, but that streak wouldn’t hold.
Drexel junior guard Damion Lee ignited the Dragons (7-14) on Wednesday, pouring in 33 points on 56 percent shooting to go along with four rebounds and three assists. In the end, he proved to be more than the Huskies could handle.
Northeastern seemed to be in control in the first half, as it led 29-19 after the first 20 minutes. However, Lee chipped in 24 of his points in the second half to bury the Huskies.
“We got off to a pretty good start,” Coen said. “Then we really kinda mishandled some plays coming out of the break and lost momentum.”
The Dragons put together a 19-6 run in the early part of the second frame, with Lee scoring seven of Drexel’s first nine points in the half. Although a free throw from Husky junior forward Zach Stahl tied the game at 38 with 10 minutes left, the Huskies wouldn’t seize a lead for the rest of the game. NU went scoreless for a six-minute period towards the end of regulation.
That stretch, combined with Lee’s incredible performance, put the game out of reach. Stahl (14 points, five rebounds) and sophomore point guard T.J. Williams (16 points, five rebounds) put up solid efforts in the 65-60 defeat.
With a frustrating loss behind them, the Huskies rounded back to form on Saturday night against the Phoenix of Elon. It was the first time that the Huskies ever played Elon, as the Phoenix (11-12) joined the CAA this season.
“We were hungry for a win,” Coen said. “Right from the opening tip, I was pleased with our defensive intensity and awareness.”
Elon scored the first basket of the game, but it was the only time they led. With Williams in first-half foul trouble, freshman guard Devon Begley filled in admirably, notching a career-high 12 points. Begley drained two corner 3-pointers over a two-minute span in the middle of the first half that helped the Huskies to a 17-10 lead.
In the final 5:07 of the first frame, NU took over. The Huskies ripped off a 12-0 run, and headed into halftime with a 40-25 advantage.
The defining moment came with 8:30 left to play in the second half. On a fast break, Williams found junior guard David Walker on a near-perfect alley-oop. Walker’s two-handed throw down got the fans on their feet and solidified NU’s dominance.
The Northeastern defense stifled the Phoenix, holding them to just 44 percent from the field. All 11 Husky players saw time on Saturday night and they closed with an easy 80-61 victory.
Stahl (19 points, nine rebounds, four assists) and redshirt senior forward Scott Eatherton (16 points, eight rebounds) each went eight of nine from the field and the Huskies shot an impressive 59.6 percent as a team.
NU went 20-31 from the free throw line to Elon’s seven of 14 and out-rebounded the Phoenix by a 39-27 margin.
“I thought we completed the defensive possessions with rebounds,” Coen said. “We really exerted ourselves on the backboards.”
Although it was certainly a team win, Quincy Ford, who missed most of last season due to a back injury, stole the show. With 10:21 to play in the first, Ford hit the first of two free throws, giving him a spot on the 1,000-point plateau.
“It’s a special milestone,” Coen said. “Especially coming off his injury… It takes a lot of time to [rehabilitate] from such an injury – a lot of focus, a lot of determination – to bring himself back.”
Against Drexel, Ford had an off night shooting the ball (1-6 FG) but still impacted the game with five points, six rebounds and four assists. In the contest against Elon, the redshirt junior had five boards and scored 12 points on only two field goal attempts. Ford went 9-10 from the charity stripe on Saturday, earning free throws with his aggressive play.
“Coach Coen always tells me to attack the rim hard and just be aggressive,” Ford said. “That’s how I want to get in a rhythm, by just trying to get myself to the line.”
Although Ford hasn’t been consistent this year, he has taken time to recover from injury and reacclimate. Without a doubt, Ford, who is posting averages of 10.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists, will be an integral part of any Husky success the rest of the way.
As the Huskies fight for position in the CAA, they’ll need their multifaceted leader – a leader who Coen says has the potential to do even more on the court.
“I think he’s playing the best basketball of his career,” Coen said. “[But] I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Quincy Ford just yet.”
Photo courtesy Jim Pierce, Northeastern Athletics
