By Matthew MacCormack, news staff
The Northeastern men’s basketball team clinched a part of the regular season Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title with a 65-56 victory at the College of Charleston on Saturday. The win vaulted the Huskies (20-11, 12-6 CAA) into a four-way tie atop the conference, giving the program its second regular season title in three years.
Although the week ended in triumph, it began with what looked to be a decisive loss. On Thursday, the Huskies fell on the road to conference bottom-dweller Elon University by a 72-65 score line. The loss pushed NU to the third spot in the conference standings, but the results of the weekend’s CAA contests helped the Huskies jump back into contention.
NU benefitted from losses by other top CAA programs, such as the College of William & Mary and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington (UNCW), and its own win over Charleston. When the dust cleared, NU gained the No. 3 seed for the conference tournament, which begins this weekend.
Head Coach Bill Coen led the Huskies through their third 20-win season of his nine-year NU tenure.
“To achieve that is really no small feat. It’s very, very difficult,” Coen said in a March 3 teleconference. “There’s so many good players, so many good teams and so many great coaches in this league; to win a share of the title is something we’re very proud of.”
The Huskies began the action in North Carolina on Thursday night against Elon University (13-17, 5-12 CAA). NU crushed the Phoenix by 19 points at Matthews Arena back in January, but the story proved to be different this time. Admirable efforts by redshirt senior forward Scott Eatherton (20 points, five rebounds) and junior guard David Walker (17 points, six rebounds, six assists) were not enough.
“I thought they really, right from the opening tip, had a lot more energy and got some easy baskets on some turnovers and some defensive transition,” Coen said.
NU tallied nine turnovers in the first eight minutes of the game. Elon capitalized, snagging a 21-10 lead. Offensively, NU struggled. The Huskies missed all six of their 3-point attempts in the opening 20 minutes.
NU didn’t go quietly, however, as Eatherton scored 12 of the team’s final 15 points of the half. The forward’s prolific stretch propelled the Huskies through a 17-2 run that put them up 27-23 with less than two minutes to play in the half.
Elon, however, scored the final five points of the frame and went into the locker room with a 28-27 lead.
Just like before, the Phoenix were on fire in the first eight minutes of the second half. An 18-7 run pushed the Elon lead to 46-34 as freshman guard Elijah Bryant (16 points, eight rebounds) helped start the hot stretch.
Walker’s 13 second-half points allowed the Huskies to claw back into the game. NU cut the lead to 53-51 after Walker nailed a 3-pointer and junior forward Zach Stahl (eight points, five rebounds, two blocks) converted a layup in quick succession.
NU would get no closer, as Elon rode a 57.7 percent second-half shooting clip to an eventual 72-65 victory. The Huskies struggled from the free-throw line, hitting only seven of 12.
“They played extremely well and we had some missed opportunities,” Coen said. “We left some points on the line and didn’t shoot the ball well from three.”
NU’s chances of winning the CAA looked bleak after the loss as it slid to third place. However, Saturday brought aid to the ailing Huskies.
Elon, which nearly spoiled NU’s title chances, defeated the College of William & Mary. Drexel University then defeated the other CAA top dog, the UNCW. The losses opened the door for the Huskies.
The Huskies then took care of business against last-ranked Charleston (8-23, 3-15 CAA) with a 65-56 win in South Carolina. Walker led the way with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. Stellar interior play from Stahl (11 points, seven rebounds) and Eatherton (10 points, seven rebounds) helped seal the deal.
“I thought we played a decent game both offensively and defensively and made enough shots, and made enough plays to get out of there with a win,” Coen said.
The squad got off to a hot start, shooting 58 percent in the first half. Five consecutive free throws by Stahl and Eatherton helped build a 21-13 Husky lead with under nine minutes to play.
Charleston sophomore guards Canyon Barry (14 points, four rebounds) and Joe Chealey (20 points, four rebounds) then helped spur a decisive 20-7 run for the Cougars in the next seven minutes. NU closed out the half with a pair of free throws from Walker and a layup from Stahl, decreasing the half-time deficit to 33-32.
The Huskies came out blazing in the second frame, notching 14 of the half’s first 16 points. Freshman guard Devon Begley made two huge plays to continue the run.
With 13 minutes to play, Begley extended the lead to nine with a steal and coast-to-coast layup. On his layup attempt, the freshman dodged an unaware Charleston mop boy who had ventured on to the court. The play made an appearance on SportsCenter’s Not Top Ten plays on March 2.
A little more than a minute later, Begley drilled a triple as the shot clock expired to give NU a 49-37 advantage.
The Huskies shot 13-13 from the free throw line in the final 20 minutes, erasing any hope of a Cougar comeback and solidifying a 65-56 victory. With the win, the Huskies cemented their place among the four CAA co-champions.
Coen said he was happy for the team, but recognized there is more to be done.
“That’s yesterday’s news,” Coen said. “We’re looking forward to competing down in Baltimore.”
Coen is referring to the CAA tournament, which tips off on Friday in Baltimore. The Huskies obtained the tournament’s No. 3 seed, as they had the third-best record against their co-champions.
On the horizon are the Blue Hens of the University of Delaware. NU defeated Delaware (10-19, 9-9 CAA) 72-53 on the road in early January. However, the Blue Hens defeated NU at home in February, upsetting the Huskies 73-68.
The season split adequately reflects the competitive nature of the CAA, Coen said.
“There are no upsets in this league,” the head coach said. “Each and every night, the team that comes prepared, ready to compete, and plays harder during the 40 minutes will probably win that game, regardless of record.”
Should the Huskies defeat Delaware, they will have to win two consecutive games to win the CAA tournament and earn the conference’s automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament. Coen said winning the CAA is “what everybody dreams about.”
The Huskies will likely have to beat the CAA’s top regular season performers, William & Mary and UNCW, to win the conference tournament. NU has beaten the best of the conference, but has also, as it proved in the loss to Elon, fallen to its bottom-dwellers. Coen said that is the type of experience his team needs to punch a ticket to the NCAAs.
“We’ve shown we can beat most teams in this league, but we’ve also shown, at the worst of times, we can lose to anybody,” Coen said. “I think that gives you a sense of urgency and a sense of focus to really bring your best as the calendar turns to March.”
Photo courtesy Jim Pierce, Northeastern Athletics
