By Andrew Parente
The men’s basketball team found itself in a tough battle with Illinois Sunday and was unable to pull off a win, falling 63-55 in the season opener.
Northeastern kept up with the historically good Illinois team for much of the game, only trailing by three, 22-19, going into the half.
However, the Fighting Illini began the second half on a 10-0 run and never looked back. They led by as much as 23 points before the Huskies fought back, closing within eight as time ran out.
“Whenever you play a quality opponent on their court, they’re going to make a run,” said head coach Bill Coen. “I was very proud of how our team responded down the stretch. We cut the lead by the time the final buzzer went off.”
Along with its recent success, Illinois is 108-7 at home in the past few seasons, making it one of the toughest places to play in all of college basketball.
The two teams played strong defense in the first half, as they both struggled to score. There were also five lead changes. Illinois went up 17-12 before Northeastern began to make a comeback in the first. Northeastern was able to tie the game up at 19 before Illinois hit a late three to take the lead into the half.
Despite the loss, some newcomers to the Huskies’ lineup performed well in their first game. Freshman guard Chase Allen posted a double-double, scoring 11 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Sophomore center Nkem Ojougboh tallied 10 points and recorded 13 rebounds in his first game since transferring from University of Texas, San Antonio.
“[Our youth] shows promise, but there is no substitute for experience,” Coen said. “We hope to go out on the road and try to gain some experience against the very best in the country. Hopefully that will prepare us for some very stiff competition in the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association).”
Northeastern will rely heavily on its young talent, as nine of 13 roster spots are held by either freshmen or sophomores. It does not get easier for the Huskies as eight of the next 10 games are on the road. They will not play at Matthews Arena until they open CAA play Dec. 1 against James Madison.
The Huskies take the court tonight against Maryland at 8 p.m. Playing on the road will be a true test to the team, but Coen said he believes his team has a plan going into these games.
“Our goal is to get better. No matter where you start, you have to measure yourself, and what we’ve chosen to do is measure ourselves against the best in the country,” he said.
– News Staff writer Maggie Cassidy contributed to this report.
