Despite leading for most of the game, the Northeastern University men’s basketball team (6-15 CAA), the Huskies, faltered late, unable to stop a late run from the surging University of North Carolina Wilmington Seahawks (12-5 CAA), resulting in a 68-74 loss. 

This marked the ninth consecutive loss for a struggling Huskies team, who remained winless in conference play (0-6). Conversely, the Seahawks, currently undefeated in conference play (6-0), rolled to their ninth straight win, further solidifying their status as the top seed in the CAA.

The Huskies strong start was marred by defensive intensity, forcing UNCW into eight first half turnovers. On the other end of the floor, redshirt junior forward Chris Doherty was the engine, tallying 10 points in the first 10 minutes, all inside the paint.

Doherty gave the Seahawks fits all game, dominating the glass and continuously drawing fouls. He shot 7-11 from the line and turned in seven rebounds. It was an excellent showing for Doherty, as he finished with a career-high of 19 points on 6-11 from the field.

The Huskies put up 38 first-half points, largely sparked by a 14-2 early half run, but the Seahawks roared back to cut the deficit to two points at the break.

Sophomore guard Jahmyl Telfort was the spark NU needed to start the second half. He finished the game with 15 points on efficient 6-10 shooting. Telfort had his way in the paint, sinking a short floater and throwing down a dunk on back to back possessions. 

The team found renewed energy as sophomore guard Glen McClintok took a tough charge to regain possession. 

Despite the momentum swing, the Huskies offense sputtered and the team could not compete with the Seahawks firepower, who took the lead late in the second half off a 12-3 run, and never gave it back.

Although NU could not close the game, the strong effort should be an encouraging sign for the stumbling team, as many players turned in games they can build on.

Sophomore forward Coleman Stucke recorded 12 points and two steals off 4-8 shooting in a strong performance.

Redshirt senior guard Shaquille Walters led the team in minutes, and chipped in 13 points of his own, knocking down a couple first half threes. However, he struggled taking care of the ball down the stretch and finished the game with seven turnovers. 

The Huskies displayed serious grit against the top seed in the conference, but lacked the offensive talent to close the game. They resume action Feb. 3, taking on James Madison University at Matthews Arena.