By Andrew Parente
The men’s basketball team battled Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Maryland down to the wire before falling in overtime 74-72.
Sophomore forward Manny Adako hit a three-pointer with eight seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 61 and force overtime.
Sophomore guard Baptiste Bataille drove up the court before spotting Adako on the right wing, who quickly set himself and put up the shot. The three points were part of 15 total for Adako, a career high.
Despite the loss, head coach Bill Coen was pleased with the way his team responded in front of 17,950 people at the Comcast Center.
“We’re just trying to learn about ourselves, that’s what these out of conference games are for,” he said. “I thought it was a tremendous college environment and I was proud of the way our kids responded to it.”
Northeastern trailed by six at the half, 28-22, before coming back in the second and taking the lead 40-39 with 11:31 left to play.
Back-to-back steals by freshman Chase Allen and sophomore Matt Janning led to two fast-break lay-ups and gave the Huskies the lead. Allan scored 10 points for the second straight game.
Northeastern’s defense was strong all game as the team recorded 13 steals, seven of which came from Allen.
“I think this year’s team is a little bit better than last year’s, defensively,” Coen said. “Shooting will come and go, but it is the defense that will give you stability.”
Northeastern’s offense scored 19 points off 23 Maryland turnovers. The two teams also pulled down the same amount of rebounds with 43. The Huskies controlled the offensive boards, with a 19-11 advantage.
The Huskies ran into foul trouble toward the end of the game and into the overtime session as four players fouled out. This caused the Terrapins to control the advantage at the free throw line. They made 31 of 46 attempts while the Huskies converted only nine of 13 attempts.
“We had lineups with guys that normally don’t play with each other,” Coen said. “But I was proud of the way our guys adjusted on the fly and made the best of a tough situation.”
Janning, who scored only five points in the season opener against Illinois, bounced back nicely against Maryland with a career-high 26. He played 43 minutes, also a career-high.
“I was happy that he was able to get on track,” Coen said. “It’s nice to see him come out and have the bounce back game against Maryland.”
The Huskies will travel across town to take on rival Boston University tonight at 8 p.m.
Northeastern is 64-69 all time against BU, but has won the last three contests. Last year, the Huskies defeated the Terriers by a score of 73-54 at Matthews Arena.
“It’s a big rivalry game and we’re going to have to match their emotion,” Coen said. “But it is another road game and as we found out against Maryland, you almost have to play a perfect game if you’re going to expect to get a W on the road.”
After Monday, the Huskies have two more road games against Maine and Rhode Island before playing its home and Colonial Athletic Association opener against James Madison. The game will be played Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. at Matthews.
