By Andrew Parente
KINGSTON, R.I.-The men’s basketball team concluded its five-game road trip to start the season with a 92-72 loss at Rhode Island last night.
Sophomore guard Matt Janning shined in the effort, posting a career high 34 points, including four of eight from three point range.
The loss put the Huskies at 2-3 in an early season; however, all five games have been played on the road.
Both teams played a back-and-forth pace to begin the game as they traded baskets in the early going.
The Rams took their biggest lead of the first at the eight-minute mark when the junior guard hit one of his five threes of the game. Northeastern was able to cut into that lead and got it down to a two-point margin before Rhode Island responded and took a 45-36 lead into the half.
Northeastern began a run about five minutes into the second half and trimmed the lead down to one. Janning stole the ball in the backcourt and slammed home a breakaway dunk to bring the game to a 59-58 score in favor of the Rams.
Freshman guard Chase Allen was then fouled as he went up for a lay-up; he went one of two from the line to tie the game at 59. Allen had 10 points total in the contest.
However, the Rams refused to miss shots from three-point range. The Huskies did all they could as they changed defensive strategies during the second half, but the Rams had an answer for everything.
“You really have to give URI all the credit tonight,” said head coach Bill Coen. “They dictated the tempo, controlled the backcourt at key points in the game and they shot the ball extremely well.”
For the game, URI shot 50 percent from three-point range and 51.6 percent overall. The Huskies shot the ball nicely from the floor posting 46.7 percent overall, but couldn’t get the ball to fall from three-point range as they went four of 16.
“I thought we had a couple of chances to take the tempo back in the game,” Coen said. “We scored, but then they quickly scored right after and those possessions really hurt us.”
Freshman guard Johan Gunterberg netted his first two career points for the Huskies as he converted a lay-up in the game’s final minute. Sophomore forward Manny Adako was also in double-digit points as he recorded 12 for the game.
Janning led all scorers for the game and was a presence on the court.
“I thought [I] was able to attack more this game more than I have the whole year,” Janning said. “I didn’t try to change anything; I just took what they gave me.”
Now that the tough beginning to the schedule is over, Coen said he is excited to play at home this weekend and hopes his team has taken something from this experience.
“I think all these tough games certainly helped us,” he said. “But we’re anxious to get back home and play in front of our fans, and we’re also anxious to start conference play.”
Northeastern will play its long-awaited season opener Saturday, starting the Colonial Athletic Association portion of its schedule. The Huskies host James Madison at 1 p.m. at Matthews Arena.
