The Northeastern men’s basketball team (7-10, 2-2 CAA) picked up a critical win at home Thursday, edging out the Hofstra Pride (8-9, 1-3 CAA) with a final score of 71-68.
In the first half, the Huskies’ potent offensive game propelled them to shoot an impressive 17 of 26 (65%) from the field and 4 of 10 (40%) from the three-point line.
Right from the jump, Northeastern came out storming, delivering on both ends of the floor.
Within the first three minutes, the Huskies gained a 10-2 lead, eight of which came from graduate student guard Luka Sakota. Sakota, who was sidelined for the last two games due to an injury sustained against the University of Rhode Island, made his highly anticipated return for Thursday’s game.
Northeastern held the Pride nearly scoreless for the remaining six minutes of the half, capitalizing on their hot-hand scoring and securing a 21-0 run going into halftime. Northeastern’s bench also delivered tremendously as they outscored Hofstra’s bench 19-2.
Key baskets from graduate student forward Joe Pridgen, who concluded the game with 12 points, along with senior forward Alexander Nwagha and sophomore guard Rashad King, both finishing with 8 points each, powered the Huskies to a 42-23 halftime lead.
By the end of the first half, the Pride had shot a disappointing 9 of 25 (36%) from the field and 4 of 14 (28%) from the three-point line.
The Huskies hit a drought entering the second half, and their 0 for 9 shooting run within the first 10 minutes of the half proved dangerous for their promising first-half lead.
The Pride strategically capitalized as Northeastern’s rhythm continued to dwindle well into the second half. Hofstra came out firing following the halftime break, shooting 11/15 from the field in the first 10 minutes and going on an 18-9 run to tie the game 51-51.
With 10 minutes remaining, the latter part of the second half evolved into a neck-and-neck game. Both Northeastern and Hofstra traded baskets, with neither team leading by more than four points.
In a pivotal moment for the Huskies, Northeastern was able to stop the bleeding and halt the Pride’s explosive second-half run.
With just two minutes remaining in the game, the Pride held a narrow 65-64 lead until graduate student forward Chris Doherty drew a consequential foul, ultimately earning him a trip to the free-throw line.
Doherty sank both free throws and Sakota, with less than 90 seconds left on the clock, made a clutch three to give the Huskies a 69-65 lead.
With nearly a minute left in the game, Hofstra’s graduate guard Tyler Thomas delivered a much-needed three-pointer, closing the lead to just one point.
Thomas, averaging 22 points this season and leading the Pride in scoring, dominated the game, picking up 32 points and six three-pointers.
Sakota, who finished the game with a team-high 19 points, 7 for 12 from the field , and 3 for 6 from downtown, closed out the remainder of the game by hitting two free throws after drawing a foul on an explosive fast break.
For the first time since 2021, the Northeastern men’s basketball team collected a win over Hofstra, beating out the Pride 71-68.
On Saturday, the Huskies defeated the Towson Tigers 67-59 to secure their second CAA victory of the season.
The Huskies will play their next home game against the University of North Carolina Wilmington Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.
