Northeastern men’s basketball (2-1, 0-0 CAA) took a dominant 17-point win over the Harvard University Crimson (2-1, 0-0 Ivy League) Nov 11. The Veterans Day match-up ended 77-60 and is the Huskies’ second win of the season. 

The Huskies won the tip off, but an early turnover led to a Crimson basket by senior guard Chandler Piggé. The Huskies struggled to cope with Harvard’s physicality.

“Harvard came right out of the box and jumped us with their physicality,” said Huskies head coach Bill Coen. 

A Crimson foul on junior guard William Kermoury sent him to the line, shooting two and scoring one in the opening two minutes of play. Harvard was up 2-1.

The game was fast paced and aggressive from end to end. 

Northeastern went on a fast break, and junior guard Mike Loughnane scored the first Husky basket in open play. The score was 4-3 with 15 minutes left. 

The Crimson was unable to respond immediately and missed a shot. Redshirt freshman Xander Alarie scored a three-pointer to give the Huskies a slim lead, which was immediately answered by a Harvard layup to tie the game at six. The Crimson followed that up with a layup inside a minute. 

Alarie then tied the game with a second-chance shot off of junior guard JB Frankel’s miss. Harvard was swift to score a three-pointer, bringing the score to 11-8 with 13 minutes to go.  

After some scruffy play, Frankel netted a three to tie the game at 11. The Huskies played the ball out of possession, and Piggé took advantage, scoring a layup to restore the Crimson’s lead before a timeout. 

The Huskies came back from the break aggressively, with senior guard LA Pratt scoring his first points of the game.  A foul by senior forward Youri Fritz sent Piggé to the line for two, of which he scored both. The score was 15-13 with 11 minutes left to play. 

Harvard widened the gap to four points with a buzzer beater layup. Alarie then scored off another second chance to bring the Huskies back into the game. 

The Huskies found momentum and stole possession on a break, and Frankel scored a three to give Northeastern the lead going into a timeout. The teams returned to play with Frankel at the line, scoring one with nine minutes left in the half. The Huskies capitalized on Harvard’s mistakes, and Pratt scored two more, bringing the score to 21-17 Huskies at the timeout with seven minutes left on the clock.

Fritz scored a layup after the break, followed swiftly by Pratt, giving Northeastern its eighth point to cap a 7-0 run.  

A Northeastern foul sent Harvard to the line, shooting and scoring two for a score of 21-19 Northeastern. 

The Huskies took possession and drove into the paint, but Harvard countered. Freshman center Liam Koelsch stole the ball, and the Huskies were back on attack. Northeastern failed to score, and the Crimson won a foul. 

Freshman forward Ryan Sullivan shot two and scored one, bringing the game to 25-20 Northeastern with four minutes to go. 

The Huskies were unperturbed, and Pratt scored right at the shot clock buzzer. A Harvard foul saw the Huskies to the line, with Pratt shooting and scoring one. Harvard responded with two quick layups, and the score was 28-24 Northeastern before a timeout. 

The game returned to play with Harvard at the line, sinking one of the two foul shots. The Huskies stole the ball before a Crimson foul sent Fritz to the line, shooting two and scoring one. Harvard gained possession briefly before freshman guard Miles Newton stole the ball, putting the Huskies back in pursuit. Pratt crowned out a good passing play with a three-pointer to make the score 32-25 with 59 seconds left. 

The Huskies broke from Crimson pressure and won a foul, but Fritz failed to score. Northeastern’s foul saw Piggé to the line, where he made both shots. The Huskies won a foul with nine seconds left, and Fritz made up for his previous miss by scoring both, sending the Huskies into halftime with a seven-point lead at 34-27. 

Northeastern stole possession and was off to a good start to the second period with a basket from Alarie. The Crimson tried to respond but missed their shot, giving Northeastern  possession again, and Kermoury scored three. 

The score was 39-27 two minutes into the second frame. The Crimson missed their shot, and Fritz was there for the rebound to send the Huskies back on attack. Harvard got the ball back to the other end but failed to score. Northeastern gained possession again and made good with a Frankel three-pointer for a 15-point lead at 42-27. 

Harvard responded with a three from sophomore guard Tey Barbour with just under 17 minutes to go. A Crimson foul gave the Huskies possession, and Alarie dunked to extend the lead to 14 points. 

Harvard hit back with another three-pointer before a timeout with 16 minutes left.  

Despite aggressive play at the net, Alarie scored another jumper to bring the game to 46-33 with 15 minutes left. Frankel followed up with a three-pointer for a 16-point lead. The Crimson were unable to get a clean shot but managed to win a foul. Sophomore guard Ben Eisendrath shot two and scored both after retaking his second due to a lane violation.

The Huskies were back in the paint, and a foul sent Fritz to the line for two, scoring one. Harvard was back on attack and scored, nibbling at the Huskies’ lead. Sophomore guard Luca Soroa Schaller scored a three to widen the gap again, 53-37, with 13 minutes remaining.

The Crimson scored another basket — which  Alarie responded to quickly — to bring the game to 39-55. Another Harvard foul sent Fritz to the line for one, which he scored with 12 minutes to play. Alarie shrugged off defenders to score a layup and bring the gap to 19 points before a timeout. 

After some back and forth play, a Harvard foul sent Alarie to the line for two, where he scored both. The score was 60-39 well into the second half. Harvard scored its first points since the return of play with a three-pointer and just under 10 minutes left. 

Alarie got a rebound to give the Huskies the ball. Loughnane scored a layup, bringing the gap to 20 points. The Crimson had an answer: Barbour scored a three-pointer, putting the game at 62-45 with seven minutes to play.

The game returned from a timeout with Alarie at the line for two, scoring both. Harvard piled on the pressure, but Fritz broke through to put the score at 66-45. 

A Husky foul had Harvard at the line for two, scoring one. Northeastern was back in possession, and Fritz netted another. 

Action at Harvard’s net saw the Crimson at the line for two, scoring both. The score was 68-48 with five and a half minutes to go. Alarie extended the lead with a layup before the Crimson stole the ball off a missed Husky dunk, winning a foul. Harvard’s junior forward Luca Ace-Nasteski’s  two made free throws at the line brought the score to 70-50. The Huskies went on the fast break, and Alarie dunked. 

After an exchange of points, Harvard drove all the way to the net and scored a layup, bringing the score to 55-75. The Crimson blocked a Husky shot and stole possession, but Northeastern was quick to stop their advance, and freshman guard Xavier Abreu won a foul. He shot two and scored one with just under a minute left in regulation time. 

The Crimson scored a three-pointer, putting the game 76-58. A foul sent sophomore guard Ryan Williams to the line for two, scoring one, with the game at 77-58. A Northeastern foul sent junior guard Xavier Nesbitt to line for two, scoring two. The score was 77-60 with 11 seconds left. The Huskies had the ball and ran down the clock for their second win of the season. 

“I thought we played as hard as we have this year. We played through some physicality … and we beat a very good team,” Coen said after the game,  acknowledging the team’s effort while admitting there was still work to be done. 

The Huskies will take on the Vermont Catamounts (3-0, 0-0 America East) Nov. 15 at 1 p.m., for the final basketball game held in the historic Matthews Arena.