The Northeastern men’s basketball team (6-14, 2-7 CAA) lost to the Drexel University Dragons (10-11, 4-4 CAA) 78-83 in a tight game at the Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia Jan. 24.
Drexel took the lead with a second-chance layup to open the game, but Northeastern countered quickly, with freshman center Petar Pinter scoring twice in 30 seconds.
The two teams went back and forth, exchanging one-point leads until Drexel went on a 12-0 run over five scoreless minutes for Northeastern. The game was 21-10 with just under eight minutes left in the half.
A 3-pointer from junior guard William Kermoury brought the Huskies within touching distance of the Dragons at 28-26 with three and a half minutes to go. The first half ended with Drexel in the lead at 33-28 after a 3-pointer by senior forward Victor Panov.
The Huskies shot 42.3% from the field compared to the Dragon’s 48.3% in the first half. The second half was sharper, with the Huskies shooting 50%, much closer to the Dragon’s 51.7%.
The Huskies went 6-4 in the opening five minutes. A jumper from freshman guard Xavier Abreu brought the Huskies within one possession of the Dragons at 37-34 with 15 minutes to play in the second half.
The Dragons extended their lead with a 12-2 run over the next five minutes to make the gap 13 points at 49-36.
The Huskies then went on a run of their own to bring the gap down to nine points at 63-52, scoring 12 points to Drexel’s four. The Dragons then scored five points in 11 seconds to pull the gap back to double digits, but the Huskies remained determined, scoring 12 of their next 17 shots to bring the gap down to three points, 81-78, with only 11 seconds left.
A Northeastern foul saw junior guard Shane Blakeney to the line to seal the victory for the Dragons with two free throws, making the final score 83-78.
Three Huskies scored in the double digits: Abreu led scoring for the Huskies for the second game in a row with 19 points, sophomore guard Luca Soroa Schaller tossed in 15 points and Kermoury had 14 points.
The Huskies will face the College of Charleston Cougars (13-8, 6-2 CAA) Saturday, Jan. 31 at the Cabot Center at 2 p.m.
