The Northeastern men’s basketball team couldn’t fend off a second half surge by host Fordham (2-3) Sunday afternoon in the Bronx, N.Y., losing their third game of the season 80-59.
The loss brings the Huskies to a 3-3 mark for the season, and 1-1 without star point guard Jose Juan Barea, who will be sidelined for four to six weeks while he recovers from a lateral meniscus tear.
Although they stayed close throughout the first half and the beginning of the second, the loss of Barea clearly affected the team, as they committed 20 turnovers compared to the Rams’ nine.
“Any time you make a change in the backcourt, the team’s chemistry is going to suffer,” said coach Ron Everhart.
The recent snowstorm affected the Huskies, as the game was postponed from Saturday to Sunday. The schedule prevented the team from practicing the day before the game.
“Without practicing the day before, we weren’t physically prepared for the game,” Everhart said. “We were lethargic and didn’t execute.”
After a Sylbrin Robinson lay-up at the 13:58 mark that tied the game at 47 apiece, the Rams went on a 20-3 run that hit the Huskies worse than the Nor’easter that hit Boston. The Rams held the Huskies scoreless for seven minutes at one point during that stretch while shooting a lights-out 68 percent from the floor (19-28) in the last 20 minutes of play.
For the fourth time in the Huskies first six games, they were led in scoring by University of Miami transfer Marcus Barnes, who scored 21 points to lead the way, but was the only NU player to score in double digits. In 31 minutes of play Sylbrin Robinson had nine points to go with his five boards but was out-rebounded by freshman Bennett Davis who led the team with six boards and scored eight points in just 14 minutes of play.
As a team the Huskies shot a horrendous 16.7 percent (3-18) from behind the arc while the teams best shooter, Javorie Wilson, who had been averaging 17 points per game the past five contests, had just two points on 1-4 shooting (0-1 on three-pointers).
“We didn’t handle their zone very well as a team,” said Everhart. “So we couldn’t get Javorie open.”
Despite suffering their worst loss of the season, all the news wasn’t bad for the Dogs after finding out that Barea won’t be out for the season.
“It’s a huge relief for me not only because we are getting our starting point guard back, but also because I know how much he wants to play,” Everhart said. “Our trainer Art Horne is doing a great job with Jose and I expect to see him play sooner rather than later.”
Clearly the Huskies need work on their zone offense and luckily they have until Friday night to practice before they head to Philadelphia to take on Villanova.
“We’re not preparing for Villanova any differently then any other team,” Everhart said. “But, I think after a performance like Sunday’s we will be more focused in practice this week.”
Friday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and gives the Huskies a chance to beat a Big East school for the second time this season, and third in the past two years (they downed West Virginia this year and Boston College in 2002). ‘Nova is currently 4-2.
