Huskies On The Move

Huskies Drop Third Straight

2009-12-14T18:57:00.000-08:00

The Huskies fell to URI 79-76 on Wednesday night, their third straight loss. In the past three games, the Huskies have lost by a combined 9 points.

This game was different for the Huskies. Coach Coen felt like the team competed more and played much better than in the previous two losses. Chaisson Allen certainly played better, scoring 20 points while shooting 6 of 9 from three. Matt Janning scored 21 points, and Manny Adako scored 14 and grabbed 7 rebounds. Nkem Ojougboh was quiet for the Huskies, scoring only 2 points.

It was an emotional night for everyone, as coach Coen and assistant coach Antonio Reynolds-Dean returned to Rhode Island. Coen spent 8 years in Rhode Island, while Reynolds-Dean returned back to Rhode Island for the first time since his playing days with the Rams. Coach Dean was the captain of the Rams squad that reached the Elite Eight, and also is the schools all-time leader in rebounds. It was emotional for the players as well, dropping yet another close game. With finals week upon us now, the Huskies will have these close losses to think about until they take the court again on December 22nd in Hawaii against Saint Mary's. Maybe the beautiful island of Hawaii will be where the Huskies finally break out.

Huskies Fall Short Against Drexel

2009-12-07T18:56:00.001-08:00

The Huskies opened up CAA play with a 49-47 loss at Drexel. This drops the Huskies to 2-4, 0-1 in conference play.

For the first time this season, Manny Adako was not in foul trouble in the first half. However, Adako only managed 8 points. Nkem Ojougboh added 10 points, but all came in the first half. The Huskies are not getting much offense from the inside, and the guards are struggling to find their shooting touch. Chaisson Allen's struggles continued, as the junior guard scored 6 points while only having 1 assist to his 3 turnovers. Matt Janning scored 17, 13 in the second half. Janning only took one three-pointer all day, and made it. He shot 6-11 from the floor.

Despite their cold shooting and 2 second half points from their big men, the Huskies had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. But Nkem Ojougboh missed an open jumper, Brian McDonald was inserted into the lineup when Allen fouled out and grabbed an offensive rebound. Janning attempted an up-and-under jumpshot that banked off the glass and the front rim, and fell off to give the Dragons the win.

Up next will be a road trip to Rhode Island to take on the Rams at the Ryan Center on Thursday night. The Huskies and Rams will tip-off at 7 p.m. on Cox Sports Television. Rhode Island is coming off of a 4 point victory over Providence, and has beaten the Huskies two years in a row.

End Of The Semester, But Not The Blog

2009-12-03T17:46:00.000-08:00

I started this blog before my Online Journalism class, and I will continue it after as well. As I mentioned before in another post, I have been taking an Online Journalism course this semester. Part of that course involves doing my blog. This semester I have been discovering new features of this blog that I have now mastered. Without this course it would not have been possible. I also learned a lot about promoting my blog and taking full advantage of the free internet resources that can help my blog as well. This will be my last assignment for the class. Professor Matson, thank you for all of your help, advice, and patience.

Chaisson Allen Student-Athlete Of The Week

2009-12-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

Chaisson Allen had a big week on the court, and was awarded for it. Allen received the Student-Athlete of the Week at Northeastern. This is the icing on the cake for Allen after his halfcourt buzzer beater. Hopefully he will be one of many on this team to win the award.

Friars Hold On Despite Huskies Comeback

2009-12-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

Providence hit shots from everywhere, shooting 56.4 percent from the field, in a 70-66 win against the Huskies at Matthews Arena on Tuesday night.

Down 13 points with 5 minutes to play, the Huskies still had a chance to win in the final seconds. Trailing 74-72 the Huskies defended the Friars with 1 second left on the shot clock. Jamine Peterson caught the ball and floated it into the basket. But the Huskies still had a chance. The play was drawn out and executed perfectly. Down 76-72, the Huskies had the ball and Manny Adako made a perfect backdoor pass to Chaisson Allen who was open for a layup, but missed it. After a halfcourt buzzer beater, the basketball gods took one away from Allen this time. With that, the Huskies lost 76-72 in front of arguably the biggest crowd at Matthews Arena they have played in front of in their career.

The Friars returned the favor this year, after losing a four point game to the Huskies on their home floor last season. All night long the Friars hit tough, contested shots. While the Huskies struggled, and could not dig themselves out of the hole they created. Matt Janning led the Huskies with 18 points, Manny Adako scored 14, and Nkem Ojougboh recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds along with 4 monster blocks(seriously).

Non-conference play is far from over, but the REAL season starts on Saturday when the Huskies open up CAA League play at Drexel. Check back Friday for the Drexel preview.

Whiteout Tonight At Matthews

2009-12-01T07:46:00.000-08:00

The Huskies will take on the Providence Friars tonight at 7 p.m. at Matthews Arena. You can catch the game live on ESPN360.com, or if you are a Cox Cable subscriber. The guys made a video for tonight, check it out.

Allen Hits Half-Court Buzzer Beater

2009-11-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

Chaisson Allen was in the gym shooting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, but I guarantee you the shot he hit was not one he practiced.Allen hit a half-court buzzer beater to give the Huskies a hard fought 70-67 victory.

Chase grabbed the rebound with 4 seconds left, dribbled four times, and let it fly. It seemed like the ball hung up in the air forever then dropped. The bench erupted and stormed the floor in pursuit of Allen. Paws, the mascot, got trampled in the process(which may have been equally as entertaining as the shot). Here's the video of the play everyone is talking about.

The Huskies came out flat in the first half, and trailed by 14 early on. After a late 17-7 run to close the half, they gained the momentum back and settled in. In the Raiders final posession, Vaughn Duggins ran down the clock and went one on one with Matt Janning who played him tough, and missed the jumper. Both teams really played hard, and the Raiders were the best team the Huskies have played thus far for sure. They were the disciplined team that the Huskies heard about from coach Coen all week.

Allen led the game with 21 points, while grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing 6 assists. Like I said, as Chaisson Allen goes, so go the Huskies. And Allen had 6 assists to only 1 turnover, which translated to a Huskies victory. Matt Janning had 15 points and 4 rebounds and Manny Adako scored in double figures for the first time this season, scoring 11 points. Adako and Ojougboh again got into foul trouble early, mainly Adako. But the Huskies won the battle of the boards 32-23. They also shot 83 percent from the free-throw line, a vast improvement from last game.

Tuesday night the Providence Friars come into town, the first Big East team to play on the Huskies home floor in 24 years. The Huskies beat the Friars last year in Providence, and the Friars surely will have that fresh on their minds coming into Tuesday night's game. The "White Out" will be in effect, so make sure you wear your white Huskies gear. The first 500 students will receive a free "N-Zone" t-shirt.

Wright State Preview

2009-11-27T18:55:00.001-08:00

The Wright State Raiders will come into Matthews Arena tomorrow looking to avenge last years loss to the Huskies in what should be a great matchup. The Raiders are arguably the best team the Huskies have played to date. They are coming off of three straight victories after losing their first game on the road at Washington. The Raiders have won 20+ games in three straight seasons, and return four out of their five starters. Vaughn Duggins has also returned to the lineup for Wright State. Duggins did not play last year against the Huskies due to injuries which kept him out for most of the 2008-2009 campaign, and just recently returned in the Raiders last game in which he scored 21 points. Todd Brown has been hot for the Raiders, averaging 20 points a game, while shooting 10-19 from three-point land this season. The Huskies are tough at home, but this will be a different atmosphere as the students are still on holiday break. Chaisson Allen needs to have a big game, as his play almost always dictates how the rest of the Huskies play. Manny Adako will also look to find his scoring touch, and stay out of foul trouble.

Terriers Top Huskies

2009-11-27T18:37:00.001-08:00

It was another grind it out battle between the Huskies and Terriers on Wednesday, with the Terriers winning for the second straight year, 69-64 in overtime.

Northeastern jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but the Terriers chipped away and only trailed 29-27 at halftime. The Huskies are now 0-2 when leading at the half. The second half started with the Terriers holding the Huskies scoreless until the 14:22 mark, when Alwayne Bigby hit a layup to make it 40-31. The Huskies would lead by 6 with under four minutes to play. But ill advised jumpers early in the shot clock by Chaisson Allen and Baptiste Bataille left enough time on the clock for Corey Lowe to drop a jumper in to tie it up with 23 seconds left and send the game to overtime.

In the extra period the Terriers again came out to a fast start, going up by 7 with just under 3 minutes to play. The Huskies came back and gained the lead 64-63 on two free-throws by Bigby. But that would be the last points for the Huskies, who couldn't buy a jumper down the stretch, and the Terriers led by Jake O'Brien and Corey Lowe again won 69-64.

On a good note, the Huskies may have found their fifth starter in Alwayne Bigby. The freshman came up big again, scoring 16 points and grabbing 7 rebounds while not turning the ball over once. Bigby brings energy and hustle that sparks the Huskies, who now have the emergence of a freshman. But just like last year as Chaisson Allen goes, so go to the Huskies. Allen struggled again, scoring 9 points on 4-11 shooting (1-5 from behind the arc) with just 2 assists to 7 turnovers. The Huskies are still waiting for Allen to put together a full 40 minute game. Matt Janning struggled with his jumper Wednesday, but still was huge with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Manny Adako and Nkem Ojougboh both fought through foul trouble again, but Ojougboh finished with 7 points and 8 rebounds, nearing a double-double for the second straight contest. Adako showed flashes of his usual self, but could not get in a flow due to his foul trouble.

The Terriers just made more plays than the Huskies. They also made their free-throws, missing only one, while the Huskies missed theirs shooting 65%(17-26) from the line. Saturday doesn't get any easier as the Wright State Raiders come into town for the return game of last years ESPNU BracketBuster matchup.

Huskies Take On Terriers This Afternoon

2009-11-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

The Huskies will be traveling across town today to take on the BU Terriers at 4 p.m. at Case Gym in Boston. Last year the Terriers shot the lights out at Matthews Arena in an 83-75 victory. This year the Terriers have the same squad, who love to fire it up from anywhere and everywhere. The Huskies will look to keep up with the Terriers energy, and their shooters. Check back here after the game for the result and more. If you can't make it, you can listen live here online, or tune your radio to 104.9 FM.

McCarthy To Participate In National Coaches' Diary Series

2009-11-25T09:20:00.000-08:00

Huskies assistant Jim McCarthy will be participating in the National Coaches' Diary series on Collegetalkchalk.com. This is being done throughout the country, with 50 different coaches participating. McCarthy will be writing this journal from now until March, writing about this season and the day to day life of coaching in college basketball. You can read his entries here.

Huskies Win Home Opener

2009-11-22T17:40:00.000-08:00

The Huskies got their first win of the season in the home opener of the newly renovated Matthews Arena on Saturday. All of the new features look great, and so did the Huskies who are always tough at home. Coming into this week, Utah State had received votes for this weeks Top 25 poll. This is the second team in one week that the Huskies have played who have received votes in the poll. In the past two years, the Aggies have won 54 games and have gone to the postseason, the NIT in 2007-2008, and the NCAA Tournament last season. This is a team who has played with the elite teams in the country, and a team who was testing if the Huskies had what it takes to get to that level.

Early on the Huskies came out cold, and Utah State forward Tai Wesley was anything but. Wesley pushed the Aggies out to a 19-4 lead going into the under twelve minute media timeout. The Huskies chipped away, thanks to the aggressive play by Matt Janning and Baptiste Bataille. The lead was cut to 4 with under a minute left in the half, but a jumper by Tyler Newbold gave the Aggies a 34-28 lead at the half.

Halftime was filled with challenges for the Huskies. It was a challenge for their post players to get involved in the battle for rebounds, as the Aggies scored 16 second chance points. They were challenged to be more aggressive on offense. Most importantly, they were challenged to prove they were a team that people should be talking about.

In the second half they answered the bell, but not right away. The first play of the half was an alley-oop to Matt Janning that got the crowd on their feet. But the Aggies weren't shaken at all, and scored the next 7 points and brought their lead to 11 with 17:49 to play. Once again the Huskies would cut into the lead. Adako and Ojougboh became more active on the glass, and more aggressive on offense, which translated into great success for the Huskies. Freshman Alwayne Bigby brought the Huskies to within one point of the lead, coming up with an offensive rebound then laying it up to make it 43-42 Aggies. It was Bigby's first points of his career, and possibly the biggest play of the game. Adako would score on the next Huskies posession, giving them the lead for the first time. The Huskies led by 6 with under five minutes to play, but the experienced Aggies caught the Huskies and tied it at 55 with 3:53 to play. They traded baskets until Bataille hit 2 free-throws with 36 seconds left to give Northeastern a 60-58 lead. After a steal by Chaisson Allen, he too connected on both of his free-throws. Ojougboh sealed the deal with a pair of free-throws to make it 64-59. Interestingly at the end, Jared Quayle hit a three-pointer after time expired, but the officials didn't review it so the final score was 64-61.

It was a huge win for the Huskies, who now improve to 1-1. This was a statement game, no doubt, but it's just one game in a long season. Janning led the Huskies with 14 points, while Ojougboh had a huge game for the Huskies with 13 points and nine rebounds. Chaisson Allen bounced back nicely with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Manny Adako scored 9 points and three rebounds. Up next for the Huskies is a Wednesday afternoon showdown at Boston University.

Huskies Fall To Saints

2009-11-17T17:33:00.001-08:00

This was a tough one. The Huskies started out leading 20-6, but the Saints came charging back. After a Matt Janning steal and floater at the buzzer, the Huskies led 26-20 at halftime. But the Saints came out strong in the second half, and edged the Huskies 59-53.

The Huskies struggled to score in the game, but the second half especially. They shot 34.9 percent for the game. But it was the game the Huskies wanted. Northeastern kept a team that scores in the 90's to just 59 points. It was the defensive game the Huskies wanted. But Nkem Ojougboh and Manny Adako got in foul trouble early, and were really taken out of the flow of the game. Chaisson Allen also did not play his best, neither did Matt Janning although he led the Huskies with 14 points, and they still had a chance to win. The Saints also shot 27 free-throws to the Huskies 8,, which is a huge difference.

With all of these factors, the Huskies still were only a few buckets away from beating a Top 25 team on the road in only their first game of the season. The Saints now extend their home winning streak to 22 games, the third longest streak in the country. Don't be fooled though, it's not so much the building an atmosphere, it's the team on the floor (and the teams that they play on that floor). Trust me, just about all of the CAA teams have tougher road crowds. Siena will undoubtedly be dancing in March, but the Huskies showed they could be there as well.

It doesn't get any easier for the Huskies. Saturday at 12 p.m. will be their home opener against Utah State, who won 30 games and made the NCAA Tournament last year, losing in the first round at the buzzer to a very good Marquette team. The Aggies, in my opinion, are an even better team than the Saints. There are no cupcakes on this schedule for the Huskies, hopefully they can find their scoring touch at the newly renovated Matthews Arena.

The Season Begins

2009-11-16T19:41:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder, the 2009-2010 season tips off tomorrow at noon on ESPN. The Huskies will be taking on the Siena Saints in a showdown between two of the best mid-major teams in the country. It will be a great test for the Huskies, especially it being their first game. Tune in and watch, or check back here for the game summary.

Black & Red Scrimmage

2009-11-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder, the black and red intrasquad scrimmage will be this Thursday at 7 p.m. at Solomon Court. There is no admission fee and all are welcome. Get yourself down there to see all the new faces on the floor for the Huskies and come cheer them on one more time, before they leave for Siena on Monday. Solomon Court is located inside the Cabot Center at 360 Huntington Avenue, accessible by the T using the green line D train, use the Northeastern University stop and it will be right across the street from the gym. See you there.

Goodman Has Huskies In

2009-11-10T07:49:00.000-08:00

Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com has just put out his NCAA Tournament bracket for the 2009-2010 season, and he has the Huskies in the dance. Goodman has the Huskies in as the 13 seed, and picking them as the only representative of the CAA. Here is a look at the rest of Goodman's field of 65.

Deadline For Siena Bus Trip

2009-11-10T07:34:00.001-08:00

The deadline set for the bus trip being run is this Friday, November 13th. If you don't know, Northeastern is running a bus trip to Albany on Tuesday for the Huskies opening game against Siena. The cost of transportation to and from the game, along with a ticket to the game is only $20 total. Hop on this deal quick, time is running out! For more information call the Northeastern Ticket Office at 617-373-4700.

One Week Away From Tip-Off

2009-11-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

It's official, we are now only one week away from the start of the 2009-2010 season. In just seven days, the Huskies will face off against the Siena Saints in Albany. This game will air on ESPN at 12 p.m. for those who can't make the trip. The excitement is building throughout the locker room as some are anxious to take the court again, and some are preparing to take the court for the first time in their college careers. This week will be filled with intense preparation for the Saints, as the countdown is nearing its end.

Spates Update

2009-11-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

Today I received a message from former Huskies forward Eugene Spates. For those of you who don't know, Spates is playing professionally in Luxembourg for BC Mess. Spates sent me a write up from a team source about the recent games played. "11.09.09 - Results of the weekend- In addition to excellent performance Saturday night in 2 of our National Men A, Win 74-73 With 33 points from our friend Eugene "Usch "Spates (including 5 to 3 pointers) and a very nice performance of any team against the strong Basket Esch's "3 professionals" and favorite of the Nat.2. BC Mess is 4-1, 3 way tie for 1st place. but BC Mess is on top. 5 Games, Eugene Spates is avg. 29.4 pts". It looks like Spates has settled in comfortably on and off the court, with his new nickname "Usch". Come back to find out more updates.

Siena Bus Trip

2009-11-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

This just in-there will be a trip running to Siena. For those who have Facebook, join the group "Husky Basketball DogHouse" for more information. Any student can purchase their ticket through the myneu portal. For just $20, you get a ticket to the game and transportation to and from Siena. The bus will leave campus at 8 a.m. for the game, but my advice is to arrive earlier. If you don't take advantage of that deal, and what a deal it is, shame on you! $20 for a ticket to an ESPN game and a ride both ways? Are you kidding? BE THERE! For those who are not students or don't have Facebook, call the Northeastern Ticket Center at 617-373-4700.

Huskies Ranked 13th In Mid-Major Poll

2009-11-03T16:07:00.000-08:00

The Huskies were once again featured in the Mid-Major poll. This preseason poll has the Huskies at 13th. It's great to be mentioned, but 13th is a bit shocking. Old Dominion is ranked 6th in the poll, which is understandable. But the Huskies are ranked behind CAA rivals George Mason(12th) and VCU(11th). The Huskies defeated George Mason at home, and lost on the road without Manny Adako who was ill and only played limited minutes in the second half. George Mason lost Dre Smith, Darryl Monroe, and John Vaughan. Only playing once last year, the Huskies defeated VCU down in Richmond. VCU had Eric Maynor, for those who don't remember, and now they are "Maynor-less". Apparently people don't remember, even though it was on ESPNU. Possibly the most puzzling ranking is Wright State at #9. That was an ESPN2 game in which the Huskies defeated Wright State in Dayton. Just a reminder, the Huskies return 4 starters including the three-headed monster of Janning, Allen and Adako. But folks, that is why it is the preseason. The Huskies first opponent, Siena, is ranked 3rd in the poll and received 1 first place vote.

Around The CAA

2009-11-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

To see what's going on in the CAA, there is no better place to go then to Michael Litos's page. This week he reviews the exhibition games of Old Dominion and Delaware. Also, the injury of UNC-Wilmington guard Chad Tomko is updated. Tomko apparently has a stress fracture in his foot and is scheduled to miss the first two games of the season, but possibly more.

Huskies Inch Closer To Career Achievement

2009-11-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

Two Huskies have a great chance of reaching the 1,000 point mark this season. Chaisson Allen comes into the season with 618 points, and is poised to have another big year. Allen could definitely reach that 1,000 plateau this season. Preseason Second Team All-CAA Manny Adako brings his 839 career points into the start of the 2009-2010 season and should easily reach the 1,000 point mark well before seasons end. This would bring the total to 3 players on the 2009-2010 roster with over 1,000 points in their Huskies career, Janning, Adako and Allen.

Two Weeks Away

2009-11-03T15:51:00.000-08:00

The Huskies are officially two weeks away from their season opener against Siena in Albany. if you don't already know, the game will be at 12 p.m. and will air on ESPN. Northeastern returns four of their five starters from last season and are poised to repeat their success on the road, after winning 11 road games last season. The Saints also return four starters and are coming off of a season where they reached the NCAA Tournament and defeated Ohio State in the first round.

Siena's Ubiles Named To Naismith List

2009-10-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

Siena guard Edwin Ubiles was named to the Naismith Trophy Watch List today. Ubiles is one of 50 players on the list. One player will be selected as the Naismith Trophy winner, as the nations top college basketball player. Ubiles is coming off a season where he scored 15 points per game, and grabbed just under 5 rebounds a game. He will definitely be a handful for the Huskies.

Red and Black Scrimmage Announced

2009-10-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

The Huskies will hold their annual intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday, November 12th at 7 p.m. at Solomon Court in the Cabot Center. This will be open and free to the public. Please come and meet the new Huskies and see how the returning Huskies look. It will be the last time to see the team before they leave four days later to travel to Siena. Everyone is encouraged to go and show your support. For those who don't know where the event is, it is at 360 Huntington Avenue across the street from the Marino Center and the Northeastern T stop. If you have any questions, contact me.

Coen Recognized By Litos

2009-10-29T17:26:00.001-07:00

CAA guru Michael Litos has recently posted an article about Huskies head coach Bill Coen. It is another great piece by Litos. He talks about how Coen has made the program from the ground up, and is the best coach in the conference. For those of you who don't know about how Coen literally started out at Northeastern with nothing, check this article out. This is an eye opener for those who don't know what Coen has to work with at Northeastern. Hopefully with attention like this, changes will come before it is too late.

Bus Trip To Siena?

2009-10-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

There are rumors swirling around that there may be a possible bus trip run up to Albany for the season opener against Siena. Personally I have had numerous people approach me talking about the possible trip. It seems that it would be a slam dunk if enough interest is there, which there should be. Wouldn't you want to go see your Huskies take on a Top 25 team? They would love for you to be there, trust me, Siena is not an easy place to play. Please contact me at holt.ma@neu.edu if you are interested and I will do my best to run it through the sports information and marketing departments to try and get it set up.

2009-2010 Media Guide Available

2009-10-29T17:17:00.001-07:00

The Huskies released their 2009-2010 media guide this week. It is available online to skim through and read. The media guide features special spotlights on the Huskies three captains; Matt Janning, Manny Adako, and Baptiste Bataille. It will be available for purchase at all home games, starting on November 21st when the Huskies host Utah State at Matthews Arena.

Under 3 Weeks Away

2009-10-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen we are now only 18 days away from the Huskies first game. With under three weeks remaining until their showdown with the Siena Saints in Albandy, the Huskies are going through intense practice and preparation. The game will be on Tuesday November 17th, at 12 p.m. and will air on ESPN as a part of the 24 hour College Hoops Marathon. The Huskies won 11 road games last year, and hope to continue that success starting with game one.

Huskies Release Media Guide

2009-10-26T12:58:00.001-07:00

The 2009-2010 media guide has just been released online. Get to know the 7 new players, and catch up with the returning ones by reading the media guide. It will be available in hard copy for purchase at all home games at Matthews Arena.

Janning, Adako, Allen Earn Preseason Honors

2009-10-20T08:24:00.001-07:00

Three Huskies were named to the Preseason All-Conference Team today at media day. Matt Janning earned First Team honors, Manny Adako earned Second Team honors, and Chaisson Allen earned Honorable Mention. This tripled the amount of preseason nominations from last year, as only Janning was mentioned. ODU forward/center Gerald Lee and Hofstra guard Charles Jenkins were named CAA Preseason Co-Players of the Year.

Huskies Picked 2nd, Again

2009-10-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

At media day today the Huskies were picked to finish 2nd once again this season. This time, the Old Dominion Monarchs are the only team slated above the Huskies. The Monarchs are coming off of a 27 win season and return all five of their starters, including CAA Preseason Co-Player of the Year Gerald Lee. The Huskies will only face the Monarchs one time this year, and that meeting will be at Matthews Arena on January 30th. There is no telling how important that game might be.

Conference Television Schedule Released

2009-10-20T08:17:00.001-07:00

Get ready to see the Huskies on your television, a lot. The 2009-2010 television schedule has been released and the Huskies have a number of games on CSN-NE along with the ESPN family of networks. This includes a possible ESPN2 game when the Huskies travel to George Mason on February 27th. Click here for the full listing.

Coen Interview in D.C.

2009-10-20T08:15:00.001-07:00

Head coach Bill Coen just completed his interview for CAASports.com. Here's the link. Coen talked about the newly renovated Matthews Arena, the expectations of the upcoming year, and the returning and new players the Huskies have this season.

CAA Media Day Tuesday

2009-10-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

Head coach Bill Coen will attend CAA media day tomorrow in Washington, D.C. . Coen will be doing live interviews along with all of the other coaches in the conference that can be heard on the CAA website. There is also a talk of possibly a live video blog of media day, so look for that as well. It will be a long day of questions and answers, and possibly a release of the conference preseason predictions and awards. The coach will be away but the Huskies will still play, as the rest of the coaching staff will run practice while Coen is away. Don't forget to listen live as Coen will be interviewed live at 11:02 a.m.

One Month Away

2009-10-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today was the first practice of the season for the Huskies, and already the countdown has begun. Their first game is exactly one month away from today. The team took the floor this morning for the first time together and looked great. Everyone is hungry and ready to begin the season in Albany.

Team Captains Named

2009-10-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

The votes are in, and the team has chosen Matt Janning, Manny Adako, and Baptiste Bataille as this years captains. Janning is now in his third season as captain, while Adako and Bataille have earned the title for the first time. It was a team vote, and these three seniors earned the honor for the 2009-2010 season.

It's That Time Again

2009-10-15T17:23:00.001-07:00

Don't look now, but the Huskies along with the rest of the country will begin official practice this weekend. The game against Siena is just a month and 2 days away, and the Huskies can't wait to take the floor. These new practices bring a lot of excitement. They will be preparing for the big game ahead on November 17th, but it will also be the first practices for the 7 freshman on this years roster. These guys are anxious to prove they can play at this level, and have been working hard towards this day all summer long. This next month will be full of hard work and preparation for the team, and of agonizing anticipation for the fans. Check back here for updates, and hang in there!

Goodman Attends Huskies Workout

2009-10-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

FoxSports.com write Jeff Goodman attended the Huskies workout today at Cabot Gymnasium. Goodman is a well known college basketball writer for Fox Sports, and was observing practice and talking to coaches and players. He has also released his preseason Top 25, with the Huskies first opponent the Siena Saints ranked 22nd. Check out his site, I'm sure he will be talking about his visit to Northeastern very soon.

Siena Buzz Continues To Grow

2009-10-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

The Siena Saints are consistently receiving rave reviews from college basketball analysts everywhere. Gary Parrish of CBS Sports has ranked the Saints 21st in his final preseason poll of the year. This is just another in the long list of preseason rankings that have Siena in the Top 25. For the Huskies, it looks like the first game of the year will be against a nationally ranked team. This matchup can't come soon enough.

Huskies Edge Closer To Showdown With Saints

2009-10-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

The Huskies are just a little over a month away from their first game, and perhaps their biggest. On November 17th they will travel to Albany and face off against a nationally ranked Siena team at the Times Union Center in downtown Albany. The first official day of practice is only a week away as well. Fans have a lot to look forward to this season, and hopefully there will be some sort of trip run to Albany so the Huskies can have a little bit of home away from home.

Huskies Welcome New Faces

2009-10-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

After the 2007-2008 season the Huskies were almost the same exact team on paper, adding only one player to the 2008-2009 team. This year is very different. The Huskies are welcoming in a freshman class of 7, that's right, 7 players. Chris Avenant (#1), Kauri Black (#10), Jon Lee(#14), Joel Smith (#20), Dinko Marshavelski (#21), Alwayne Bigby (#22), and Mathiang Muo (#24) make up this years freshman class. This influx of new players creates an interesting chemistry of extremely experienced players, with players that have yet to even put on a Northeastern Uniform. It will be very interesting to see the new players integrated with the returning players, especially since the first official day of practice is only 11 days away.

Siena Receiving High Marks

2009-09-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

A lot of noise has been made about the Siena Saints early on. ESPN's Andy Katz has mentioned them in two of his pre-season articles. Katz, as most of the country, has Siena ranked in the Top 25. Katz has the Saints as high as 20, although the official rankings have not come out yet. Siena, just like the Huskies, has 4 out of their 5 starters returning this season. The Saints are coming off an NCAA Tournament season in which they won their first round game for the second year in a row. It will be very interesting when the Huskies and Saints face off in Albany just 49 days from now on November 17 at 12 p.m. on ESPN. Undoubtedly, this will be a tough game for the Huskies. But having won 11 road games last year, including wins on the road against Big East and Big Ten opponents, the Huskies are certainly ready for the challenge.

Spates Filling It Up In Luxembourg

2009-09-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Former Huskies forward Eugene Spates has brought the Dallas heat to Luxembourg. Spates has been playing his first professional season in Luxembourg this year for BC Mess and has been thriving. Adjusting to basketball in Europe hasn't been hard for Spates, who has scored 21,33,23, and 39 points in each of his respective games. Another change for Spates has been his number. Huskies fans were used to seeing #24 shooting from downtown, but now he is wearing #15. There was no rhyme or reason to the number, Spates took it simply because it was the biggest jersey they had. Check back for more updates.

CAAHoops.com Picks Huskies To Finish 2nd in CAA

2009-09-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Michael Litos, known for his literary works and for his website, has finished his CAA predictions today and has the Huskies finishing 2nd in his pre-season poll. Old Dominion is the team that Litos gave the nod to finish first this year. It seems to be the trend that Old Dominion and Northeastern will finish 1 and 2, but the order in which they will be in is different on almost every publication. Check out the article, Litos again leaves nothing to be desired. However, he may have provided a few Huskies some motivation. As mentioned, there are 7 new arrivals on campus. Litos spoke about Dinko Marshavelski in his piece, under the "Coach Seems To Like" portion. No doubt, a great read.

Allen Launches Website

2009-09-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

Huskies point guard Chaisson Allen recently created his own website. Allen started ChasemeOnline, following the trend of many professional and collegiate athletes in this era of technology and multimedia in promoting their image. The website has a little bit of everything. There is a section about Allen's personal life, playing career, video highlights, and a blog where the star guard will post his thoughts about each game, and about other sports related issues. Allen really did a great job with the site, and it will definitely be a big hit this season. Check it out and see how Chase is preparing for the upcoming season.

Huskies To Debut On ESPN

2009-09-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

When the Huskies travel to Siena to open up their 2009-2010 season, they will also be debuting on ESPN for the year. As the two tip-off on Tuesday November 17th, they will be participating in ESPN's "College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon". This marathon celebrates the beginning of the 2009-2010 season around the whole nation. The Huskies and Saints will face off at 12 p.m. in Albany, N.Y.

Coen Named New England Coach of the Year

2009-09-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Head coach Bill Coen was named the 2008-2009 Division I Coach of the Year by the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. On October 9th, Coen will be honored with his well deserved award at the 2009 New England Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. This will be held at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. Key wins against Providence, Indiana, VCU, and the programs first win in the postseason in 25 years after defeating Wyoming certainly highlight Coen’s achievements from last season. A big “congratulations” goes out to coach, a job well done and a well deserved award. Ticket information has still not been released, but check back for updates.

New Additions

2009-09-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Fittingly, this semester I am taking "Online Journalism" as one of my elective courses. So now some of my assignments will be posted here on Huskies On The Move. All will still be related to Huskies hoops, so no worries there. However there will be some new additions that everyone should enjoy. Stay tuned!

Huskies Release Full 2009-2010 Schedule

2009-09-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

The Huskies revealed their conference schedule on Tuesday, now fully outlining their 2009-2010 season. It will not be easy for Northeastern, as they will face CAA powerhouses VCU and George Mason both at home and on the road this season. However the Huskies will only play Old Dominion at Matthews Arena, which could be a very big advantage. For the Huskies, conference play will begin December 5th at Drexel. Here is the complete 2009-2010 schedule:

TUE. NOV. 17 @ SIENA TBA
SAT. NOV. 21 UTAH STATE 1:00 p.m.
WED. NOV. 25 @ BOSTON UNIV. TBA
SAT. NOV. 28 WRIGHT STATE 2:00 p.m.
TUE. DEC. 1 PROVIDENCE 7:00 p.m.

SAT. DEC. 5 @ DREXEL TBA
THU. DEC. 10 @ RHODE ISLAND 7:00 p.m.
TUE. DEC. 22 ST. MARYS ** 3:00 p.m.
WED. DEC. 23 USC/ WESTERN MICH.** 3:00 p.m./ 5:00 p.m.
FRI. DEC. 25 TBA** TBA
TUE. DEC. 29 @ SANTA CLARA! 9:00 p.m.
WED. DEC. 30 KENT STATE/WOFFORD! TBA

SAT. JAN. 2 JAMES MADISON TBA

MON. JAN. 4 @VCU TBA

WED. JAN. 6 GEORGE MASON TBA

SAT. JAN. 9 @GEORGIA STATE TBA

WED. JAN. 13 DELAWARE TBA

SAT. JAN. 16 UNC WILMINGTON TBA

WED. JAN. 20 @ TOWSON TBA

SAT. JAN. 23 VCU TBA

WED. JAN. 27 DREXEL TBA

SAT. JAN. 30 OLD DOMINION

WED. FEB. 3 @ DELAWARE TBA

SAT. FEB. 6 @ HOFSTRA TBA

WED. FEB. 10 GEORGIA STATE TBA

SAT. FEB. 13 @ WILLIAM & MARY TBA

TUE. FEB. 16 @ UNC WILMINGTON TBA

FEB. 19/20 ESPNU BRACKETBUSTER TBA

WED. FEB. 24 HOFSTRA TBA

SAT. FEB 27 @ GEORGE MASON TBA

MARCH 5-8 CAA CHAMPIONSHIP

**- Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii
!- Game played in Santa Clara, California

Non-Conference Schedule Released

2009-08-19T20:28:00.001-07:00

The Huskies announced the non-conference schedule for the 2009-2010 season on Monday. A lot of excitement will be coming to Matthews Arena, with Big East opponent Providence, a 2009 NCAA Tournament team Utah State, and a ESPNU BracketBuster game in February all on the home schedule for Northeastern this year. First up for the Huskies will be a trip to Siena to take on the Saints on Novemeber 17th. This game has been rumored to be a part of ESPN's "24 Hours of Hoops", which is a marathon of college games to celebrate the start of the season. However this has not been confirmed. Check back here for all your updates.

2009-2010 Non-Conference Schedule

TUE. NOV. 17 @ SIENA TBA

SAT. NOV. 21 UTAH STATE 1:00 p.m.

WED. NOV. 25 @ BOSTON UNIV. TBA

SAT. NOV. 28 WRIGHT STATE 2:00 p.m.

TUE. DEC. 1 PROVIDENCE 7:00 p.m.

THU. DEC. 10 @ RHODE ISLAND 7:00 p.m.

TUE. DEC. 22 ST. MARYS ** 3:00 p.m.

WED. DEC. 23 USC/ WESTERN MICH.** 3:00 p.m./ 5:00 p.m.

FRI. DEC. 25 TBA** TBA

TUE. DEC. 29 @ SANTA CLARA! 9:00 p.m.

WED. DEC. 30 KENT STATE/WOFFORD! TBA

FEB. 19/20 ESPNU BRACKETBUSTER TBA

**- Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii

!- Game played in Santa Clara, California

Next Stop, El Paso

2009-03-17T23:21:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night, the Huskies won their first postseason game in 25 years, defeating the Wyoming Cowboys 64-62 in the first round of the CBI.

It took a total team effort for the Huskies to win, as every player played tonight in key moments. Matt Janning led the Huskies with 20 points, while Chaisson Allen scored 16, including three huge three-pointers in the second half.

Both Janning and Allen stepped up to fill the void left by the absence of Manny Adako, who did not play due to injury. Nkem Ojougboh fought through foul trouble and finished with a big 11 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

The Huskies took a four and a half hour flight to Denver, and then drove two hours to the hotel in Laramie, Wyoming. With the altitude change, the time difference, playing on the highest altitude campus in the country and the thin lineup, the Huskies had a lot to handle. But they got the job done on the road and will live to see another game, when they travel to El Paso to take on UTEP on Monday.

Tomorrow will be a long travel day, as the team will be on the bus to Denver at 8 a.m., fly from Denver to New York where they will have a two hour layover and then land in Boston at 9 p.m. But these trips are always better after a win.

Huskies Accept Bid To CBI

2009-03-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Late Sunday night the Northeastern Huskies accepted an invitation to play in the second College Basketball Invitational (CBI).

The Huskies will travel tomorrow to Wyoming to take on the Cowboys at 9 p.m. on Tuesday on HDNet. If the Huskies win, they will take on the winner of the Nevada and UTEP, played on Tuesday at 11 p.m.

For the full bracket, visit the CBI website: http://www.gazellegroup.com/events/cbi/cbi09_bracket.pdf

Tigers Ride Hot Streak Over Huskies

2009-03-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

The regular season came to an abrupt halt in the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament as the Huskies fell to Towson 58-54.

At the half, the Tigers led 32-25. Towson shot 52 percent in the first half, while the Huskies shot only 33 percent. Coach Coen told the team at halftime to get the ball inside to Manny Adako, who the Tigers had no answer for, and they did.

Adako led the way with 23 points, helping the Huskies come back and take the lead in the second half. But they could not put the Tigers away. Every time Towson needed a big shot, they got one, including two huge put-back dunks down the stretch.

Down only three with 4 second left, Baptiste Bataille drew a foul while shooting a three-pointer. However he missed the first free-throw, made the second, and missed the third on purpose so the Huskies could attempt a rebound or tip-in, but it did not happen.

Frustrated, sad and disappointed, the Huskies had to leave Richmond early. But the season is not over, as they will now wait and see if they qualify for the postseason.

Huskies Honored At CAA Awards Banquet

2009-03-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

Manny Adako, Matt Janning and Chaisson Allen earned All-CAA honors tonight at the annual CAA Basketball banquet in Richmond.

Allen earned All-Defensive Team honors in the conference. Adako was named Third Team All-Conference, earning his first All-Conference honors. Janning was named to the CAA First Team All-Conference after being named to second team last year,

The Huskies also received the most awards recognizing accomplishments in the classroom, with Baptiste Bataille, Nkem Ojougboh and Matt Janning representing Northeastern. Janning earned Second Team All-Academic honors, while Bataille and Ojougboh were named First Team All-Academic.

Today the Huskies practiced, first at the Richmond Coliseum where all the teams were given 40 minutes to get familiar with the hoops and the surroundings. The Huskies then traveled to nearby Benedictine High School where they held practice for an hour and a half. Tomorrow will be more of the same for Northeastern, as they earned a first round bye.

Huskies Drop Third Straight Home Game

2009-03-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

The Huskies fell to Old Dominion Saturday night at Matthews Arena in an overtime heartbreaker.

On senior night, where Northeastern honored their three seniors; Matt Smith, Chris Alvarez, and Eugene Spates, the Huskies could not send them off with a win. The Monarchs came out with more intensity from the start, knowing that the only way they could earn a bye in the CAA Tournament was to beat the Huskies.

In the closing seconds of the second half, the Huskies and Monarchs were tied. Matt Janning then pulled up from right in front of coach Coen and the Husky bench and drained a three with 20 seconds left. This was also the first time the crowd was heard since the senior night ceremonies were held. With a foul to give, the Huskies planned to take some time off and then commit the foul. But a missed assignment led to a wide open three-pointer at the top of the key for Jonathan Adams.

In overtime, the Huskies had a chance to extend their 2 point lead twice, but failed. Gerald Lee then scored for the Monarchs and then fouled Janning on the Huskies possession. But Janning missed the front end of the 1-and-1. Trailing 56-54, the Huskies again looked to Baptiste Bataille for help. Bataille drove the baseline and missed a layup, with a lot of contact but no whistle. Gerald Lee then made 1 of 2 free throws, and the Huskies had a chance. Janning’s three went in and out, and Bataille got the rebound and passed it out to Spates, who pump faked and traveled before he could get a shot off. With 0.5 second left, the Monarchs began to celebrate and the game was over.

This marks the third straight home loss for the Huskies, who will now go into the CAA Tournament as the third seed. They will play Saturday night March 7th at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet against the winner of the Drexel and Towson game.

"Big Shot Bap"

2009-03-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

Moments before the Huskies lost to Drexel at home, coach Coen turned to the bench and said “We won’t forget this when we go down to their place, I guarantee you that”, and he was right.

It was all business for the Huskies as they look for revenge against a Drexel team that came into Matthews Arena a week earlier and beat them. But it was not easy, and came down to one play.

For the Dragons, it was senior night. It was also a night where they could have clinched a bye in the CAA Tournament as well, and the same went for the Huskies. The Daskalakis Center is not an easy place to play. If you haven’t been, it is like a high school gym.

The bleachers square around the court, and the student section is directly behind the visiting bench, literally about 2 feet separates the stands and the bench. It was the only place where the students were louder during timeouts than the game. Every timeout, the Huskies could barely hear due to the students, placed directly behind them, and were basically in the huddle screaming from start to finish.

A quick 12-0 in the first 5 minutes was just was the Huskies needed. But they did could not put the Dragons away early, as Drexel outscored the Huskies 25-15 in the final 15 minutes of the half. In the second half, the Huskies started off hot again, this time going on a 10-0 run to open the half, capped off by a Manny Adako dunk in transition over Leon Spencer. Adako led the Huskies with 17 points.

Again, the Huskies could not keep their foot on the gas, and the Dragons came back with a 15-4 run. With 8:23 left to play, the Dragons led 40-39 thanks to a Tramayne Hawthorne three-pointer. The Huskies defense was focused on keeping Scott Rodgers out of the paint, and it worked. However, Hawthorne was the man left open in the zone, and he knocked down 4 three-pointers in the game, and single handedly kept the Dragons in the game.

With 16.8 seconds left and 8 seconds left on the shot clock, the Dragons had the ball and were up by a point. Tramayne Hawthorne took a free-throw line jumper and missed it, and Matt Janning pulled down the rebound. He threw the outlet pass out to Chaisson Allen, who attacked the lane and dumped the ball off to a trailing Janning who went up for the layup. Janning’s shot drew a lot of contact, but no foul was called and the ball was blocked and Baptiste Bataille caught it and hit a 6 foot bank shot off the glass with 1.3 seconds left to play. Drexel called a timeout and then threw a baseball pass that missed all the Dragons and fell into the hands of Nkem Ojougboh who held it until the clock expired and the Huskies erupted.

From where I was sitting, and a few players on the bench were sitting, the only thing that could be seen was a cluster of body’s as Janning’s shot was blocked and the ball was in the air. Then, the gym was silent and we had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, we see Baptiste’s head poke out of the side of the pile and shoot the ball off the glass and in. It was an absolutely incredible ending to what coach Coen called, “a rock fight” between the teams. The Huskies now have clinched a first round bye in the CAA Tournament.

Baptiste Bataille has stepped up time and time again for the Huskies this season, especially at the end of games. With free-throws, three-pointers, and now 6 footers, Bataille has been clutch for the Huskies. Whether you prefer the nickname Little Big-Shot, or Big Shot Bap, everyone can agree that at the end of the game, the smallest guy on the court has taken over in the biggest moments.

Spates, Allen Put Huskies Back In The Win Column

2009-03-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

After struggling for the past week or so, the Huskies put on a good show for the cameras of ESPN2 against Wright State for their BracketBusters showdown.

The Huskies trailed early, 7-2, but came back to grab the lead 9-7. For most of the first half the Huskies and Raiders wrestled over the lead, but the Huskies would take the lead for good with 4:14 left in the first half after a Eugene Spates jumper.

Spates hitting jumpers was one of the themes of the day. The other was Chaisson Allen hitting jumpers as well. Spates finished with a career-high 22 points, and Allen finished with 20 points, including 3 of 4 shooting from behind the arc. Matt Janning scored 8 points, while dishing out 4 assists and grabbing 6 rebounds.

This was a huge game for the Huskies, who have now ended their three game losing streak. The victory was quickly put behind them, and the revenge game against Drexel was put directly in their sight. It was also due to the Huskies having to scramble out of the locker room in less than 30 minutes so they could get on the road to catch their flight in Pittsburgh to return to Boston. Due to the games being assigned only two weeks before they are played makes it extremely hard to plan and book trips that are cost-effective. But the Huskies, thanks to Steve Scalzi, made it with time to spare.

Huskies Lose A Thriller

2009-02-20T18:04:00.001-08:00

The Huskies lost their third straight game on Wednesday night, this time in dramatic fashion.

After trailing by 8 with 1:43 left in the game, it looked bad for the Huskies. But Baptiste Bataille would lead the Huskies back, forcing a Georgia State turnover. Then with .8 seconds left, Bataille hit a long distance three-pointer to tie the game 68-68. The Huskies defended the Panthers well and knocked the ball away with 1.4 seconds left. However they could not complete the comeback, as the Panthers inbounded the ball from right in front of their bench, and threw a lob to a wide open Ousman Krubally who caught the ball and banked it home for the win, 70-68.

If there are any positives that come out of this game, it would be that the Huskies finally showed some fight and intensity in the last 2 minutes of the game. The only problem is that they needed that fight for the whole 40 minutes and for the past two weeks as well. Coach Coen let his team know that after the game. He told them he was proud of the comeback, but that it needed to be a constant fight instead of just a 2 minute one.

Matt Janning led the way for the Huskies with 15 points, but only took 10 shots. Chaisson Allen scored 8 points while grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists with only 1 turnover. Again, the Huskies allowed their opponent to score at will in the second half, as the Panthers scored 42. Georgia State also shot 55.8 percent from the floor and 47.4 percent from three-point land.

Someone needs to step up and take control of this team. Janning started to do that in the second half when he drove to the basket on consecutive possessions and was fouled on both, but he did not continue attacking. The dog days of February are upon us, and it is time to step up and take over. But who will it be?

It will be off to Dayton, Ohio for the Huskies. They will depart on Thursday for their Saturday morning showdown with the Horizon League’s Wright State Raiders as a part of ESPNU’s BracketBuster weekend. The Huskies and Raiders will tip-off at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.

What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?

2009-02-17T17:35:00.001-08:00

The Huskies fell to George Mason on Saturday, dropping their third game in their past four contests.

Once again, it was the second half that plagued the Huskies. And again, they allowed 47 points in the second half to the Patriots, while keeping them to only 17 in the first half. Matt Janning scored 13 points, but again only took 13 shots, while Chris Alvarez and Matt Smith chipped in 7 points each.

Manny Adako was extremely under the weather, and only played 12 minutes all coming in the second half. After Adako was not able to attend practice Friday night and was only able to stomach down some soup, coach Coen decided to save him for the second half. The strategy paid off in that the Huskies were able to earn the lead at the half, but they again could not stop a second half onslaught by the opponent.

It was not a happy Valentine's Day for the Huskies. Luckily, Virginia Commonwealth also fell on Saturday. So the Huskies still are in first place, barely. It has been said many times on this site, and it will be said again; it is time for someone to step up and take control of the game for the Huskies. Someone needs to take the game into their hands and dominate, and get the bucket when they need it most. Until then, the Huskies will seemingly struggle. It will be back to the drawing board for Northeastern, as they host Georgia State on Wednesday night in Boston.

Dragons Catch Fire In Second Half To Beat Huskies

2009-02-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

Any loss is tough. But it is especially hard when you give up more than three times the amount of points you did in the second half then you did in the first.

The Huskies fell to the Drexel Dragons 62-58, to bring them to 11-3 in the conference. At halftime, the Huskies led 23-15. Drexel would go on to score 47 second half points, after trailing by 13 points with 17 minutes to play, to beat the Huskies at home.

This is the second loss in past three games for the Huskies, who are searching for answers. Baptiste Bataille led the way for Northeastern with a career-high 19 points, and Matt Janning scored 15 points while only taking 13 shots. The Huskies missed 8 free throws and could not stop Scott Rodgers, who torched the Husky defense for 17 points while getting in the lane with ease and creating on almost every possession.

It only gets harder from here for Northeastern, who has to get on a plane and travel to George Mason for a Valentine’s Day showdown with the Patriots. We all remember the last time these two faced off, with the Huskies winning a thriller at Matthews Arena by one point.

Huskies Receive Top 25 Votes For Second Straight Week

2009-02-10T06:44:00.001-08:00

Despite this weeks loss, the Huskies yet again received votes for the AP Top 25 Poll. Come out to Matthews Arena Wednesday night at 7 p.m. and cheer on your Huskies as they take on the Drexel Dragons in a key CAA matchup.

AP Top 25

1. Connecticut (67) 22-1 1,795

2. Oklahoma (3) 23-1 1,710

3. North Carolina (2) 21-2 1,672

4. Pittsburgh 21-2 1,583

5. Louisville 18-4 1,423

6. Duke 20-3 1,350

7. Wake Forest 18-3 1,242

8. Memphis 20-3 1,237

9. Michigan State 19-4 1,214

10. Marquette 20-3 1,137

11. UCLA 19-4 1,131

12. Clemson 19-3 1,097

13. Villanova 19-4 989

14. Xavier 20-3 893

15. Butler 21-2 762

16. Kansas 19-4 751

17. Missouri 20-4 395

18. Arizona State 18-5 389

19. Gonzaga 17-5 361

20. Purdue 17-6 353

21. Utah State 23-1 317

22. Illinois 19-5 303

23. Syracuse 18-6 280

24. Ohio State 17-5 216

25. Florida State 18-5 182

Others Receiving Votes

LSU 167, Washington 135, Texas 106, Florida 66, Minnesota 43, Dayton 31, California 16, Kansas State 8, West Virginia 8, South Carolina 7, Davidson 7, Miami (FL) 7, Utah 4, Arizona 4, San Diego State 2, Siena 2, Northeastern 2, Robert Morris 1, Boston College 1, Green Bay 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Texas 16, Minnesota 19, Washington 22.

Huskies Take On Wright State on ESPN2

2009-02-10T06:41:00.001-08:00

The Huskies will take on Wright State on February 21^st at 11 a.m. on ESPN2. Be sure to tune in and root for the Huskies as they take on the Raiders in Dayton, Ohio in this year’s ESPNU BracketBusters showdown.

Red Hot Shooting Leads Huskies To Victory

2009-02-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

After a tough loss on the road, the Huskies bounced back Saturday at home with a win over UNC-Wilmington 77-65.

The Seahawks jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but the Huskies climbed back into it against the worst defensive team (statistically) in the country. For the game, Northeastern shot 56.3 percent from the floor and 41 percent from three. Chaisson Allen was red hot, scoring a career high 21 points, 15 of those coming in the first half. Baptiste Bataille also recorded a career high with 14 points, while going 4-9 from behind the arc. Matt Janning scored 13 points, despite only shooting the ball 8 times, and Eugene Spates also recorded double-figures with 11 points.

Seahawks star Chad Tomko was not much of a factor in the game, saddled with foul trouble for most of it. However in his only 14 minutes of play, Tomko scored 9 points on 3 of 5 shooting from the three-point line. As a team, the Seahawks shot 43 percent from the floor and matched the Huskies 41 percent from three.

A win is a win, and the Huskies will certainly take it. But the intensity is still not where it needs to be, and has not been at the same level since the VCU game. With Drexel coming into Matthews Arena Wednesday night, the Huskies will need to get it back to that level as the Dragons have won 6 out of their last 8 conference games.

Tribe Leave Huskies Looking For Answers

2009-02-04T19:27:00.000-08:00

Northeastern suffered their second loss in conference Wednesday night at the hands of the William & Mary Tribe.

This loss marks the second road loss in the past four road games for the Huskies. Luckily, Virginia Commonwealth also suffered a loss tonight, so the Huskies still hold first place in the CAA by 1 full game. The Huskies still have never won at William & Mary.

After trailing by 2 at halftime, the Tribe came out firing in the second half, hitting three of their first four three-pointers. The lead was built up to as many as 13 points with 11:58 to play.

But Allen Aragbaye and Baptiste Bataille came in and sparked the Huskies comeback. Northeastern came within 3 points, but could not get any closer. The Tribe shot 47.5 percent from the floor, while holding the Huskies to 39.6 percent and therefore won the game 68-63.

Coach Coen told his team that losing to the last place team in the conference was not an upset. There are no upsets in this league. The same team that played against VCU has not returned from that game, which is what Coen and his staff are most angry about.

Chaisson Allen led the Huskies with 12 points before fouling out, while Matt Janning and Manny Adako scored 10 each. But the Huskies just were not there tonight. Janning took 7 of his 12 shots late in the second half when the Huskies need to score quickly and foul. It was a game where someone needed to take over and rally the troops, yet nobody did. Nkem Ojougboh was again absent, scoring 3 points and only grabbing 1 board.

For the Huskies it will be a 5 a.m. bus ride to Richmond where they will fly back to Boston and return to classes. But it will be hard to sleep tonight after this tough loss. The Huskies will host UNC-Wilmington Saturday at 1 p.m. at Matthews Arena. The Seahawks are coming off of a huge 10 point win tonight over VCU at home. With the Huskies struggling and the Seahawks riding high off of a big win, it should be an interesting game.

Huskies Draw Wright State

2009-02-02T13:05:00.001-08:00

It has just been announced on ESPNU that the Huskies will travel to Wright State on Saturday February 21st.

ESPNU BracketBusters Selection Show

2009-02-02T12:40:00.000-08:00

Tonight the pairings for the ESPNU BracketBusters will be announced at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU. Check here for the up to the minute update on where and who your Huskies will play on February 20th or 21st.

Huskies Receive Top 25 Votes

2009-02-02T12:36:00.001-08:00

The Huskies big week has gotten them some recognition, receiving 3 votes in this weeks AP Top 25 Poll.
AP Top 25
1. Connecticut (64) 20-1 1,792
2. Oklahoma (5) 21-1 1,691
3. North Carolina (3) 19-2 1,639
4. Duke 19-2 1,563
5. Louisville 17-3 1,464
6. Pittsburgh 19-2 1,427
7. Wake Forest 17-2 1,409
8. Marquette 19-2 1,358
9. Xavier 19-2 1,176
10. Clemson 18-2 1,077
11. Butler 19-1 1,051
12. Purdue 17-4 961
13. Michigan State 17-4 876
14. Memphis 18-3 798
15. UCLA 17-4 787
16. Texas 15-5 724
17. Villanova 17-4 698
18. Gonzaga 16-4 632
19. Minnesota 18-3 426
20. Syracuse 17-5 415
21. Kansas 17-4 316
22. Washington 16-5 216
23. Illinois 18-4 198
24. Arizona State 16-5 146
25. Utah State 21-1 99
Others Receiving Votes
Dayton 95, Davidson 85, Missouri 39, Penn State 37, LSU 36, South Carolina 33, West Virginia 33, UNLV 29, Florida 24, Providence 14, USC 8, Notre Dame 7, Siena 4, Kansas State 4, Ohio State 3, Northeastern 3, Kentucky 2, Arizona 2, Florida State 1, Northern Iowa 1, Virginia Military 1.
Dropped From Rankings
Saint Mary's 22, Kentucky 24, Georgetown 25.

Huskies Sweep Hens

2009-02-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

The Huskies took care of business on Saturday when they defeated the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 73-59 at Matthews Arena. This marked the ninth straight win over Delaware for the Huskies, who swept them again this season.

Early on, the Huskies did not look good and trailed 16-10 with 9:51 left in the first half. Nothing was falling for Northeastern early, and they seemed a little flat. But they would battle back, with a 22-6 run to end the half including a circus shot from Matt Janning as he threw one up from almost behind the backboard while being fouled by Alphonso Dawson.

In the second half, Marc Egerson helped keep the Hens in it by scoring 16 of his 26 points. But the Huskies were just too much for the struggling Delaware club. Matt Janning scored 19 points, Manny Adako scored 17 points along with 7 rebounds, and Chaisson Allen was huge with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, seemingly breaking out of his mini slump.

After three high intensity and emotion games, there seemed to be a little let down in the Huskies play. But they got it together and came out on top fairly easily, improving to 10-1 in conference and 15-6 overall. Now it’s time to go back to Virginia to take on William & Mary. The Tribe are in last place in the CAA at 1-10 in conference and 6-15 overall. Wednesday night’s game will be at 7 p.m. and will air on CSN and ESPN360.com.

Fight For First Won By Northeastern

2009-02-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

Waiting for the Huskies on their fifth day in Virginia was the VCU Rams.

The Huskies went into the Siegel Center tied for first with VCU in the CAA. As the bus pulled out of the hotel and drove down the street to the arena, you could see the long line of people waiting to get into the game. The players knew what they were in for, and poised to close this trip out the right way.

Before the game coach Coen emphasized that this night was what the team had worked for all summer. The players took it to heart, and came out firing opening up a 29-13 lead with 6:27 left.

However the Rams, led by Eric Maynor’s 30 points, were not about to lay down and die. They closed the half on a 17-5 run, to cut the Huskies lead to 34-30 at the half.

The second half started just as the first one began, with the Huskies catching fire early. Two Eugene Spates three-pointers and another one from Chaisson Allen gave the Huskies a 50-41 lead for Northeastern. Then Maynor got hot and brought the Rams back scoring 14 of their next 18 points to make it 52-46 with 6:37 left to play.

But Eugene Spates kept the Husky attack on point with his fourth three-pointer of the night to make it 57-46 with 5:52 remaining. Things got a little chippy from there when Maynor was fouled by Janning on a breakaway and proceeded to throw him to the ground and yell over him and then into the camera. Manny Adako then pushed Maynor into the front row, and was then pushed himself by Bradford Burgess. Eugene Spates then went to go pick up Janning who was still laying on the ground, and Maynor proceeded to go at Spates until the referee stepped in. But Maynor did not stop there, he actually got into it with the official and had to be separated from him, yet he was given no technical foul.

So Maynor shoves Janning to the ground and on the replay it looks like he swings his arm at Janning’s face, almost like a punch. He then stands over him and screams at him, does not move and screams for into the camera for more media attention, tries to start up a fight with Spates, and then gets into it with the official! Out of a possible four technical fouls Maynor could have earned, he did not receive one. Adako and Burgess were each hit with one, which offset, and Maynor shot the one free throw on the original foul, making the score 58-54 with 2:09 remaining.

Just when it looked like the Huskies would get rattled, they didn’t. Baptiste Bataille came up big in the clutch for the Huskies, hitting four key free throws down the stretch, while also bothering Maynor on one of his final shot attempts from deep. Nkem Ojougboh also came up big with a monster rejection of Ed Nixon’s lay up attempt. Chris Alvarez, who played big for the Huskies scoring 4 points while grabbing 8 rebounds, hit a free throw with 25 seconds left to give the Huskies a 64-61 lead. Maynor missed a three-pointer, and the Huskies hit their free throws to seal the victory, 68-63.

What a historical week for the Huskies, beating George Mason, Old Dominion, and Virginia Commonwealth in a row. If somebody knows if this is correct or incorrect let me know, but from what I’ve gathered, the Huskies may have made history in beating those three teams in a row. Now, Northeastern can look at the standings and see themselves in first place, all alone.

Historical Win For The Huskies

2009-02-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

The Huskies, once again, started a two game road trip. This time it began at Old Dominion. For the first time in school history, the Huskies went into Old Dominion and won, and did so convincingly 58-42.

Things did not look good at the start for Northeastern, as they trailed 22-7 early, and Matt Janning was already saddled with 2 quick fouls. But they ended the half on a 14-2 run, sparked by a Eugene Spates three-pointer at the shot clock buzzer from beyond the coach’s box, to trail 24-21.

Then, Matt Janning absolutely took over. Janning when for 20 of his 24 points in the second half and absolutely ripped the heart out of the Monarchs without any remorse. The Husky defense was scary good in the second half, holding the Monarchs to 18 points and to 29 percent shooting from the field for the game.

Everyone was fired up after the game. It was such a convincing win, in a very hostile environment where it is not common for the road team to win. The Monarchs possibly had even more to play for, knowing that if they lost they would be all but eliminated from earning a bye in the first round of the CAA Tournament. But the Huskies were focused and determined to win this game. Next for the Huskies will be a showdown at VCU for first place.

No Love Lost

2009-02-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

George Mason came into Matthews Arena undefeated, but they did not leave unblemished.

Northeastern came out with something to prove, and hungry after letting one get away from them against Hofstra. It was the Patriots who eliminated the Huskies in the CAA Tournament last year, and the Huskies were not about to lose on their home floor to them.

The game was as good as it was built up to be. Both teams obviously being talked about highly in the conference, they certainly did not disappoint. Early on, the Huskies led 10-2. But it tightened as the Patriots, led by John Vaughan, were ready for a fight.

At the half, the Huskies led 32-25 after a Eugene Spates lay up. The second half was filled with drama, especially the very scary situation involving John Vaughan. After suffering an inadvertent elbow from Eugene Spates while fighting for a rebound, Vaughan fell to the floor. He was able to get up and walk down the court as Nkem Ojougboh was about to shoot free throws.

After Ojougboh hit the first free throw, Vaughan walked across the lane. As he walked back to his spot, he slowly fell to the floor and laid there with his arms crossed over his face. The trainers rushed out from both teams to attend to Vaughan and handled the situation swiftly and professionally. The players stood in silence for almost 20 minutes until Vaughan was transported to Beth Israel Hospital. Vaughan was diagnosed with a concussion, and will only miss a week of basketball.

Ojougboh made the second free throw to give the Huskies a 56-51 lead with 2:16 left to play. Then the game got even crazier. Darryl Monroe scored for the Patriots on the next possession to make it 56-53 in favor of the Huskies. As Ojougboh held the ball at the top of the key, Andre Cornelius snuck around and stole the ball from Ojougboh and went coast-to-coast for the lay up.

The Patriots again stole the ball, this time it was Monroe. Cam Long was then fouled by Ojougboh. Long connected on both free throws to give the Patriots the lead 57-56 with 56 seconds remaining. With the clock winding down, Baptiste Bataille drove the lane and faked a pass to the corner, then threw a no-look pass to Manny Adako who finished with a lay up to give the Huskies a 58-57 lead with 25 seconds left.

Once crossing half court, the Patriots took a timeout with 18 seconds left. The Huskies, who had a foul to give, fouled with 12 seconds left. The Patriots passed the ball around the perimeter and tried to get a shot off but the Huskies knocked a pass away and then the ball was tossed into the air and came nowhere close to the basket and the Huskies came away on top 58-57.

Not only did the Huskies hand the Patriots their first loss, but they moved into a tie for first place with Virginia Commonwealth. It was a crazy night for everyone, and the Huskies were glad to come out on top. When the Huskies head down for a Valentine’s Day showdown with the Patriots, there will certainly be no love lost.

Pride Hand Huskies First Loss

2009-02-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

For the first time this year, the Huskies lost a conference game. The Hofstra Pride defeated the Huskies 57-52 in a wild one on the road.

The field goal challenge given to the Huskies has proven to be the deciding factor in every conference game thus far. Hofstra shot 41 percent from the field, and won the game.

Having to travel three hours and given only one day to prepare can factor into losses, but the Huskies are not a team that looks to make excuses. Matt Janning scored 14 points, but only scoring 2 of them in the second half. Manny Adako scored 13 points before fouling out with 45 seconds to play.

Adako hit a lay up with 1:09 left in the game to put the Huskies ahead 51-50. He then fouled out when Charles Jenkins drove to the hoop on the next play and connected on both free throws to put the Pride ahead 52-51. After a Janning turnover and foul, the Pride led 54-51. Janning was then fouled, and made only one free throw to cut the lead to 54-52. The Pride did their part to give the Huskies one more chance when Tony Dennison missed 1 of 2 free throws to make it 55-52 with 18 seconds left.

The Huskies got what they wanted on the next possession, when Janning came off a screen and had a great look at a three-pointer with 14 seconds left. But he missed, and Chris Alvarez grabbed the rebound and then double-pumped in the corner and missed a three of his own. Jenkins grabbed the rebound and was fouled, and made both free throws to end the game.

You could hear a pin drop in the locker room after the game. Disappointed, Coach Coen told his team that one loss does not end the season. “A wise man once told me, if you never lose two in a row in a season, you’ll have a pretty good year,” Coen said.

Hofstra was ready for the Huskies. They did not forget about the way the Huskies dominated them back in Boston. Pride coach Tom Pecora earlier in the week called it a “pride game” for his team. Although the Huskies did not play their best game, they still had a chance to win. This will definitely serve as motivation for the Huskies as they move ahead.

Northeastern Tops Delaware

2009-02-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

The success for Northeastern against Delaware continues, as the Huskies traveled into Newark and came out on top 67-47.

It was another early spurt that helped in the victory, as Northeastern jumped out to an early 23-8 lead. But the Blue Hens had a run of their own, closing the half on a 14-2 run to make the score at halftime 32-25.

In the second half the Huskies were just too much for the Blue Hens, especially in the post. Nkem Ojougboh scored 12 points to go along with 9 rebounds, while Manny Adako did his part with 10 points and 8 rebounds of his own. The Husky backcourt was strong as well, with Matt Janning, Chaisson Allen, and Eugene Spates scoring 12, 10, and 9 points, respectively.

The 6-0 start in conference play can simply be attributed to the six straight games now that the Huskies have held their opponent to under 40 percent shooting. This time, Delaware shot 30.9 percent.

Tigers Tamed At Matthews

2009-02-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Another hot start for the Huskies helped them improve to 5-0 in conference with a 68-53 win over Towson.

The Huskies jumped out to a 17-0 lead until the Tigers finally scored at 13:25. At the half, Northeastern led 35-17. But the Tigers, led by Josh Thornton’s 25, would not go away in the second half.

Thornton poured in 16 in the second half, hitting 5 out of his 6 three-pointers in the period. The Tigers came within 4, 50-46, when the Huskies slammed the door, literally. Baptiste Bataille stole the ball, and then threw a no-look behind the back bounce pass to Matt Janning who slammed it home.

Manny Adako put the Huskies on his back, scoring 24 points on 12 of 15 shooting while also grabbing 12 rebounds. Matt Janning had 16 points of his own, along with 7 rebounds. Yet again, the opposition was held under 40 percent shooting (34.7), while the Huskies shot 51 percent.

The Huskies won their past four games in seven days, and now will get a nice five day break before hitting the road again for a two game trip to Delaware and Hofstra.

Smith Leads Huskies In Atlanta

2009-02-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

When you’re hot, you’re hot, and the Huskies stayed that way down in Atlanta defeating Georgia State 68-54.

Right from the start, Northeastern came out firing. Jumping out to 31-10 lead with 8:38 left to play in the first half, the Huskies finally caught cold. They did not score for the rest of the half, yet still took the halftime lead 31-18.

All year long, Coach Coen has told his players that if they work hard, everyone will have a chance to win the team a game this season. This time, it was Matt Smith’s turn. Despite sitting the whole first half, Smith came in during the second half and knocked down 3 three-pointers to help the Huskies come away with the victory.

For the first time in his career, Matt Janning recorded a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Manny Adako enjoyed home, while overcoming foul trouble, scoring 13 points. Chaisson Allen once again put up big numbers, scoring 14 points and pulling down 8 rebounds.

Now 4-0 in the conference, the Huskies are firing on all cylinders. And once again, they met the staff’s challenge by holding the Panthers to 38 percent from the field and 21% from downtown.

Huskies Stay Hot

2009-02-02T06:56:00.000-08:00

The Huskies remain perfect in conference play after putting a hurting on the Hofstra Pride, 73-50.

It was the big men today who paced the Huskies. Nkem Ojougboh scored 13 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, while Manny Adako scored 16 while snatching 3 rebounds. Chaisson Allen, despite shooting 2 for 11, finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals.

Eugene Spates sparked the onslaught with three triples in the first half. Matt Janning scored 10 for the Huskies along with 3 assists, while only shooting 4-12 from the field including 0-4 from three.

Most important for the Huskies was their suffocating defense. The Pride finished shooting only 38 percent from the field. The coaching staff has set a challenge to the team; to see how many times they can hold a team under 40% from the field. So far, they are taking that challenge very seriously.

Huskies Stifle Tribe

2009-01-14T20:28:00.000-08:00

A new year and a fresh start for the Northeastern Huskies who returned to Matthews Arena for the first time in a month.

The Huskies, led by Matt Janning’s 22 points, overcame a quick 5-0 deficit and went on a 17-2 run and did not look back from there. Chaisson Allen came up big again for the Huskies with 12 points and 8 rebounds, while Manny Adako stayed hot with 13 points and 5 boards. Northeastern only turned the ball over 9 times, a huge improvement from the 25 turnovers at Memphis.

Now 2-0 in the CAA, the Huskies will take on Hofstra at home where they will hope to build upon their hot start in the conference. Their smothering defense and improvements on the backboards are becoming more consistent, but the Huskies must keep it up if they hope to finish atop the CAA.

Tigers Crush Huskies

2009-01-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

The Huskies came into the game against the highly favored Memphis Tigers with a lot of confidence. Riding a three game winning streak, the team came with the mindset that they could very well get their fourth.

Upon arriving in Memphis, the team unloaded at the hotel and then traveled to Memphis’ on campus practice facility. That evening, the team went to FedEx Forum to watch the Memphis Grizzlies take on the Phoenix Suns with newly acquired Jared Dudley, a former Boston College star and Bill Coen recruit.

The next day the Huskies went back to FedEx Forum, but this time to play. And they played in front of 17,164 fans, which was more than the Grizzlies and Suns played in front of the night before. For the first 10 minutes, the Huskies showed they could hang with the Tigers, leading 22-15 with 10:06 to play in the half. But it all went downhill from there. Manny Adako, who led the Huskies with 16 points, was unstoppable. Adako went 7-7 from the field. However, he was involved in an altercation with Robert Dozier and Tyreke Evans and received a technical foul, giving him his third foul in the first half.

With Adako out, a cold Matt Janning and a sick Chaisson Allen, the Tigers pounced on the Huskies. They ended the half with a run of 15-0, followed up by another run of 8-0, to take the lead 38-26. The combination of Adako and Nkem Ojougboh in foul trouble, and the Tigers shooting 35 free throws to the Huskies 12, spelled disaster for the Huskies who fell hard to the Tigers 80-48.

Once in the locker room, Coach Coen explained to the team that they cannot lose their cool. Their success has been built upon playing to their strengths and within themselves. They did not do that against Memphis. But Coen explained that now the real season starts, full fledged conference play.

It is much easier to play when you are not expected to win. For the past two seasons, the Huskies have been picked to finish last in the CAA. This year they are picked to finished second. The slogan being used in the athletics department is “Now Is The Time”, and that could not translate any more clearly to this team.

NU Wins Big At Indiana

2009-01-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

Another feather has been stuck in the hat of the Northeastern Huskies, and this time it is crimson red.

The Huskies defeated the Indiana Hoosiers 55-42 at Assembly Hall. After coming off twelve days of rest, the Huskies were anxious to get back on the court. And this was no ordinary venue, this was Indiana University, and it truly lived up to all of the hype and history. However, the Huskies did not seem to be caught up in any of that.

Indiana jumped out to an early 9-3 lead, but the Huskies slowly chipped away and took the lead, 15-14 with 9:03 remaining after a Eugene Spates three-pointer. They would not give up the lead for the rest of the night. A Baptiste Bataille lay up at the buzzer gave the Huskies a 28-18 lead going into the locker room.

At halftime, Coach Coen told his players that they need to be ready for a run. He told them that the building will be rocking, and that the Hoosiers will make a run. But he reminded the team that they were 20 minutes away from going home with an early Christmas present. In the second half, the Huskies went out and snatched the present from under the tree, winning easily 55-42. Matt Janning led the way for the Huskies with 17 points. Chaisson Allen added 13 of his own, while Nkem Ojougboh chipped in 8 points and 4 rebounds.

The post game locker room was raucous. Everyone was thrilled with the win and ready to go home for a few days for break. Next up for the Huskies will a trip to Memphis to take on the University of Memphis Tigers.

Huskies Win Wild One In Cambridge

2009-01-11T19:14:00.000-08:00

The Huskies came into Harvard fresh off of a close road win over James Madison. They did not know they would be in for another nail biter.
Harvard jumped out to an early 12-9 lead with 14:30 left in the first half. A Matt Janning jumper at 8:06 gave the Huskies a 19-17 lead, and it gave Matt Janning his 1,000th point. Janning reached the 1,000 point plateau at the fourth fastest pace. At the half, the Huskies led 32-27.

In the second half, the teams would exchange scoring runs down to the last second of regulation. The Huskies led 60-53 with 49 seconds left to play when Harvard took a timeout. What they drew up was a deep three-pointer by Drew Housman to make it 60-56. After Chaisson Allen knocked down two free-throws, Jeremy Lin hit a three of his own to make it 62-59. The Huskies then turned it over and Housman kept his hot streak alive, nailing another three to tie things up at 62. With 2.8 seconds left, the Huskies inbounded the ball from the baseline to Nkem Ojougboh, who finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and his shot was partially blocked to end regulation.

Ojougboh would again get the call, this time in the overtime period. He sank a hook shot that tied the game at 66 with 2.8 seconds left, and after a Harvard miss, the teams went into double-overtime.

The double-overtime period belonged to Manny Adako. Adako hit the first two shots in the period, pushing the Huskies to a 70-66 lead with 1:59 left to play. But the Crimson would not go away, and Peter Boehm stroked a three to bring the score to 70-69. Janning then hit a tough shot in the lane to put the Huskies up 72-69. Lin then answered for the Crimson with a 2 of his own, making it 72-71 with 48.9 to play.

Chaisson Allen then took one of the most important shots of his young career, hitting a fade away jump shot with 19 seconds to go in the game. Boehm then turned it over, and Janning, who finished with 17 points, hit 2 free throws to ice it and the Huskies came out on top 76-71 in a wild game.

Coach Coen was happy after the game, most of all because it was finally over and the Huskies had won. Although they did squander a lead late, he told the players that he was happy with the way they again found away to win in a tough position on the road.

Huskies Take On Harvard

2008-12-09T08:50:00.001-08:00

Come see the Huskies take on Harvard Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

Huskies End Skid, Beat JMU

2008-12-07T15:28:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, the Huskies met with James Madison for the first and last time in the regular season.

The Huskies, coming in having lost three straight games, were hungry for a win. Saturday was a big day on the James Madison campus, as their #1 ranked football team was playing in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision against #6 Villanova. Therefore, the basketball game was played at 11 a.m., making it a full day of sports in Harrisonburg.

It was a very serious mood during the trip. The team seemed to be very anxious to play. Everyone was up earlier for meals and arrived earlier for film, which set the tone for Saturday.

Before the game coach Coen told the team that half of the teams in the conference would be 1-0 and the other would be 0-1 at the end of the day. Being in first place for a month would be something that would be very good for the Huskies. Coen also decided to shake things up. Neither Nkem Ojougboh or Manny Adako started, Matt Smith and Vinny Lima got the nod.

In the first half, the Huskies and Dukes played closely, with the Huskies led 16-13 with under 6:00 to play. Aided by two Matt Smith three-pointers, the Huskies went on a 13-3 run to close out the half, leading 29-16.

With 14:24 left to play, the Huskies held their largest lead, 18, 39-21. But the Dukes would not go away. In the next four minutes, the Huskies did not score, and the Huskies lead was cut to 41-38 with 10:11 remaining. The Dukes, led by Kyle Swanston’s 18 point performance, took the lead 47-46 with 5:09 left.

Chaisson Allen had his best game of the year, by far. He simply would not let the Huskies lose. After a layup plus the foul, the Huskies reclaimed the lead and would not lose it. Allen finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Manny Adako also came through in the clutch for the Huskies. After Matt Janning, who finished with 13 points, missed the back end of his free throws, Adako grabbed the offensive rebound and banked in a layup, pushing the lead to 54-59.

With the Huskies up two, 54-52, Adako flexed his muscles once again. Allen threaded the needle to Adako, who scored 11 points and pulled down 5 rebounds, hit the layup plus the foul shot, giving the Huskies a 57-52 lead with 1:47 left. Nkem Ojougobh also got in on the action, hitting two free throws down the stretch, and blocking Devon Moore’s layup with 24.6 second left. After a Janning free throw, the Huskies escaped with a 60-55 win.

This was just what the doctor ordered for the Huskies. Yes they blew a big lead, but they did it on the road with under five minutes to play, and still came back and won. There was no panic, and the cooler heads prevailed. Coach Coen told the team in the locker room that good teams find ways to win, and the Huskies did so on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies improve to 4-4 and now 1-0 in the conference.

Finally, it was a pleasant trip back to Boston for everyone. The team was relieved to get back on the right track with a win. But everyone knows how much work is to be done. The players all spoke in the locker room and knew that this was the dog fight they needed to get back to their winning ways.

Northeastern will be off until Wednesday, when they travel to Harvard to take on the Crimson at 7 p.m.

Huskies Fall to Rams, Lose Third Straight

2008-12-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night the Huskies were defeated by the University of Rhode Island Rams. This is now the third loss in a row for the team, who now stand at 3-4 overall.

The Rams came out shooting, opening up to a 15 point lead with only 6:35 left to play in the first half. But the Huskies, sparked by Vinny Lima who finished with 14 points, went on a 23-5 run to close out the half and take the lead 42-39.

At halftime the team had all the momentum and seemed to go into the tunnel with a lot of energy. But the second half did not indicate that. The Rams went on a 16-0 run to start the second half and never looked back, beating the Huskies 85-72.

Matt Janning was once again held to single digits in scoring, with 8 points. Again, the Huskies did not win the battle of the boards and did not capitalize on the Rams 21 turnovers, while only turning the ball over 10 times themselves. The Northeastern bench, led by Vinny Lima and Allen Aragbaye, gave the Huskies a big lift with 28 points.

Tomorrow will be a travel day for the reeling Huskies, who will play James Madison on Saturday at 11 a.m. in what should be a raucous atmosphere. This will be the first CAA game for both teams. The Huskies are looking for answers, hopefully they find them in Virginia.

Huskies Go Cold In Florida

2008-11-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

The trip to Florida did not turn out the way the Huskies had planned, from beginning to end.

After arriving in the airport, the team loaded their bags on the bus. The only problem was, the battery on the bus was dead. So the Huskies were stuck in the parking lot of the Tampa Airport. The shoot around time was approaching fast, so the team got dressed and taped for practice right in the parking lot. About a half an hour later, the team was picked up by a small shuttle bus and taken to the Sun Dome. It was not the way they wanted to start their trip.

At the hotel, the atmosphere was great. The team was greeted by Chris Alvarez’s family. Alvarez, a native of Miami, FL was happy to be back in his home state and with his family. Everyone was excited to get back on the floor after Tuesday night’s loss, and the Huskies had a good shot of coming away with a victory.

For the Huskies, Saturday night was just one of those nights. Nothing could go in the basket for Northeastern, scoring only 11 points at the half on 13.8 percent shooting (4-29). But the Bulls only scored 22 themselves in the first half.

The second half was more of the same for the Huskies. Shots just simply would not fall, and the Huskies lost 55-37. Manny Adako scored 10 points, before fouling out, out, while Matt Janning scored only 3 points for the Huskies, who have now lost the last two games.

Head coach Bill Coen expressed to the team that these nights happen. He was extremely pleased with the defensive effort, but you just can’t explain shooting 24 percent for the game. The Huskies did what they wanted to do on defense, and the low scoring game suited their style, but they just could not score.

It does not get any easier for the Huskies, as the Rhode Island Rams come into Matthew’s Arena on Wednesday night. The Rams played the Duke Blue Devils down to the final possession at Cameron Indoor Stadium earlier this season, and just lost a close game tonight with Villanova. The Huskies will be glad to get home, hopefully the rims at Matthew’s Arena will be a little friendlier.

Huskies Fall to Terriers

2008-11-27T23:18:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night, the Huskies fell hard to the BU Terriers.

The Terriers came out firing, with Corey Lowe bringing the biggest gun. Lowe started out hot, scoring 23 first half points. A Matt Janning fade away jump shot at the buzzer gave the Huskies a 40-39 lead at the half.

In the second half, it was Jake O’Brien’s turn to lead the charge. The Terriers scored on their first three possessions of the second half, with O’Brien scoring 5 of the 8 total points in the stretch. BU led 49-45 at the under 16:00 timeout. With 10:00 to go, the Terriers led 59-49, but the Huskies would not go away without a fight. They cut the lead to 62-57 at the under 8:00 timeout, but the Terriers were too hot to handle.

Aided by O’Brien’s 21 point half, the Terriers won 83-75 Tuesday night, handing the Huskies their second loss of the season (3-2). BU shot 57% from three in the second half, and tied a school record with 15 total three-pointers. Corey Lowe led the way with 27 points, followed by O’Brien with 21 and John Holland’s 17 points. Matt Janning scored 22 for the Huskies, while Chaisson Allen scored 14 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Also, freshman Erik Etherly recorded his first collegiate points, hitting a one handed put back late in the second half.

If it was not something, it was something else on Tuesday night. Lowe scored 23 first half points, but only scored 4 second half points. Jake O’Brien scored 0 first half points, then scored 21 second half points. The Huskies just could not cool off the hot Terriers. They also could not connect from the charity stripe, shooting 15-26.

The frustrated Huskies will try to regroup and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, but it will be hard to do with this bad taste in their mouths. Next, the team will be off to Tampa, Florida where they will look to knock off another Big East opponent, the University of South Florida Bulls (2-1) on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

NU Tops Holy Cross

2008-11-27T23:17:00.000-08:00

The Huskies exacted their revenge on Holy Cross Saturday night in their home opener at Matthew’s Arena.

All week the mood had been very serious in practice and in the locker room. Last year, the Crusaders hosted the Huskies for a game on ESPN’s BracketBusters Saturday. The Huskies were defeated 61-47 in Worcester last year, but this year was a much different story.

It was payback time for the Huskies. Northeastern led from start to finish, and jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Holy Cross did not score their first basket until 12:47 in the first half. Despite their slow start, the Crusaders made a run and cut the lead to 24-21 with 5:57 left to play in the first half. But the Huskies, led by Matt Janning’s 27 points, entered the half up 33-25.

The Huskies continued to have their way with the Crusaders in the second half. Janning hit one of his 4 threes to make the lead 53-35 with under 10:00 to play. Nkem Ojougboh added 12 points and Manny Adako scored 9.

Now the Huskies will look to improve to 4-1 when they take on Boston University on Tuesday night at Matthew’s Arena.

Battle of Boston

2008-11-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

Come see the Huskies battle their city rival Boston University tonight at 8 p.m. at Matthew's Arena

Huskies Light Up Friars

2008-11-19T23:11:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night the Northeastern Huskies earned their first victory over Providence College since 1926.

Before traveling to Providence on Friday night, the Huskies practiced and watched film on the Friars. They then drove and hour to the Biltmore Hotel in the heart of downtown Providence. As if the Huskies weren’t excited enough, the hotel added extra. The players loved the size of the rooms, beds, and most importantly the television.

Saturday morning the Huskies went down the street to shoot around at the newly renovated Dunkin Donuts Center. It was going to be the Huskies third game of the week, and the coaching staff was working tirelessly to prepare the team for all possible opponents while trying to still have a focus of the Providence game at the end of the week. But anyone who knows this coaching staff knows that they prepare extremely well for all opponents.

The city was buzzing. It was a new beginning, so to speak, for the Friars. They were fresh off of hiring their new head coach, Keno Davis. It was the first official game in the Dunkin Donuts Center for the Friars. Point guard Sharaud Curry was healthy and poised to play his first full season in over a year. There were new seats, luxury boxes, and locker rooms. Everything was scripted out for a nice celebration. The Huskies did not get an invitation to the party, so they crashed it.

Eugene Spates started off the game with a three-pointer. The Huskies are now 2-0 this year when starting the game with a Spates three-pointer. An 8-0 run by the Friars capped off by a Jonathan Kale lay up made it 13-5 in Providence’s favor. It looked like it was going to get out of hand quick, but the Huskies did not fold.
The Huskies kept chipping away and finally took the lead after a 6-0 run making it 20-19 with 3:31 left in the first half. At halftime, the Huskies were on top 26-25.

Here they were again very much in the game, this time in the lead, on the road at a BCS conference school. The energy in the locker room was contagious. We all believed it could be done. Coach Coen ran through some changes briefly, but mainly spoke of one thing. This night was not about them, it was about us. It was about what this team is capable of. It was about holding each other accountable, and playing to our potential. It was about a total team effort, from the guys on the floor and the guys on the bench.

The players took this speech to heart and came out firing in the second half. Matt Janning scored a quick 9 points in the first few minutes of the half. Baptiste Bataille nailed a three-pointer, and suddenly the Huskies found themselves up 11 with 9:11 left to play. But just when it looked like the Friars had given up, they came right back.

Brian McKenzie connected on three three-pointers in a little over two minutes to cut the lead down to three. The place was electrified. People were on their feet and cheering once again, but the Huskies kept fighting. But so did the Friars, tying the game up at 57 after a three-pointer by Geoff McDermott.

Baptiste Bataille, who seemed to be everywhere at once, answered back with a three of his own to make it 60-57 Huskies with just 3:55 to play. After a Jonathan Kale free-throw, it was 60-58 Huskies. The crowd was on their feet, screaming for the defense to stop the Huskies. But Eugene Spates, who had 17 points, hit one of his career high five three from way behind the arc, to make it 63-58.

Providence answered again with a Kale lay up, making it 63-60. Weyinmi Efejuku then stole the ball on the Friar press, and hit a lay up plus the foul to tie the game at 63. And then it happened, the shot. The fans were on their feet, louder than they had been the whole night. But the Huskies ran their offense smoothly and calmly. It looked like practice. Chaisson Allen dribbled the ball, off of a screen and swung it to Matt Janning. Janning, who finished with 24 points, drained a three from, exactly, the end of the coach’s box. The Northeastern bench erupted. So did the traveling section of fans. Everyone else was dead silent.

The Huskies needed one defensive stop to get the win that they have been so close to for the past two years. But a foul put it in jeopardy. Brian McKenzie missed his second free-throw however, and the Janning grabbed the rebound. The Friars fouled, and Chaisson Allen made one of two free-throws to make it 67-64. Allen then stole the ball, and was fouled again. This time he hit both, along with two more from Baptiste Bataille, and the Huskies were in the lead 70-66. The Friars tried one last desperation throw in, but Eugene Spates stole the ball and the Huskies won.

Janning threw the ball up in excitement, and the players wildly embraced. The locker room was booming with noise. After being so close so many times, this group had finally gotten a big non-conference win. It was an extremely enjoyable scene afterwards, and on the bus ride home.

If you ask Bill Coen about this, or any, victory he will tell you about how the players earned it. But not enough can be said about coach Coen and his staff. The amount of preparation and the depth of that preparation which goes into each game is extremely daunting. Congratulations to coach Coen and his staff for one of their biggest wins at Northeastern, with hopefully many more to come.

Michigan Downs NU

2008-11-19T22:40:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night the Huskies were defeated by the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Arena.
The Huskies jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, but the Wolverines answered with a 14-2 run of their own. With 3:02 left in the first half, the Huskies trailed 25-20. By halftime, the score was 29-23 in Michigan’s favor.
Being down only 6 on the road in the Big Ten at halftime, the Huskies were very much in it. But the second half was a whole different animal. The Huskies got within four points, but that would be as close as they would get. From there the lead stretched to 11, but the Huskies brought it back down to 8 courtesy of Matt Janning. But Manny Harris and the Wolverines, aided by their home crowd, blew the game open from there going on an 8-0 run.
Harris just could not stay off of the foul line. He shot a total of 14 free-throws, sinking 13 of them. Harris scored 26 points, to go along with 10 rebounds and 8 assists. The Wolverines were hitting all of their shots, while the Huskies couldn’t buy a bucket. Northeastern shot 29 percent from the field, including 4-24 from behind the arc. Michigan closed the doors to Madison Square Garden, winning 76-56.
Needless to say, the locker room was yet again not that loud. The Huskies again came so close to a marquee win, and again fell short. Coach Coen was disappointed with their play, but told the team that it was just one game and it was still only November 12th. There is still a lot of basketball to be played.
There was really not even enough time to sleep away the loss. The wake up call for Thursday morning was 4:45 a.m., so most did not go to sleep. Players packed their bags and tried to relax after a tough night. It was a very silent ride back. But this silence was not one of defeat, more of disappointment and determination. As players and staff, this group has come close to so many huge victories on the road against BCS conference schools, but has yet to win one. The desire and hunger for such a win has never been greater.

Huskies Defeat IUPUI

2008-11-19T22:03:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night, the Huskies started their season off the right way, with a win.

Crisler Arena was the opening venue for the Huskies as they defeated IUPUI in the first round of the 2KSports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.

The Huskies left Boston on Monday afternoon, flying out of Logan Airport. It seemed like it was Christmas Eve for the team, as they anxiously sat in the airport waiting to board and get to Ann Arbor.

Once they landed in Detroit, the Huskies boarded the bus to the hotel in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After a quick stretching session with Art, the team trainer, dinner was served with a side of game film on IUPUI.

Tuesday morning was the first time the Huskies entered Crisler Arena. Driving to the arena was quite an experience. When you drive up the street, you drive by Michigan Stadium, or “The Big House”. The team entrance is also right behind the stadium, which was really impressive to see. Northeastern was put in the Michigan football coaches’ locker room, but nobody put their things in Rich Rodriguez’s locker.

The shoot around and walkthrough seemed to go on forever, since the start of a new season was only hours away. But there was no doubt about the focus of this group. A pre-game meal was served, and one last film session was held. It was finally time to suit up and play.

From start to finish, the Huskies led. Eugene Spates started the season off right with back to back three-pointers, the second three being a four-point play. The Huskies led 11-6 at the first media time out, and then started to distance themselves from the Jaguars. At the half, the Huskies led 32-22.

The Jaguars would not let the Huskies go without a fight, and pulled to within 6. But Vinny Lima came up huge for the Huskies with 4 straight points at a crucial point in the game. The lead was run all the way up to 17 points, and the Huskies came away with the victory 73-60.

Four of the five Huskies starters scored in double figures. Senior Eugene Spates led the way with 14 points, while Matt Janning scored 13 of his own. Nkem Ojougboh scored 12 points, and Chaisson Allen scored 11 points while dishing out 6 assists. Vinny Lima was the spark that started the fire, scoring 8 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in just 13 minutes.

After the game, the locker room was not that loud. Head coach Bill Coen made a very good point to his players. He told them that he knew why it was so quiet, and that was because this group knows what it is capable of doing. It was time to prepare for tomorrow night.

Apologies

2008-11-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

My apologies to everyone. I have not been able to post after the last three games due to computer issues which have recently been resolved. Thanks for your patience, and again, sorry for the inconvenience.

Annual Intrasquad Scrimmage

2008-11-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

On Thursday November 6th, the Huskies will hold their annual intrasquad scrimmage. It will be held at Solomon Court in the Cabot Center at 7 p.m. The scrimmage is open to the public and admission is free. This will be the first chance to catch a glimpse of this years team before they begin the season eight days from now on November 11th. For those who need directions, the address for the Cabot Center is 360 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115.

Huskies Picked 2nd

2008-10-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

During media day today in Washington, D.C., the pre-season predictions were released. The CAA predicted that the Huskies will finish 2nd in the conference this year, behind only VCU. Matt Janning was selected as a member of the pre-season All-CAA first team, the only Huskies player to receive an accolade. Here are the complete predicted standings:

1. VCU
2. Northeastern
3. Old Dominion
4. George Mason
5. Delaware
6. Georgia State
7. Hofstra
8. William & Mary
9. James Madison
10. Towson
11. UNC Wilmington
12. Drexel

The new issue of SportingNews does not share the same thoughts as those within the CAA. They have the Huskies picked to finish 6th in the conference, which may serve as motivation. If memory serves us well, the CAA and almost everyone predicted the Huskies to finish last in the 2007-2008 season, and they finished 6th. Predictions are only as good as the paper they are written on. It will be up to the Huskies now to embrace the expectations and live up to them, and that first step is only 20 days away.

Canadian Tour Part 10

2008-10-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

Sept. 3, 2008
Wednesday marked the last game in the long 12-day tour for the Northeastern Huskies, and it was also the craziest.

The day started out with a nice tour of Quebec City. Players and coaches enjoyed the beautiful city and all of its sites. They were constantly stopped in the streets and congratulated on the previous night’s win against Laval and questioned about their next move. After a two-hour bus ride, it was time to play against Bishop’s University.

Last night’s crowd at Laval was rivaled by Bishop’s tonight. The Gaiter faithful were out in full force, as this event was the headline of Frosh Week at the school. Fans were painted in purple and white and were on their feet the whole game.

Chaisson Allen hit a three to start the game, and the Huskies would never lose the lead from there. They took a 41-22 lead into the half, despite 15 first-half turnovers. The lead would get all the way up to 26, and the Gaiter crowd was still in full force, cheering and attacking whatever Huskies were on the floor. Manny Adako scored 19 points and ripped down five rebounds,

Chaisson Allen had 16 points and seven rebounds, while Chris Alvarez chipped in 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists of his own as the Huskies went on to a 69-47 win over the Gaiters.
This group of players has shown before that it can rise to the occasion and play better. For those of you who have been following along with these updates, the message is clear. If we all go to the games and support our team, the Huskies will only play better and better. It’s very simple.

After the game, head coach Bill Coen addressed the team for one last time in Canada. He told them how this will shape the season to come for the Huskies, and that it will have them prepared for life on the road and, of course, the CAA Tournament. Coen emphasized that if they worked hard, they will get to where they ultimately want and deserve to go. In one last huddle, the players thanked the coaches for the experience and opportunity of going on this trip.

From Lennoxville, Quebec, the bus ride to Boston was only about four hours, arriving just past 3:00 a.m. Once the bus was unloaded, players traveled together to the airport where most of them had a flight to catch within the next few hours. A little taste of home will do them well because the school year will be starting in a few days.

An experience like this does not come along very often. The gratitude that the players, and myself have for the tremendous opportunity cannot be summed up. A big thank you to the coaching staff and Northeastern Athletics for making this all possible. For a few weeks, it will just be drills and shooting for the players until they can officially practice starting October 15th.

Hopefully the season will be equally or more successful as the trip was, but this certainly is a great starting point for the Northeastern Huskies.

Canadian Tour Part 9

2008-10-19T23:03:00.000-07:00

Sept. 2, 2008
Tonight was the most exciting and historical of all the nights on the Huskies Canadian tour.

Tuesday marked the first time any NCAA Division I basketball team had ever stepped foot on the campus of Laval University. On the way to the game, the players could see the large signs promoting the game throughout campus. Needless to say, they were excited.

As soon as the Huskies walked into the building, they were mobbed by cameramen. So much so, that one even walked into the locker room until he was escorted out. The president of the university along with other university officials were in attendance, and the school held a pregame press conference, where head coach Bill Coen spoke about the great trip the Huskies have had so far and the great hospitality of Laval.

Posters advertising the game lined the gymnasium and hallways surrounding it. The paper did not go to waste, as the gym was filled to capacity and was as loud as can be.

After exchanging gifts at midcourt and after team introductions, it was finally time to play basketball. Laval came to play; the teams were tied at 19 after the first quarter. But the Huskies took the lead late in the second quarter and would not relinquish it, thanks to a 7-0 run to end the half with a 43-36 lead.

In the third, the Huskies pushed the lead to 13 points including a thunderous one-handed breakaway slam by Chris Alvarez that kept the crowd buzzing. He finished with eight points and seven rebounds. Matt Janning led the way for the Huskies with 20 points, while Matt Smith scored 13 off the bench, including two fourth-quarter three-pointers. Baptiste Bataille stepped up once again with his pesky defense. He had 10 points to go along with three steals. Manny
Adako continued his stellar play with 14 points and eight rebounds.

The Huskies cruised to an 84-72 victory in what proved to be their toughest game atmosphere. This screams out to the whole Northeastern community: pack Matthews Arena! To say the least, the way the Huskies handled and fed off of the crowd was impressive. They will have to have the same focus this year during their tough road schedule both in and out of conference.

Tomorrow will be the last day of the tour for the Huskies. In the morning, the team will take a bus tour of Quebec City, and then travel two hours to Bishop’s University to play its final game.

After the game, it will be one last bus ride for the Huskies, arriving in Boston early Thursday morning.

Canadian Tour Part 8

2008-10-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

Sept. 1, 2008
Montreal acted as a second home for the Huskies, showing huge improvements in just one day in the great city.

Upon arriving at the hotel yesterday, the team went out and had, by far, the best meal during this trip as of yet. “Reuben’s” served the players and coaches a delicious steak dinner, which may be the food of choice if they keep playing they way they did tonight.

Once dinner ended, the team walked around the city and enjoyed the sights a bit, and then it was time to get rested up for a tough McGill team. Fresh off a seven-point loss to Kansas, McGill went out and beat the University of Virginia on Sunday.

The Redmen meant business, and the Huskies knew it. In fact, they would not even let Northeastern into the gym to shoot around on Monday. Even that might not have slowed the Huskies down, who won 87-73.

In the first quarter, playing FIBA rules again, things did not look promising for the Huskies, trailing 25-20. Although five points is not a large deficit, McGill’s Moustafa El Zanaty scored 20 of those 25. But head coach Bill Coen told his players to keep playing hard and keep playing together on defense, and they did.

The Huskies opened the second quarter with a 14-1 run with six minutes to play in the half. They then promptly finished it up with a 7-0 run to take a 45-38 lead into halftime.
Northeastern started the third quarter with all the momentum and continued to push throughout the quarter. Eugene Spates nailed a step-back three-pointer, one of his four from behind the arc, at the buzzer to make it 67-54 after three. Things then got a little chippy from there, including an intentional foul against the Redmen, as Matt Janning was grabbed around the shoulders and head as he attempted a breakaway dunk. But the Huskies did not lose their composure and coasted to the double-digit victory.

El Zanaty would only score 11 more points from the end of the first, finishing with a game-high 31. Matt Janning scored 30 of his own, including a posterizing dunk plus the foul on an unfortunate Redmen player. Manny Adako scored 23 points on 10 of 10 shooting in 26 minutes. And as Chaisson Allen goes, so go the Huskies; the sophomore had nine points, five assists, five steals and no turnovers.

From there it was time to shower and get on the bus, where Adako continued his perfect night. This time it was a great movie selection; Casino Royale was his choice for the almost three hour bus ride to Quebec City, where the Huskies will play Laval University tomorrow night.

Canadian Tour Part 7

2008-10-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

Aug. 30, 2008
Saturday was a day of rest, so to speak, for the Huskies, who have just finished playing three games in as many days.

After breakfast, the players and coaches got a bit of rest. They then traveled to Carleton University for a workout and light practice.
At night, the Huskies traveled to watch defending NCAA Tournament champion Kansas take on Carleton University. The players sat in the lower level of the gorgeous Scotiabank Place, which was well attended. It came down to the final buzzer, but Kansas came away with the victory 84-83.

Once the game was over, the Huskies went back to the hotel. It was time to eat, pack, and go to bed for the team who will be traveling to Montreal, Quebec tomorrow morning.

It will be another day off for the Huskies on Sunday. Then it will be three games in three days for Northeastern, which hopes to go unblemished in the remainder of its exhibitions.

Canadian Tour Part 6

2008-10-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

Aug. 29, 2008
On Friday, the Huskies were privileged enough to be taken on a tour of the Parliament of Canada. Although enjoyable, game time could not come fast enough for the group. Hungry to avenge the disappointment of last night’s outing, the Huskies took on an Algonquin team unfortunate enough to run into them after a loss.

From start to finish, the Huskies led the way. After opening up on a 14-2 run, Northeastern did not look back. At the half, the Huskies led 47-33 and broke open the game in the early stages of the second half with a 22-point lead.

The Thunder did not go away though, whittling the lead down to 6. But that would be as close as they got, as the Huskies came out on top 86-70.
Vinny Lima had 23 points and seven rebounds, while Eugene Spates scored 15 and pulled down 10 boards. Matt Smith scored 15 points while Baptiste Bataille ran the show for the Huskies, scoring 13 of his own to go along with six assists and three steals.

In their last game in Ottawa, the Huskies leave on a good note. Spirits were high on the bus ride back to the hotel. Tonight was a must win, and the team made sure that it happened.
Tomorrow will be a practice day for the Huskies. They will also attend an exhibition game that pits defending NCAA Tournament champion Kansas Jayhawks against Carleton University.