BOSTON – If you knew nothing else about Northeastern this season and only watched Saturday’s game in a vacuum, you might think it was like old times – last year, in fact. The Huskies looked like a team with a lot of energy, in great spirits, and picking up a win on their home court as they pulled out a 78-68 win over UNC-Wilmington on Senior Day.
As if the end result wasn’t enough, who led the way can add to the familiar setting, at least in one sense. The Huskies were led by a senior and got contributions from a couple of other senior starters. That might sound like last season’s news, and it’s not entirely the same as Vinny Lima and Ben Felix haven’t played many minutes, let alone started. But both helped classmate Chaisson Allen (team-high 17 points, six assists) and perimeter teammates Joel Smith (15 points on 5-8 shooting, including 4-6 from long range) and Jonathan Lee (12 points) in getting the win.
It’s fair to figure that this season has been a little taxing on the soul for the team. Most figured the Huskies were not going to contend for a CAA title with heavy personnel losses and a lot of players needing to grow up fast. That’s been evident all along, as sophomores like Joel Smith and Jonathan Lee have emerged with some considerable growing pains, and freshmen Ryan Pierson and Alex Harris have played like freshmen. But certainly, few probably figured they would finish tenth in the conference and have their first CAA season with a sub-.500 conference record.
“We knew coming into the year we were going to go through some growing pains and would watch these guys grow right before our eyes,” said Allen.
The Huskies have lost seven games by five points or less and three more by six points. They won a few of those games as well, including three straight to close out January, as well as a wild one a week earlier at UNC Asheville in the BracketBusters. In that respect, it appears that this team is getting better. Ever since they started 0-8 in CAA play, they have been in every game they lost, including giving George Mason all they could handle in the Patriot Center a couple of nights earlier.
Saturday’s game had a pretty good blueprint for success from a statistical standpoint. The starting perimeter trio all scored in double digits, which has often been a good sign, and Kauri Black had a good day inside with 13 points and six rebounds. Alex Harris made all four of his shots coming off the bench, completing a regular season where he has looked like a classic freshman in that he’s shown great potential while also looking at times like someone who is adjusting to college basketball.
“Sometimes he makes plays that nobody else in the gym can make, on either team,” head coach Bill Coen said of Harris. “He’s super athletic, gets his hands on so many balls, when he gets a steal he’s out, has great quickness and can get in passing lanes. He can really be disruptive to the other team.”
Northeastern will enter the CAA Tournament hopeful for a good result. They will open with a Delaware, a team that has made a jump in the standings this season and also beat the Huskies twice. That came after Northeastern had won every game between the two teams since the Huskies joined the CAA. Northeastern has advanced to the quarterfinals every season since joining the CAA, a streak they hope doesn’t join that of consecutive .500 or better seasons.
For a day at least, it looked like old times at Matthews Arena. The Huskies hope it looks like that in Richmond in a few more days.
