Box score

Manny Adako scored a game-high 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting, and Chaisson Allen added 17 points and seven assists as the Northeastern University men's basketball team dropped VCU 62-57 at the Verizon Wireless Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, Va.

The win snaps an 11-game home winning streak for VCU (9-3, 1-2 CAA) as the Huskies are the only team to win on the Rams' home floor since March 2008, a span of 23 games. NU also won at the Siegel Center on Jan. 27, 2009.

"I guess everybody can tell by the intensity on the court that CAA play has begun," said Northeastern head coach Bill Coen. "I thought it was an extremely competitive basketball game right from the tip. We were just fortunate at the end of the game to get some stops and make some shots to give us the slight advantage that we earned."

Northeastern (7-7, 2-1 CAA) got off to an outstanding start, going on a 7-0 run and forcing three VCU turnovers in the game's first 117 seconds. Adako put NU on the board with an easy layup off a jump pass from Allen. Nkem Ojougboh then stripped T.J. Gwynn of the ball, but Baptiste Bataille missed a three-pointer. It was of no consequence though as Joey Rodriguez through an errant pass that ended up in Matt Janning's hands. He fed Bataille, who fed Allen for a three-pointer. Allen then had a steal of his own, taking the ball away from Gwynn and then slashing to the hoop for a fastbreak layup. VCU head coach Shaka Smart immediately called a timeout at 18:03 as the Huskies led 7-0 before VCU ever took a shot.

However, things went all VCU's way right after that timeout. On an inbounds play, Gwynn knocked the ball away from Janning, and Bradford Burgess grabbed the easy layup. Brandon Rozzell then made his presence felt with three consecutive three-pointers, all in a span of 1:39, with his third trey coming at 15:39 and giving the Rams an 11-9 advantage.

That helped spark at 16-2 run that ended with Ed Nixon's jumper with the shot clock winding down at 13:35, making it 16-9 in favor of VCU.

Northeastern recovered quick enough to not let things get out of hand. Adako went to work with a pair of jumpers at 8:55 and 8:02 to get the Huskies within six, 21-15. After a pair of Allen free throws, Rodriguez dialed up a three-pointer to give the Rams a 24-17 lead with 6:18 remaining. It was then 28-19 in favor of VCU when the Huskies scored the half's last six points as Vinny Lima nailed a short jumper as the shot clock was expiring and Adako dunked home a ball and then cleaned up Allen's missed jumper with a putback. NU trailed by only three at the break, 28-25.

In the second half, Allen tied the game up 45 seconds in with a three-pointer. The two teams traded baskets and leads for a while, then VCU went on top with a Larry Sanders dunk and a Rodriguez layup, making it 40-37 with 14:20 left.

That was VCU's last lead of the game as the Huskies went on a 11-0 run to wrest control of the game. Adako was the catalyst, starting the run with a fading hook shot at 13:45. Then Allen gave the Huskies the lead for good with a three-pointer at 13:13 off a pass from Adako, who followed with a layup off a lane pass from Lima. Adako scored again on a baby hook at 11:04, and Janning capped the run with a long jumper with a defender in his face at 10:14. The Huskies led 48-40.

VCU did not quit though as the Rams went on a 6-2 run to wake up the crowd and close the deficit to two. Sanders' two points after Ojougboh was called for goaltending at 5:33, making it 50-49 Northeastern.

However, Allen had another trick up his sleeve, draining yet another three, his fourth of the game, to silence the crowd and put NU back up four, 53-49, with 5:25 remaining.

VCU managed to cut it to two points two more times, but Ojougboh then stepped up with two huge plays. He knocked down a 17-footer from the top of the key at 1:44 to give NU a four-point lead again, 57-53. Then after a pair of Janning free throws made it 59-53, Ojougboh swatted away Sanders' dunk attempt with 48 seconds remaining, one of four Ojougboh blocks on the night. That forced the Rams to foul, and although the Huskies were only 3-for-7 from the free throw line in the final minute, VCU missed four three-point shots in the final 48 seconds.

At the end of the day, Northeastern's offense, defense and ability to hold onto the ball won itself the game. The Huskies shot an efficient 48.1 percent from the field, 55.6 percent from three-point range. The defense held VCU to 38.7 percent shooting and just four free throw attempts. The Huskies committed just 12 turnovers while creating 16 assists.

Northeastern will have another tough battle on its hands Thursday when the Huskies host George Mason at Matthews Arena at 7 p.m. The game will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet New England and The Comcast Network.