Box score

Matt Janning scored a season-high 23 points, and the Northeastern University basketball team came out in the second half on an 18-5 to springboard itself to a 66-54 victory over Georgia State Saturday in Atlanta.

Northeastern (9-7, 4-1 CAA) has now won seven consecutive contests, its longest such streak since winning eight in a row from Feb. 9, 2005 to March 6, 2005. The Huskies have also now won four conference games in eight days for the second consecutive season.

Janning was 8-for-15 from the field, helping Northeastern shoot 51.2 percent (22-for-43) for the game, 60 percent (12-for-20) in the second half. The Huskies also used offensive rebounds to their advantage, scoring 19 second chance points on nine offensive boards.

After a competitive first half that saw NU lead by only two, 24-22, the Huskies came out rolling the second half with 18 of the first 23 points. Nkem Ojougboh got it started with an easy open layup next to the basket. Janning folowed with a three-point play after driving to the hole, hitting the layup and drawing the foul. Manny Adako then got into the act with a hook shot and then took a pass from Chaisson Allen, slashed to the lane and laid in a finger roll.

Janning then hit a catch-and-shoot three-pointer at 15:34 to give the Huskies a 36-25 advantage. It was two Alwayne Bigby free throws and another Adako layup before Georgia State scored again. Trey Hampton hit a jumper to cut GSU's deficit to 13, 40-27.

However, the next sequence took the wind out of the Panthers' sails. Allen went up for a layup, but was blocked by Hampton The rebound caromed to Janning, who ran the shot clock down and took a deep three-pointer that missed, but Allen grabbed the board, ran the shot clock down again and then hit a mid-range jumper to put NU back on top by 15, 42-27. NU held the ball for approximately 90 seconds during the sequence.

Georgia State (8-9, 2-3 CAA) cut Northeastern's lead to nine, 42-33, with a 8-2 run, but the Huskies came right back with 7-0 run that was capped by Mathiang Muo's three-pointer in the left corner at 6:25. The Huskies led by 16, 49-33.

Allen's three-pointer at 4:22 made it 54-38, but Georgia State cut it to 10 before Adako laid down the hammer. With 2:18 left, Janning took a short jumper on the block that hit off the side of the rim, and Adako was there for the tip-in. He was fouled behind the back by Hampton, and Adako completed the three-point play with the free throw, putting the team back on top by 13.

In the game's final two minutes, Georgia State tried to foul its way back into the game, but the Huskies were 7-for-8 from the charity stripe at the end.

Besides Janning's 23, Allen had 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Adako added 11, all coming in the second half. He eclipsed the 1,000 career points mark with his eighth point of the game.

Georgia State was led by Joe Dukes, who had 15 points. Xavier Hansboro added 13.

Although the Huskies had a 10-point lead in the first half, the first 20 minutes of the game proved to be a competitive battle. The Huskies opened the game on a 14-3 run, making their first four shots. Janning had seven of NU's first 14 points, including a long three-pointer at 17:21 that made it 9-3. Ojougboh followed with an 18-foot jump shot off an inbounds pass from Allen, who then finished the run with a wide-open three off a kickout pass from Adako. The Huskies were up 14-3 with 14:22 to play.

Georgia State then picked up its defense, as the Huskies had just four field goals the rest of the half and scored just one point in the final five minutes. The Panthers went on a 12-5 run that included a pair of long jumpers from James Fields. Dante Curry's teardrop jumper at 8:30 got GSU within four, 19-15.

Janning made a teardrop of his own at 5:32 to give NU the 23-17 advantage, but that was the team's last field goal of the half as it missed its final five shots. Trae Goldston made a basket with 38 seconds left and NU missed a final shot, giving the Huskies only a two-point lead at the break, 24-22.

Northeastern is next on the court this Wednesday when Delaware comes to Matthews Arena for a 7 p.m. tilt.