Box Score | Coach Coen's Postgame Comments
Senior guard Chaisson Allen led four Huskies in double figures as Northeastern launched its 2010-11 campaign with a 66-64 win over crosstown rival Boston University in men's college basketball action on Friday night at Matthews Arena. The Huskies led by 12 at the half and held off a furious BU rally to with their home opener for the third straight season.
Allen netted 20 points for the Huskies, while sophomore forward Kauri Black picked up his first career double-double with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, both career highs. Freshman guard Alex Harris scored 12 points in his collegiate debut, including a pair of clutch free throws with 5.4 seconds remaining that put the game away, and sophomore guard Joel Smith chipped in a career-high 10 points.
Senior guard John Holland led the Terriers with a game-high 25 points in defeat. Freshman guard D.J. Irving scored 14 points in his collegiate debut and junior forward Jake O'Brien added 11 points and eight rebounds.
After a back-and-forth start, the Huskies claimed a 15-10 lead when sophomore guard Joel Smith completed a four-point play, the Huskies' first four-point play in two years. The Terriers came back to tie the game at 17-17 before a 10-2 run gave Northeastern an eight-point advantage and a lead the Huskies never relinquished. Allen drained three straight jumpers to close the first half and give the Huskies a 41-29 lead at the break.
The Huskies held the Terriers at arms length early on in the second half, pushing the lead to 56-43 with 9:45 to go, but Boston University came charging back with a 14-2 run that had the Huskies clinging to a 58-57 lead with 3:41 to go. The Terriers never tied the game, though, and after a Holland 3-pointer brought the Terriers within two with 45 seconds to go, Black grabbed his 12th rebound of the night on the offensive end, diving off the court to save possession for the Huskies. Harris was fouled and made both shots to make Irving's layup at the buzzer for the Terriers a moot point.
The Huskies are in action again on Tuesday, visiting Carbondale, Ill., to take on Southern Illinois at 10 a.m. (ET) as part of ESPN's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon. Northeastern returns to Matthews Arena on Saturday, Nov. 20, to host Siena in a game that will be televised online at GoNU.tv and on HuskyCable Channel 81.
