Box score

Connecticut overcame a six-point deficit with six minutes left to sneak away with a 59-57 win over Northeastern in the first round of the NIT Tuesday night in Storrs, Conn.

No. 4 seed Connecticut (18-15) advances to the second round against either No. 1 Virginia Tech or No. 8 Quinnipiac. No. 5 seed Northeastern ends its season with a 20-13 record, its first 20-victory season under head coach Bill Coen and the program's first since 2005.

Matt Janning led Northeastern with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting, 3-for-7 from three-point range. Manny Adako (14), Nkem Ojougboh (11) and Chaisson Allen (10) all chipped in double figures for NU, which shot 41 percent for the game and committed only six turnovers.

Jerome Dyson led Connecticut with 18 points as UConn shot 44 percent from the floor. Connecticut has now beaten Northeastern seven consecutive times and holds a 35-4 series edge.

The Huskies got off to a fast start on the hot hand of Janning. He threw an alley oop dunk pass to Ojougboh on the game's first possession, then followed up with a three-pointer on the next time down. After Allen had a steal and a dunk, the Huskies took an early eight-point lead on Janning's catch-and-shoot three from about 23 feet out. NU led 10-2 at the 17:15 mark.

UConn quickly responded with a 9-0 run, including a Stanley Robinson putback at 12:17 that put Connecticut on top for the first time 11-10.

Northeastern went scoreless for 5:50 until Janning bombed another three-pointer at 11:26 to put NU back on top. The teams traded points for a while until UConn went on a 11-1 run after NU had tied the game at 21-21. The big play came on Alex Oriakhi's three-point play after grabbing an offensive rebound. Dyson's free throws at 2:18 made it a 10-point game in favor of UConn, 32-22.

The half ended with a pair of Allen free throws, a Robinson long two-point jumper and a Dinko Marshavelski banked jumper for NU, sending the teams into halftime at 34-26 in favor of Connecticut.

In the second half, Northeastern staged a furious comeback to vault itself back into the contest. An 11-3 run that included six Adako points and a three-point play from Baptiste Bataille got NU within two, 39-37. After a Dyson basket put UConn up four, NU went on a 10-2 run that was aided by a Janning steal and pass to Ojougboh for a fastbreak layup. Shortly thereafter, Janning made two free throws to put the Huskies on top by four, 47-43.

Connecticut got within one, 47-46, but Northeastern then opened up a six-point lead with a 7-2 run to make it 54-48 with 5:58 remaining in the game.

From that point forward, Dyson took over for Connecticut, scoring nine of the team's final 11 points, including a big three-pointer that cut the NU lead from five to two with 2:45 left to play. Robinson tied the game for UConn with a layup off a lob pass from Dyson.

With the game tied at 57-57, Adako missed a jumper, and coming back down the court, Alwayne Bigby was called for a block on Dyson. Dyson hit both free throws to put UConn on top 59-57 with 53 seconds remaining.

On the next possession, Janning had a good look at a three-pointer, but missed. Ojougboh grabbed the rebound, but his putback was blocked by Oriakhi. NU fouled Kemba Walker, who missed the 1-and-1. Then Janning missed a runner, and the ball went out of bounds to UConn. Walker was again fouled and again missed the 1-and-1, setting up the final scene. With 12 seconds left, the Huskies tried to get the ball in Janning's hands, but he was well covered. Bataille ended up getting the ball, but his game-winning three-pointer clanged off the rim and as the teams fought for the ball, time expired.

In the end, rebounding hurt Northeastern as UConn outrebounded the team 40-27, including 13 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second chance points.

Northeastern ends the 2009-10 campaign with a 20-13 record, 14-4 in the CAA, which was good for second place. The team had non-conference wins over Utah State, Wright State and Kent State, the latter victory leading to the 2009 Cable Car Classic championship. The Huskies racked up an 11-game winning streak, which was the longest in the program since the 1986-87 season. Northeastern had the most CAA wins since joining the league and advanced to the CAA Championship semifinals for the first time since 2006.

Northeastern was led by five seniors, including Janning, who graduates as the program's fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,836 points and is only the sixth Husky to ever earn three All-Conference selections. Adako graduates as the program's 12th all-time leading scorer with 1,209 points. Ojougboh graduates as NU's fourth-best all-time shot blocker with 133. Also contributing were tri-captain Bataille and Brian McDonald.