Box Score
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Game recap
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Postgame press conference with head coach Bill Coen
BOSTON – After notching back-to-back buzzer-beating victories to open the season, the Northeastern men's basketball team could not keep the magic alive on Saturday, dropping a 66-55 decision to visiting Vermont at Matthews Arena. Senior co-captain
Joel Smith (Leander, Texas) scored a game-high 25 points, and the Huskies (2-1) staged a late rally, but could not overcome a double-digit second-half deficit.
Northeastern held all-conference honoree Brian Voelkel scoreless, but freshman Ethan O'Day scored a team-best 17 points to lead four Catamounts (2-1) in double figures.
Sophomore
Reggie Spencer (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) continued his strong early-season play, finishing with 10 points and a team-high nine boards. Sophomore
Quincy Ford (St. Petersburg, Fla.), who scored a career-high 27 points at Princeton, registered seven points, while
Demetrius Pollard (Virginia Beach, Va.) added six,
Zach Stahl (Chanhassen, Minn.) five, and
Chris Avenant (Sacramento, Calif.) two.
Leading 31-22 at halftime, Vermont never relinquished the advantage over the final 20 minutes of play. The Catamounts, who shot 88 percent from the free-throw line (14-16), came up with critical defensive stops in the game's late stages to hold off NU's comeback bid.
Northeastern kept the deficit manageable until the final minute — narrowing the gap to just three points (43-40) on a Spencer layup with 11:05 remaining, but that was a close as the Huskies would come.
Vermont pushed the advantage back to 12 with three minutes to play. But the Huskies, who overcame double-digit deficits to post victories in their first two outings, made one final push.
After a 5-0 spurt gave NU life in the last few minutes of play, Pollard – the hero of the season opener — knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner with just under a minute left to pull the home side within five at 60-55. Vermont, though, connected on all six of its free throw attempts to seal the victory.
The Catamounts enjoyed a solid shooting performance on the night, connecting on 43 percent of their field goals (23-53), 46 percent of their 3-pointers (6-13), and 88 percent of their free-throw attempts (14-16).
Northeastern, meanwhile, shot 37 percent from the field (20-54), 35 percent from beyond the arc (8-23), and 58 percent (7-12) from the line.
Northeastern will return to action on Wednesday when it faces UC Riverside in the opening round of the 2012 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (Alaska time). The tournament, which is the nation's longest-running regular-season college basketball tournament, will continue through Nov. 24 at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska.
For Northeastern, it will be the second-ever appearance in the Great Alaska Shootout. The Huskies earned a spot in the 1986 championship game after defeating defending national champion and nationally-ranked No. 2 Louisville and Utah State in the opening rounds. In the title tilt against No. 10 Iowa, Northeastern legend Reggie Lewis scored 29 points, and narrowly missed a double-double with eight rebounds. Iowa, though, shot 70 percent to secure the victory.
Game notes
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Joel Smith scored a season-high 25 points, his most since a 29-point effort in a victory over St. John's on Nov. 26, 2011
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Reggie Spencer narrowly missed his third career double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing nine boards
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Demetrius Pollard tied a career high with six points
> Smith went 5-of-9 from 3-point range; he now has made at least one 3-pointer in 52 of Northeastern's last 55 games
> Northeastern will be meeting UC Riverside for the first time in program history on Wednesday in Anchorage, Alaska
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