ANCHORAGE, Alaska—Northeastern and Charlotte will meet on Saturday in Anchorage in the 2012 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout championship game. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. (12:30 a.m. EST). The game will be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network.

The Huskies (4-1) came back from a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat previously unbeaten Belmont (4-1), 74-71, on Friday in the semifinal round. NU was victorious over UC Riverside, 61-52, in the opening round on Wednesday. Charlotte (5-0) defeated Texas State (73-64) and Oral Roberts (72-58) to advance.

Northeastern is playing in the Shootout championship game for the second time in as many tournament appearances.

Fans can catch all the action live on CBS Sports Network, with Brent Stover and Pete Gillen on the call. WRBB radio (104.9 FM and WRBBsports.com) will also carry the game live, with Brandon Challener and Zolan Kanno-Youngs calling the action.




Storylines
> Northeastern will play in its second Great Alaska Shootout championship game in as many tournament appearances; the Huskies advanced to the title game in their only other visit to Alaska (1986) by shocking defending national champion No. 2 Louisville in the first round and besting Utah State in the semifinal

> Northeastern twice rallied from double-digit deficits—including a 16-point second-half deficit—to defeat previously unbeaten Belmont, 74-71, on Friday in the semifinal; NU defeated UC Riverside, 61-52, in the first round

> Northeastern is 4-1 to open a season for just the third time since 1992 ('92-93, '05-06,'12-13)

> Sharpshooting senior Joel Smith currently ranks third in NU history in career 3-point FG percentage (.393) and fourth in career 3-point FG made (174); Smith also is just 83 points shy of 1,000 career points

> Northeastern has rallied from double-digit deficits in three of its four wins: Boston University (10), Princeton (18) and Belmont (16)

Scouting the teams
NORTHEASTERN
Northeastern rallied from 16-points down in the second half to defeat previously unbeaten Belmont and advance to the championship game of the Great Alaska Shootout. The Huskies, who opened the season 4-1 for just the third time since 1992, are led by senior sharpshooter Joel Smith (17.6 ppg), who tallied 26 points against Belmont. Sophomore Quincy Ford leads the team in rebounding (6.6) and is second in scoring (14.0). Fellow sophomore Reggie Spencer also averages double figures (11.8).  NU freshmen Zach Stahl (13), David Walker (6) and Derrico Peck (4) all scored career highs on Friday night.

CHARLOTTE
Charlotte enters Saturday night's championship game at 5-0. The 49ers defeated Oral Roberts, 72-58, in the semifinal game, and Texas State, 73-64, in the opening round. Third-year head coach Alan Major's squad is led by Chris Braswell (14.8 ppg). DeMario Mayfield (13.0) and Terrence Williams (10.0) also average in double figures. Charlotte is holding its opponents to just 56 ppg on 33 percent shooting. The 49ers are limiting the opposition to just a 25 percent clip from beyond the arc. Charlotte will be looking to equal the best start in school history (6-0) with a win.

Return to the Last Frontier
Northeastern is making its second-ever appearance in the Great Alaska Shootout. After Friday's 74-71 semifinal win over Belmont, the Huskies own a 4-1 all-time record in Shootout games. In their previous trip (1986), the Huskies shocked defending national champion and nationally-ranked No. 2 Louisville, 88-84, in the opening round en route to the championship game. NU defeated Utah State, 96-91, in the second round. In the title game, Northeastern legend Reggie Lewis turned in a heroic effort, scoring 29 points, and narrowly missing a double-double with eight rebounds. No. 10 Iowa, though, shot 70 percent to secure the 103-80 victory. Northeastern posted a 27-7 season that year, including a 17-1 mark in league play, and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the sixth time in seven years.

Huskies in the Shootout
11/28/86 vs. No. 2 Louisville 88-84, W
11/29/86 vs. Utah State  96-91, W
11/30/86 vs. No. 10 Iowa  80-103, L
11/21/12 vs. UC Riverside  61-52, W
11/23/12 vs. Belmont  74-71, W

Playing the field
The Huskies are 4-2 all-time against the Shootout field, including two wins in this year's event. NU owns 1-0 records against Belmont, UC Riverside, Loyola Marymount and Texas State, and is 0-2 against Charlotte.

NU against the Shootout field
Alaska Anchorage 0-0
Belmont  1-0 (Friday)
UC Riverside 1-0 (Wednesday)
Charlotte  0-2
Loyola Marymount 1-0
Oral Roberts 0-0
Texas State  1-0

One game, 275 points
Northeastern and fellow Shootout participant Loyola Marymount played in the highest-scoring game in NU history. On Nov. 24, 1990, playing in the Maui Classic, the two teams combined for a remarkable 275 points in a wild affair won by Northeastern, 152-123. The 152-point mark is a Northeastern school record, and the 123 points scored by LMU also set the record for most points by an NU opponent.

Young guns
With Jonathan Lee sidelined with an injury, co-captain Joel Smith is the lone senior in the NU lineup. Smith has answered the call, averaging a team-leading 17.6 ppg. Much of the Huskies' production, though, has come from the freshman and sophomore classes. Collectively, those two classes have accounted for 73 percent of total minutes played, 70 percent of total scoring, and 70 percent of total rebounding.

Cardiac Canines
The Huskies have had a flair for the dramatic this season, overcoming double-digit deficits in three victories. NU erased a 10-point deficit against Boston University in the opener, winning on a last-second 3-pointer by Demetrius Pollard. In game two, the Huskies stormed back from 18 points down in the second half to shock Princeton. Reggie Spencer delivered the game-winner at Jadwin Gym—a layup off a perfect feed from freshman Zach Stahl with just two seconds remaining. In the Great Alaska Shootout semifinal, NU twice overcame double-digit margins—including a 16-point second-half gap—to claim victory.

King Husky's Alaskan Roots
Northeastern traces its nickname—Huskies—to 1927, and the arrival of the school's beloved mascot, King Husky I. King was born in Nome, Alaska, on March 17, 1926, and arrived in Boston by train on March 5, 1927. In a jubilant welcome, more than 1,000 students, led by mounted police and the university band, met the train at Boston's North Station and paraded King to the university campus. In a ceremony welcoming King Husky to campus, Northeastern's first president, Frank Speare, proclaimed: “The name Husky suggests to me speed, endurance, determination, intelligence, teamwork and recognition of leadership.” As NU's first mascot, King Husky I served faithfully for 14 years.

The Anchorage Daily News retraced King Husky's roots:
www.adn.com/2012/11/22/2701467/northeastern-university-embraced.html

Dialing in from deep: Smith and Lee among NU's all-time best
Joel Smith now ranks as one of the greatest 3-point shooters in Northeastern history, and he and fellow senior Jonathan Lee are two of NU's most proficient ever. Smith finished the 2011-12 season ranked nationally in 3-point field goals per game and currently ranks fourth all-time at NU in 3-pointers made. The sharpshooter has made at least one 3-pointer in 54 of NU's last 57 games. Lee is currently second on the program's list of career 3-point percentage, while Smith is ranked third.

Career 3-point FG percentage (min. 100 att.)
1. John Williams (1984-88)  .453
2. Jonathan Lee (2009-present) .435
3. Joel Smith (2009-present) .393

Career 3-point FG made
1. J.J. Barea (2002-06)  255
2. Matt Janning (2006-10)  223
3. Chaisson Allen (2007-11)  180
4. Joel Smith (2009-present) 174

1,000-point watch
Senior co-captains Jonathan Lee and Joel Smith are both on pace to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau this season. They would become the 31st and 32nd players in program history to record 1,000 points.

Lee and Smith point watch
Joel Smith  94 games 917 points
Jonathan Lee 74 games 830 points

Ford's dominating night
Sophomore Quincy Ford turned in a career-performance on Nov. 17 at Princeton. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native scored a career-best and game-high 27 points on 8-of-13 shooting (61.5 percent). Ford scored 18 of his 27 points in the decisive second half. He connected on a career-high five 3-pointers, going a remarkable 5-of-6 from distance (83.3 percent), and was 6-of-8 (75 percent) from the free-throw line. Ford also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.

Starting with a streak
Northeastern opened the season 2-0 following a 67-66 come-from-behind victory at Princeton on Nov. 17. The win gave the Huskies their second 2-0 start in the last three seasons. The last time NU achieved two 2-0 starts in a three-year span was 1984-87. Those Huskies teams (1984-85 and 1986-87) both captured conference crowns and advanced to the NCAA tournament. Since 1980, the Huskies have started 2-0 seven times (1980-81, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1986- 87, 2005-06, 2010-11, and 2012-13).

Boston bragging rights
Northeastern defeated crosstown rival Boston University, 65-64, in a thrilling season-opener for both teams. Sophomore Demetrius Pollard nailed a three from the top of the key with one second remaining to lift the Huskies to the win and return Boston bragging rights to Huntington Avenue for another year. NU now has defeated BU in three straight season openers and in seven of the last nine head-to-head meetings.

Spencer shines in season openers
Sophomore Reggie Spencer scored a career-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in this year's season-opening win against Boston University. In last year's season opener against BU, the Tuscaloosa, Ala., native collected a double-double in his first-ever collegiate game. He came off the bench to contribute 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots in NU's thrilling 82-74 overtime win. Spencer shot 7-for-8 in that game, including a perfect 5-for-5 in the second half and overtime. He became the first NU player to open his collegiate career with a double-double since former standout Chaisson Allen (2008-11) accomplished the feat on Nov. 11, 2007.

17 career highs reached in opener
Five different returning players set or tied 17 personal career marks in the season-opening win over BU. Reggie Spencer set a new career high for points (18) and tied his career mark for field goals made (7). Marco Banegas-Flores set high marks for points (6), steals (2), and field goals made (3), and tied marks for rebounds (2) and field-goal attempts (5). Joel Smith set new personal bests for assists (5) and free-throw attempts (12). Chris Avenant set new highs for assists (2) and steals (2), and tied his best mark for field-goal attempts (3). Demetrius Pollard tied marks for assists (1), steals (1), 3-point field goals made (1) and attempted (3), and free throw attempts (2).

Successful starts
Northeastern has won four of its last five season openers under head coach Bill Coen, including a 3-0 mark in season openers played at home.

Season openers under Coen
11/15/06 at Syracuse L, 58-81
11/11/07 at Illinois L, 55-63
11/11/08 IUPUI W, 73-60
11/17/09 at Siena L, 53-59
11/12/10 Boston Univ. W, 66-64
11/11/11 at Boston Univ. W, 82-74 OT
11/9/12 Boston Univ. W, 65-64

Matthews magic
Now in his seventh season, Bill Coen has led Northeastern to a 6-1 record in home openers at Matthews Arena. The Huskies are 7-3 all-time under Coen in the month of November at the historic arena.

Home openers under Coen
11/21/06 Boston Univ. W, 73-54
12/1/07 James Madison L, 65-68
11/22/08 Holy Cross W, 61-49
11/21/09 Utah State W, 64-61
11/12/10 Boston Univ. W, 66-64
11/19/11 Southern Ill. W, 64-57
11/9/12 Boston Univ. W, 65-64

Lee named national finalist for Senior CLASS Award
Northeastern men's basketball senior Jonathan Lee has been selected as a candidate for the 2012-13 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate basketball. Lee, a graphic design major from Flint, Mich., is one of just 30 candidates nationally. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence—community, classroom, character and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Three Huskies earn All-CAA honors
Northeastern senior guard Jonathan Lee was named to the preseason All-CAA first team by a vote of the league's coaches, media relations directors and media members. Lee led a trio of Huskies who earned All-CAA honors. Sophomore forward Quincy Ford was voted to the second team, while senior guard Joel Smith earned honorable mention.

NU picked fifth in CAA preseason poll
Northeastern, which returns four starters under seventh-year head coach Bill Coen, was picked fifth in the CAA preseason poll, by a vote of the league's coaches, media relations directors and media members. Last year's regular season champion, Drexel, earned the top spot in the poll, followed by Delaware, George Mason and Old Dominion.

Coen ranks among best in career CAA wins
Bill Coen earned his 63rd career CAA win in the Huskies' 57-49 defeat of William & Mary in the CAA tournament. Coen is currently ninth on the CAA's list of all-time winningest coaches. He is one of just three current CAA coaches to have cracked the top 10.

Leaders of the pack
Seniors Jonathan Lee and Joel Smith were named team captains for the 2012-13 season. The duo also served as captains during the Huskies' 2011-12 campaign.

Lee-ding the way
Last season, as a junior, Jonathan Lee started all 31 games and averaged better than 35 minutes per game to rank fourth in the CAA. The 6-2 guard ranked in the top 15 in the CAA in eight other statistical categories, including scoring, assists, steals, 3-point field goals made, field-goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage, free-throw percentage, and assist-to-turnover ratio. He ranked nationally among all Division I players in points per game, free-throw percentage, assists per game, and steals per game. Lee led Northeastern in scoring (14.5 ppg), assists (3.45 apg), and 3-point field goal percentage (.417), and scored in double-figures in 28 of 31 games. He earned All-CAA honors at the end of last season and was named to the preseason All-CAA First Team this year. He enters the 2012-13 season ranked second in Northeastern history in career free-throw percentage and career 3-point percentage.

Remarkable rookie year
Northeastern was the only team in the CAA to have two freshmen ranked in the top 10 in both freshman scoring and freshman rebounding last season. Quincy Ford ranked third in both scoring and rebounding, while Reggie Spencer ranked second in rebounding and 10th in scoring. Together, the two combined to earn three CAA Rookie of the Week honors.

NU to make nine TV appearances; national TV appearance set for Jan. 3
Northeastern men's basketball will make nine television appearances in 2012-13, the Colonial Athletic Association announced. The Huskies' TV package includes a nationally-televised match up on NBC Sports with CAA rival George Mason on Jan. 3 in Fairfax, Va. In addition, at least 16 NU games will be streamed live online—including a free, HD broadcast of every home game on GoNUxstream (GoNU.com/xstream)—giving fans no fewer than 25 viewing opportunities. GoNUxstream is free to all viewers and is accessible on PC and Mac computers, and mobile devices.

Injuries sideline Lee and Abakah
Northeastern men's basketball senior Jonathan Lee and freshman Kwesi Abakah sustained injuries in preseason practice. Lee, a preseason All-CAA first team selection, injured his foot during routine drills in mid-October. He is expected to miss up to six weeks as a result of the injury. The Flint, Mich., native averaged better than 35 minutes per game to rank fourth in the conference last season. He ranked in the top 15 in the CAA in eight other statistical categories, including scoring, assists and steals. Abakah, a freshman from Suwanee, Ga., suffered a torn ACL in practice, also in mid-October, and is expected to miss the entire 2012-13 season. The 6-8 forward averaged 14.3 minutes, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.4 points per game during the Huskies' summer tour in Canada. “I am extremely disappointed for Jon and Kwesi,” head coach Bill Coen said. “They both have worked hard and were very focused on the upcoming season. With the help of our talented medical staff, we anticipate that Kwesi will recover fully for next season. For Jon, as a senior co-captain, this is a setback, but his perseverance and work ethic are unparalleled. He will continue to provide us with valuable leadership during his rehabilitation and we look forward to his return to the court. This adversity will provide others on our team with opportunities, which I believe will make us a stronger team as the season progresses. I am confident in this team and in our chemistry and resolve.”

North of the border
The Northeastern men's basketball team embarked on an eight-day, five-city trip to Canada in late August. The Huskies, who previously toured Canada in 2008, played seven exhibition games against universities in Lennoxville, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa and Kingston. The tour featured wins over Bishop's (81-61), Laval (82-77), McGill (80-66), Ottawa (79-70), Laurentian (74-67 OT), and Queen's (105-84). The Huskies' lone loss on the tour came against Carleton (62-75), their sixth opponent in six days.

Huskies Unleashed
The Northeastern athletic department's popular video series “Huskies Unleashed” followed the men's basketball team on its summer exhibition tour through Canada. The four-part series provides fans with exclusive and unprecedented access to the basketball program. The series gives viewers a glimpse of the team during practices, scrimmages, team meetings and workouts leading up to its Canadian tour. Huskies Unleashed then follows the team during the tour, providing game highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, exclusive interviews and other original content. Links to the online video series can be found on GoNU.com and the men's basketball Facebook page (facebook.com/GoNUmbasketball).

Historic Matthews Arena
Northeastern's home court is historic Matthews Arena, the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic facility. The arena, the original home of the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins, is in its 102nd year of operation. The Huskies have enjoyed great success on their home floor. They appeared at the arena as far back as 1936, but made the arena their permanent home from 1981 to 1996 and again from 2005 to present. From 1985 to 1987, the Huskies put together a school-record 38-game winning streak at the arena. The century-old gem underwent a major renovation two years ago, which added state-of-the-art amenities while preserving its rich character.

A list of the nation's oldest active men's basketball arenas:
1. Matthews Arena – Northeastern (April 16, 1910)
2. Rose Hill Gym – Fordham (Jan. 16, 1925)
3. Lavietes Pavilion – Harvard (1926)
4. The Palestra –Penn (Jan. 1, 1927)
5. Hec Edmundson Pavilion – Washington (Dec. 27, 1927)
6. Williams Arena – Minnesota (Feb. 4, 1928)
7. Hinkle Fieldhouse – Butler (March 7, 1928)
8. Payne Whitney Gym – Yale (Dec. 10, 1932)
9. Fogelman Arena – Tulane (Dec. 15, 1933)
10. Haas Pavilion – California (1933)
11. Municipal Auditorium – UMKC (1935)
12. Gallagher-Iba Arena – Oklahoma State (Dec. 9, 1938)
13. Lundholm Gym – New Hampshire (1938)
14. McAlister Field House – The Citadel (1939)
15. Cameron Indoor Stadium – Duke (Jan. 6, 1940)
List compiled by Tulane athletic communications

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Up next
NU will next face New England rival Maine on Wednesday at historic Matthews Arena at 7 p.m. The Huskies lead the all-time series, 64-46. Tweets by @GoNUmbasketball .