Box Score
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
Quincy Ford collected his fourth career double-double and
Reggie Spencer and
Jonathan Lee scored in double figures, but Northeastern could not slow one of the nation's top-scoring teams, losing to UAB, 83-63, in Birmingham on Saturday. The Huskies concluded their non-conference slate at 5-7 and will open CAA plan on Jan. 3 at George Mason in a game that will be nationally-televised on the NBC Sports Network.
NU grabbed a five-point lead less than six minutes into the game, but a 12-0 UAB run midway through the first half and a 13-0 surge early in the second half proved too much for the Huskies to overcome. Ranked among the highest-scoring teams in the NCAA, the Blazers (7-6) entered the game averaging better than 86 points in games played at Bartow Arena, where they have yet to lose this season.
Ford (St. Petersburg, Fla.) led NU with 14 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-double. Fellow sophomore Spencer (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) collected 13 points and tied for the team high with three assists before fouling out at the 7:35 mark in his Alabama homecoming. Lee (Flint, Mich.) added 11 points, followed by
David Walker (Stow, Ohio) with nine.
Terence Jones and Preston Purifoy scored 17 points each for UAB to lead all scorers. Jordan Swing tallied 15 and Rod Rucker collected a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards.
UAB grabbed an early 8-3 lead, with the Huskies' lone basket coming on a deep straightaway three from Lee. The Huskies, though, responded with an 8-0 run behind a 3-pointer from Walker and five straight points from Spencer to take an 11-8 lead less than four minutes into the game. After a basket by Purifoy cut the margin to one, Spencer scored two quick layups to give the Huskies a 15-10 advantage, which proved to be their largest of the game.
Behind an intensified defensive effort, UAB held NU scoreless for the next four minutes and engineered a 12-0 run to take a 22-15 lead with 10:00 minutes remaining in the half. NU closed to within three, 25-22, two minutes later on a 3-pointer by Walker. The Blazers methodically pushed the margin to eight, 32-24, before Ford connected on a 3-pointer and
Demetrius Pollard (Virginia Beach, Va.) made one-of-two free throws to close the gap to four with just under five minutes to play. UAB responded with a 15-6 run to close the half and take a 47-34 lead at the break.
The Huskies opened the second half quickly, with Spencer dunking home an offensive rebound and Ford adding a lay-in to draw the visitors within nine, 47-38. But Ford's basket was the Huskies' last for nearly five minutes as the home-standing Blazers grabbed a commanding 60-38 lead midway through the second half. Ford hit a layup to stop the run and ignite a 10-2 Northeastern run that cut the margin to 14 with just over nine minutes to play, but NU could get no closer.
For the game, Northeastern shot 36 percent (23-64) from the floor, 23 percent (5-22) from 3-point range, and 63 percent (12-19) from the free-throw line. UAB connected on 53 percent (29-55) of its shot attempts, including 39 percent (7-18) from beyond the arc, and was 86 percent (18-21) at the charity stripe. UAB won the rebounding battle by a slight 38-35 edge. The teams were nearly even in points in the paint (32-32) and points off turnovers (17-16, UAB), while NU owned a large advantage in second-chance points (22-11).
Northeastern returns to action on Jan. 3 when it opens CAA play against George Mason in Fairfax, Va. The game, which will be broadcast nationally on the NBC Sports Network, will tip at 7 p.m. Mason enjoys a slim 10-9 lead in the tightly-contested, all-time series. The Huskies won the only meeting last season, a thrilling 85-82 overtime affair in Boston.
Game notes
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Quincy Ford collected his second double-double of the season and the fourth of his career
> Ford's was the fifth double-double of the season for an NU player; NU has had a double-double performance in four of 12 games this season
> Ford (14 points) and
Reggie Spencer (13 points) have each scored in double figures in nine of NU's 12 games this season
>
David Walker went 3-of-4 from 3-point range in the game
>
Jonathan Lee (11 points) has scored in double figures in every game since returning from a preseason foot injury
> NU's leading scorer,
Joel Smith, was held below double figures for just the second time this season
> NU's 10 steals tied for its second-highest mark of the season
> UAB's 83 points are the most surrendered by NU this season
> The loss was Northeastern's first in true road games this season
.
