Box Score
Post-game press conference (video)

ATLANTA, Ga., Feb. 8, 2012--The Northeastern men's basketball team shrugged off a slow start but couldn't hold back a late Georgia State rally in a 61-59 loss at the GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta on Wednesday night. The Huskies struggled to find their offense early and managed just two points over the first seven minutes of the game. Northeastern righted itself and led by as many as eight points in the second half but could not withstand a late charge by the home-standing Panthers.

The Huskies' Joel Smith scored a game-high 16 points and pulled down a team-best eight rebounds. Fellow co-captain Jonathan Lee scored 14 points--all in the second half--and dished a game-high five assists. Reggie Spencer added nine points and six rebounds, and Kashief Edwards chipped in eight points. Northeastern, which suffered its third-straight loss, is now 11-13 (7-7 CAA) on the season.

Eric Buckner, whose 10 free throw attempts surpassed the Northeastern team total, scored 14 to lead four Panthers in double figures. Buckner also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for Georgia State (17-8, 9-5 CAA), which moved to 11-1 at home on the season. Josh Micheaux and Devonta White scored 13 each, while Jihad Ali added 12.

After a low-scoring first half, Northeastern opened the second frame firing. The Huskies outscored the home team 15-4 over the first six-and-a-half minutes to turn a seven-point halftime deficit into a four-point advantage. Quincy Ford dunked in transition to ignite the run and Smith followed with a 3-pointer from the left corner. Georgia State answered with four points before Lee connected on a 3-pointer for his first points of the contest. A tip-in by Ford with 13:53 remaining gave Northeastern its first lead of the game. Lee connected on another three, this one from the left wing, to cap the run and give the visitors a 39-35 lead.

The teams trade points over the next two minutes, until Northeastern converted back-to-back turnovers into baskets--a lay-up by Lee and a dunk by Black--to build its largest lead of the game, 48-40, with less than 10 minutes to play.

Georgia State then turned up the defensive pressure and limited the Huskies to just four points over the next five-and-a-half minutes of play to draw even, 52-52, with just over four minutes remaining.

Two free throws by Spencer and a tip-in by Smith sandwiched around a free throw by GSU's Buckner gave the Huskies a three-point edge with just over three minutes showing on the clock. Georgia State, though, limited Northeastern to just three points the rest of the way, while scoring eight, to set the final margin. Northeastern had one final possession, but a floater from the right wing rimmed out as the buzzer sounded.

In the first half, facing the nation's 10th-ranked defense, Northeastern struggled to score points. Spencer accounted for the Huskies' lone basket over the opening seven minutes of the game. The freshman from Tuscaloosa, Ala., was the only Huskies player to score until Lee penetrated the Georgia State zone and found a cutting Alwayne Bigby for a layup at the 11:07 mark to make it 14-7.

The lead reached 11 before Smith used a traditional three-point play and a 3-point jumper to counter a triple by GSU's White and cut the margin to eight. A lay-up by Edwards drew the Huskies to within six with 5:30 remaining. The home team pushed the lead to 10 before a tip-in by Edwards and another three by Smith made it a five-point game. The Panthers responded with four-straight points before an Edwards dunk set the halftime score at 31-24.

Smith and Edwards each scored six first-half points to head the Huskies, while Buckner scored eight for the Panthers to lead all scorers.

For the game, Northeastern shot 39 percent (23-59) from the field, and was 33 percent (6-18) from long distance. Georgia State connected on 46 percent of its shot attempts (23-50), but was just 29 percent (4-14) from beyond the arc. The Huskies attempted just nine free throws--tying a season low--making seven (78 percent). Georgia State, on the other hand, made 21 trips to the charity stripe, making 11 (52 percent). Northeastern won the rebounding battle, 34-32.

The Huskies will conclude their three-game road swing when they visit William & Mary on Saturday. Tip-off in Williamsburg is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game, which will be the 11th all-time meeting between the programs, will be carried live by ESPN3. Northeastern won the most recent meeting, 64-50, on Jan. 14 in Boston.

GAME NOTES
> Jonathan Lee extended his steak of consecutive double-figure-scoring games to 13; he has scored in double digits in 33 of the last 36 games
> Joel Smith has made at least one 3-pointer in 43 of the last 46 games; he has 14 games this season with multiple threes
> The Huskies' nine free throw attempts tied a season-low (at Bradley, Dec. 6)
> Northeastern lost for just the third time this season when winning the rebounding battle