Box Score   |  Watch: Post-Game Press Conference

BOSTON—For the fifth time in as many years, the rivalry game between Northeastern and Boston University went down to the wire. But unlike the previous three, it was the Terriers who prevailed. BU used a late 10-2 run to defeat the Huskies, 72-69, on Sunday in the Coaches vs. Cancer Triple-Header at TD Garden in Boston.

Sophomore Zach Stahl (Chanhassen, Minn.) led Northeastern with 16 points and eight rebounds—both career highs—while junior transfer Scott Eatherton (Hershey, Pa.) posted a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) in his NU debut. All-CAA selection Quincy Ford (St. Petersburg, Fla.) also registered double figures with 10 points, while freshman T.J. Williams (Pflugerville, Texas) tallied eight points and six rebounds in 26 minutes in his first game as a Husky.

Maurice Watson, Jr., scored 16 points to lead BU. John Papale added 13, including six straight during the critical late-game sequence, and Dom Morris added 12 for the Terriers.

The game was a dogfight from the start, with the new-look Huskies establishing a strong post presence and the Terriers relying on their veteran guards. Eatherton and front-court mate Reggie Spencer (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) scored the first eight points for NU as BU took a 9-8 lead five minutes into the game.

Just over a minute later, Eatherton dropped a precision block-to-block pass to a cutting Stahl to give NU its first lead of the afternoon. BU answered with a Nathan Dieudonne layup, but Ford followed with 3-pointer to return the advantage to the Huskies, 13-11, with 12:39 remaining in the half. The lead proved to be NU's last until the midway point of the second half.

From there, the BU perimeter game heated up. The Terriers hit four 3-pointers to spur a 19-10 run and take a 30-23 lead with 6:48 to play in the half. Williams hit a jumper to settle the visitors and Ford followed with a layup. Stahl answered two BU free throws with a jumper and, after a BU basket by Thomas, David Walker (Stow, Ohio) dialed in from deep to narrow the deficit to just two. The Terriers, though, scored the final four points of the half to take a 38-32 lead at the break.

Eatherton opened the second half with a dunk and Ford followed with a 3-pointer that brought the Northeastern contingent to its feet. BU quickly responded, however, and built a game-high eight-point lead with 15:50 to play.

Demetrius Pollard (Virginia Beach, Va.), the hero of last year's buzzer-beating win over the Terriers, ignited a Northeastern rally with a 3-pointer. Spencer followed with a layup and Eatherton displayed his range by draining a three from the top of the key to tie the game, 48-48, with just over 14:00 remaining.

The teams traded points until Williams scored four straight on a jumper and two free throws to give Northeastern its first lead since early in the first half.

Williams' jumper sparked an 11-4 run and, when Walker drained a three to cap the run, Northeastern had a 63-56 lead with 5:29 to play.

The Huskies still led by five, 67-62, with 2:30 remaining, but the Terriers, with all five starters back from last year's squad, held NU scoreless for two minutes and seized a three-point lead.

Fittingly, this game, like so many in the rivalry before it, came down to the wire. Stahl broke the NU drought with two free throws with 38 seconds remaining to cut the margin to one. The Huskies sent BU's D.J. Irving to the free throw line, where he missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Huntington Hounds one final shot.

Out of a timeout, with three seconds remaining, NU executed a well-designed out-of-bounds play and had an open cutter to the basket. BU's Malik Thomas, though, made an athletic play to intercept the inbounds pass and end the NU threat.

For the game, Northeastern shot 46 percent (27-59) from the floor, 33 percent (6-18) from 3-point range, and 69 percent (9-13) from the line. The Terriers connected on 42 percent (24-47) of their attempts from the floor, 33 percent (6-18) from long range, and 90 percent (18-20) from the line. Northeastern won the rebounding battle, 41-30.

The Huskies will return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Stony Brook for a 7 p.m. game. NU will welcome Central Connecticut to Cabot Center for its home opener on Saturday at 4 p.m.

GAME NOTES
> Zach Stahl posted career highs for points (16) and rebounds (8)
> Scott Eatherton registered a double-double in his first-ever appearance in a Northeastern uniform (15 points, 10 rebounds)
> Eatherton's double-double was the first for an NU player since Dec. 29, 2012 (Quincy Ford at UAB)
> Freshman T.J. Williams tallied eight points and six rebounds in his collegiate debut
> The loss to BU was Northeastern's first since 2009; the Huskies are 5-3 against the Terriers under Bill Coen
> Northeastern corralled 41 rebounds, its most since Dec. 21, 2012 (46 at Central Connecticut)
> The Huskies blocked six shots, the most since Nov. 21, 2012 (6 vs. UC Riverside)
> Northeastern committed 17 turnovers, its most since Nov. 23, 2012 (18 vs. Belmont)
> NU opens the season 0-1 for the first time since 2009-10; that season the Huskies went 20-13 and earned a berth in the NIT