Box Score

BOSTON — Northeastern senior co-captains Jonathan Lee (Flint, Mich.) and Joel Smith (Leander, Texas) combined to score 45 points, including 19 straight for NU during a remarkable second-half rally, but the Huskies could not overcome the visiting Old Dominion Monarchs, losing 81-74 on Senior Day at Matthews Arena. The Huskies, who this season captured their first CAA championship, finished the regular season at 19-11 (14-4 CAA) and will be the No. 1 seed in next weekend's Colonial Athletic Association championship in Richmond, Va.

Saturday's game concluded the final regular season of a memorable four-year tenure for Lee and Smith. In their time on Huntington Avenue, the backcourt duo played a combined 213 games and more than 6,000 minutes. Together, they scored 2,427 points and led NU to 43 CAA regular-season wins and the school's first CAA title. Lee ranks second in program history in 3-point field goal percentage, while Smith is second all-time in 3-pointers made. The two-year co-captains will look to extend their run together next weekend at the conference tournament.

Lee, whose 26 points were a season-high, added four rebounds, four steals, and two assists. Smith, known for his trademark jumper, hit five 3-pointers on the afternoon. Marco Banegas-Flores (Boston, Mass.), Demetrius Pollard (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Zach Stahl (Chanhassen, Minn.) each scored six points, while Quincy Ford (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Derrico Peck (Woodstock, Ga.), and Reggie Spencer (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) tallied three points apiece. David Walker (Stow, Ohio) also found the scoring column with two.

Richard Ross registered 17 points to lead Old Dominion (5-25, 3-15 CAA) in its final game as a member of the CAA. Donte Hill and DeShawn Painter scored 15 each, while Dimitri Batten and Keenan Palmore also reached double figures with 13.

Following an emotional pregame ceremony, a spirited ODU squad took advantage of a lackluster first-half performance by the Huskies to take a 43-26 halftime lead. The Monarchs pushed the advantage to a game-high 25 points, 62-37, with 11:30 remaining in the game before NU mounted a furious comeback attempt.

The Huskies charged to a 21-4 run over seven minutes, with Lee and Smith accounting for NU's first 19 points during the rally, to make it a 66-58 game with 4:11 to play. A dogged NU squad climbed all the way back to within four points in the game's final minute but could get no closer.

Lee opened the remarkable second-half run with a layup. Smith then followed with a sequence that NU fans have grown to love, as the sharp-shooter with the lightning-quick release hit three 3-pointers around a Batten basket. Lee followed with a layup and four free throws to counter an ODU basket by Ross. Stahl then joined the scoring action with a layup to cap the run and pull the Huskies to within eight, 66-58, with 4:11 remaining in the game.

ODU scored four of the game's next five points to slow the NU momentum, but the Huskies had found their fight. NU again cut the margin to eight on three occasions before one final, frenzied push in the game's last minute.

Trailing by nine with just 42 seconds remaining, Lee connected on his only 3-pointer of the afternoon. Following two Monarchs free throws, Smith added another triple and, after ODU hit one of two free throws, Lee split the defense and darted to a layup that narrowed the gap to just four, 78-74. Lee's layup, emblematic of his career-long grit and determination, brought the Matthews Arena faithful to a full roar with 19 seconds to play.

The Huskies nearly corralled a steal on the ensuring inbounds play, but Batten collected the lose ball for ODU, was fouled, and made both free throws to all but end the NU threat. ODU made one more free throw in the closing seconds to set the final score at 81-74.

NU struggled in the first half, connecting on just 30 percent (8-27) of its shot attempts. ODU, meanwhile, shot a blistering 63 percent (19-30) to take a 17-point lead into the locker room. The damage would have been worse, were it not for an 8-4 NU spurt to close the half, with Lee scoring the final six points.

For the game, Northeastern shot 42 percent (24-57) from the floor, 39 percent (7-18) from 3-point range, and 68 percent (19-28) from the free throw line. Old Dominion connected on 54 percent (31-57) of its shot attempts, but just 10 percent (1-10) from beyond the arc. The Monarchs shot 69 percent (18-26) from the line. ODU won the rebounding battle, 39-32.

Northeastern will return to the hardwood on Sunday, March 10, at 2 p.m., in the semifinal round of the 2013 CAA Men's Basketball Championship in Richmond, Va. The Huskies, who earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament and a first-round bye, will face the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 game. Ticket information for the tournament can be found on GoNU.com.

Game notes
Seniors Jonathan Lee and Joel Smith played the final regular-season game of their memorable NU careers; the senior co-captains have thus far combined for 6,027 minutes, 2,427 points, 527 assists, 342 made 3-pointers, 213 games, 163 starts, 64 total wins, 43 CAA regular-season wins, and led NU to its first CAA regular-season title … Lee scored a season-high 26 points on 54 percent shooting … Smith made a game-high five 3-pointers to bring his career total to 237, trailing only NU great J.J. Barea (255) … NU tied a program record for CAA wins with 14 … NU registered 10 assists and has tallied double-digit assists in 28 of 30 games this season … NU scored 48 second-half points for its second-highest scoring half of the season (54 in the second half at George Mason)