Box Score   |  Post-Game Press Conference

UNCASVILLE, Conn.—Scott Eatherton scored 19 points and Northeastern (3-0) continued its torrid shooting pace in a 68-44 victory over Navy (0-4) on Saturday night in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tipoff at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Huskies, who shot 50 percent from 3-point range, improved to 3-0 for the first time since the 2005-06 season. NU will face Manhattan in the championship game on Sunday at 8 p.m. on ESPN3.

Northeastern shrugged off a sluggish start and broke the game open with a 20-5 run that spanned halftime, to take a 40-25 lead less than five minutes into the second half. NU pushed the lead to 19 on a 3-pointer by Quincy Ford (St.Petersburg, Fla.) just more than four minutes later and never looked back.

It was again a team night for the Huskies, with 10 players finding the scoring column. Eatherton (Hershey, Pennsylvania) was efficient, registering his game-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting (5-of-6 from the free-throw line). The senior forward narrowly missed a double-double, pulling down eight rebounds. T.J. Williams (Pflugerville, Texas) also reached double figures with 11. David Walker (Stow, Ohio) continued his lights-out shooting, hitting 3-of-5 from long range for nine points.

The Red and Black enjoyed a decisive 38-16 advantage on the boards. Zach Stahl (Chanhassen, Minnesota) corralled eight rebounds to tie Eatherton for the game high, while Ford grabbed seven.

The 24-point margin of victory was the largest for Northeastern since a 25-point victory over Towson on Jan. 10, 2010.

Walker, who entered the game shooting 64 percent from beyond the arc, continued his impressive pace in the early going, hitting a three from the right corner on NU's first possession. The open look was one of the very few for the sharpshooter, who was a focus of the Navy defense.

The Midshipmen played Northeastern even over the first 15 minutes. But the Huskies finally hit their stride, ripping off a 10-0 run to take a 30-20 lead, before settling for a 30-23 advantage at the half. Eatherton scored seven points and Jimmy Marshall (Richmond, Va.) hit a three during the NU spurt.

The Huntington Hounds maintained momentum out of the locker room, scoring the first seven points of the second half and 10 of the first 12 to take a commanding 40-25 lead on a 3-pointer by Ford with 15:38 remaining. Another Ford three four minutes later pushed the advantage to 19 and NU cruised from there. The lead swelled to 24 twice — first on free throws by Kwesi Abakah (Suwanee, Georgia) at the four-minute mark, and finally on a 3-pointer by Caleb Donnelly (Hudson, New Hampshire) that set the final margin. The basket was Donnelly's first of his collegiate career, after redshirting a season ago.

The Huskies shot 46 percent (22-48) on the night, including 50 percent (8-16) from long range, and connected on 84 percent (16-19) of their free-throw attempts. Navy shot 45 percent (19-42), but struggled from beyond the arc (4-12, 33 percent) and from the free throw line (2-8, 25 percent).

With the win, the Huskies advance to face Manhattan in the championship game on Sunday at 8 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Jaspers defeated Binghamton, 78-63, earlier Saturday evening.

GAME NOTES
> Northeastern opened the season 3-0 for the first time since 2005-06
> The Huskies' 24-point margin of victory is their largest since a 25-point win over Towson on Jan. 10, 2010
> Scott Eatherton scored a season-high 19 points, to go with eight rebounds
> David Walker shot 60 percent (3-of-5) from 3-point range and now is 13-of-19 (68 percent) from long range this season
> Caleb Donnelly and C.J. Hill saw their first collegiate action; Donnelly scored his first career points on a 3-pointer with 43 seconds remaining in regulation
> Northeastern improved to 62-9 under Bill Coen when leading by five or more points at the half



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