NOTE:Â Due to inclement weather, the game, originally scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed to Thursday, Feb. 13. Game time will be 7 p.m. Tickets for Wednesday's game are good for Thursday.
BOSTON — The Northeastern Huskies will open a two-game road swing with a visit to UNCW on Thursday evening in CAA men's basketball action. Tip-off between the Huskies and Seahawks is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, N.C. UNCW holds a slight 3-2 advantage in games played at Trask, but the Huskies have won two of the last three in Wilmington and hold an 8-5 advantage in the all-time series.
Story lines
• Northeastern and UNCW will meet for the 14th time in series history on Wednesday. NU is 8-5 all-time against UNCW but the Seahawks hold a 3-2 advantage in games played in Wilmington. The Huskies have won seven of the last nine in the series, including an 11-point overtime victory in Boston on Jan. 8.
• Northeastern has scored 70 or more points in four of the last seven games, including each of the last two.
• NU, which lost on Saturday to William & Mary, has won eight of its last 11 games following a CAA loss.
•
Scott Eatherton has vaulted himself into the CAA Player of the Year conversation. The versatile big man has scored in double figures in 10 of the last 11 games and 22 of NU's 25 outings this season. He continues to lead the nation in double-doubles with 15, and ranks nationally in a remarkable 13 statistical categories, including five top-50 rankings. He also ranks in the top three in the CAA in more statistical categories than any other player, and is the most efficient scorer among the CAA's top 10 scorers.
• Freshman
T.J. Williams earned CAA Rookie of the Week honors for his play last week. Williams is one of only seven freshmen in the CAA to rank in the top 10 in both freshman scoring and freshman rebounding. In CAA games, he is shooting 67 percent from 3-point range and holds a +2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
About the Huskies
Bill Coen's squad played one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules, highlighted by a 63-56 win over Georgetown. Despite the overall record, the Huskies have been highly competitive, and have led or been tied in the second half in all but four games. NU has won four of its last eight games.
Scott Eatherton, who leads the nation in double-doubles, is making a strong case for CAA Player of the Year. He ranks in the top three in the CAA in six categories and leads NU with 16.1 ppg and 10.0 rpg.
David Walker is second in scoring (11.4), while
Reggie Spencer is second in rebounding (6.9) and
Demetrius Pollard is third in scoring (9.5).
Notables from the last time out
Notes of interest from Northeastern's most recent game, an 82-70 loss to William & Mary:
> The 52-point second half is Northeastern's highest-scoring half of the season and the highest scoring since a 54-point second half on Jan. 3, 2013, in an 84-74 victory at George Mason
>
T.J. Williams tied his career high with 12 points and dished a career-best six assists
>
Chris Avenant set a new career high with 10 points; his previous high was five
>
Derrico Peck tied a career high with eight points
>
Kwesi Abakah had a career-high three rebounds
> W&M defeated Northeastern for the first time in two years and for the first time ever in Boston (1-6); NU leads the overall series, 8-7
UNCW: A look at the series
Northeastern and UNCW will meet for the 14th time in series history on Wednesday at Trask Coliseum. Northeastern is 8-5 all-time against UNCW but the Seahawks hold a 3-2 advantage in games played in Wilmington. The Huskies have won seven of the last nine in the series, including an 11-point overtime victory in Boston in the most recent meeting. The Seahawks won in Wilmington last season to snap the Huskies' two-game winning streak at Trask. (A game-by-game series history can be found on page four of the game notes.)
Williams earns CAA Rookie of the Week
Freshman
T.J. Williams was named CAA Rookie of the Week after posting a pair of career performances last week. The Pflugerville, Texas, native averaged 12.0 points and 4.5 assists in his two games for the Huskies last week. He tied a career high with 12 points and had three assists in an 81-73 victory over Hofstra, and followed with 12 points and a career-best six assists in an 82-70 setback to William & Mary. For the week, he shot 50 percent (8-16) from the floor, including 67 percent from 3-point range.
Going on the offensive
The Northeastern offense may just be finding its rhythm. The Huskies have scored 70 or more points in four of the last seven games—including each of the last two outings. That's an impressive feat when you consider that NU has hit or crossed the 70-point mark just eight times this season, with two of the eight coming in overtime games.
Getting defensive
Northeastern has held five of its last nine opponents to 58 or fewer points. NU is 11-2 over the last two seasons, and 20-4 over the last three years, when holding an opponent to 59 or fewer points. Under Coen, the Huskies are 62-19 (.765) when keeping opponents under the 60-point mark. NU ranks fourth in the CAA in scoring defense.
First half fundamental
Northeaster's ability to battle back from double-digit deficits in recent years has been well documented. The Huskies, though, have been impressive when leading at the half. NU is 5-0 this season when leading by five or more points at the break, and 13-2 over the last two seasons. Under Coen, NU has won 87 percent of its games (60-9) when enjoying a halftime lead of five or more points.
Balanced attack best since 2005
Six Northeastern players scored in double figures in the Huskies' 81-73 win over Hofstra on Feb. 5:
Reggie Spencer (15),
David Walker (15),
Zach Stahl (13),
Demetrius Pollard (12),
T.J. Williams (12), and
Scott Eatherton (11). It marked the first time six NU players registered double figures in the same game since Nov. 22, 2005. In that game, a 105-57 win over Lasell, J.J. Barea (23), Bennet Davis (13), Janon Cole (12), Aaron Davis (12), Adrian Martinez (12), and Bobby Kelly (11) led the way. Remarkably, that game was the second in a row that NU had six players score in double figures, having accomplished the feat three days earlier, on Nov. 19, 2005, in a 94-90 win over Central Connecticut.
Coming off a CAA loss
Under
Bill Coen, Northeastern is 29-29 in games following a regular-season conference loss. The Huskies have won eight of their last 11 games following a CAA loss.
STATING THE CASE
Scott Eatherton:Â Candidate for CAA Player of the Year
Eatherton leads nation in double-doubles, ranks nationally in 13 categories
Scott Eatherton collected his NCAA-leading 15th double-double in NU's win over Hofstra on Feb. 5. He ranks nationally in 13 categories, including five top-50 rankings.
Eatherton is CAA's most efficient scorer
Of the CAA's 10 leading scorers, Eatherton is the most efficient. His 1.15 points-per-attempt (points from field/FGA) clip ranks first in the CAA.
Eatherton most-frequently ranked in CAA
Eatherton ranks in the top three in more statistical categories than any other player in the CAA. He ranks first in two categories, holds the number two spot in three, and the number three spot in one. Behind Eatherton's six top-three rankings are Willis Hall (College of Charleston, 4), Marcus Thornton (William & Mary, 4), and Jarvis Threatt (Delaware, 4).
T.J. Williams:Â Candidate for CAA All-Rookie honors
Williams among CAA's best freshmen
T.J. Williams is one of only seven freshmen in the CAA to rank in the top 10 in both freshman scoring (sixth) and freshman rebounding (10th). In CAA games, he is shooting 67 percent from 3-point range and holds a +2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Williams sparks second-half surge
In NU's 27-4 second-half run against William & Mary on Feb. 8, Williams had a hand in 21 of the Huskies' 27 points—scoring 11 and assisting on 10.
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Up next
Northeastern will travel to the College of Charleston for a 7 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 15. The game will be the second-ever meeting between the programs. Charleston claimed a 58-49 victory on Jan. 13 in Boston.
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