Box Score   |  Post-game press conference (video)  |  Eatherton scores 1,000th career point (video)

BALTIMORE, Md. — The Northeastern men's basketball team scored a season-high 90 points and enjoyed a double-digit advantage on the boards in a 90-81 victory over Drexel in the quarterfinal round of the CAA Championship on Saturday in Baltimore. The victory advances the Huskies to their third semifinal appearance in the last five years, where they will face top-seeded Delaware at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday on NBC Sports Network.

Trailing by five early in the first half, No. 5 Northeastern (11-20) held No. 4 Drexel (16-14) to just two field goals over 12 minutes and raced to a 25-4 run to seize control of the game. The victory was the Huskies' fourth over Drexel in the last five head-to-head meetings.

Scott Eatherton (Hershey, Pa.) posted his 19th double-double of the season with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Eatherton, the CAA's Defensive Player of the Year, notched his 1,000th career point in the game and reached double-figure points and rebounds before halftime. Zach Stahl (Chanhassen, Minn.) earned his second straight double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. David Walker (Stow, Ohio) added 18 points and T.J. Williams (Pflugerville, Texas) tallied 12 — all in the second half — to give the Huskies four players in double figures. Demetrius Pollard (8 points), Marco Banegas-Flores (6), and Reggie Spencer (4) rounded out the NU scorers.

Chris Fouch scored a game-high 30 points — 26 in the second half — to lead Drexel. Backcourt mate Frantz Massenat added 19 points and Rodney Williams tallied 11 to go with seven boards and four blocks.

Drexel started quickly and grabbed an early 11-4 lead behind seven Massenat points. The Dragons still led, 13-8, with 13:58 to play in the half before the Northeastern defense clamped down. The Huskies held Drexel scoreless for more than seven minutes and scored 12 unanswered points to take a 20-13 lead.

Eatherton started the Huskies' run with a traditional three-point play, then added a free throw and a 3-pointer from the top of the key to score seven of NU's 12 points during the spurt.

Tavon Allen broke the Dragons' drought with a jumper, but the NU offense continued to fire. Stahl converted a conventional three-point play and Banegas-Flores buried a triple from the left corner to give the Huskies their first double-digit lead of the day, 26-15, with 4:18 to go before the half.

Massenat broke free for a layup, but again the Huskies reeled off seven unanswered points to push the advantage to 33-17 with two minutes remaining. Walker punctuated the run with two highlight-reel dunks that brought a vocal Northeastern contingent to its feet.

Eatherton tallied the half's final two points at the free-throw line to send the teams to the locker room with Northeastern up, 35-21. NU improved to 6-0 this season and 14-2 over the last two seasons when leading by five or more at the break.

While the pace of play in the first half was what longtime fans have come to expect from these rivals, the second half was anything but. The Huskies and Dragons combined for 115 points in a frenzied second half.

Eatherton, who had 11 points and 11 rebounds at the break, picked up where he left off, scoring on a layup in the opening minute of the half. After a Fouch jumper, Pollard connected on a triple to give the Huskies a game-high 17-point advantage. NU equaled that lead four times over the next five minutes as the team's traded punches.

The Dragons, though, used a 9-2 run, behind two Fouch threes, to cut the lead to 10 at 53-43 with 12:10 remaining. The Huskies answered every Drexel jab over the next three minutes, until a jumper by Mohamed Bah pulled the Dragons to their closest point, 57-49, since the 5:27 mark of the first half.

Eatherton quickly answered with a jumper and Williams added a layup as the Huskies regained their composure.

Then came what many will argue was the play of the game. Williams, a CAA All-Rookie selection, dove on a lose ball in front of the Drexel bench and shoveled a pass ahead to Walker who laid the ball in, absorbed contact, and made the ensuing free throw to give the Huskies an emotional boost and a 64-50 lead with 7:09 to go. Less than two minutes later, a Walker jumper pushed the margin to 17 and NU appeared to be in full control.

But a scrappy Drexel team would not go quietly. With the lead again at 17, 72-55, after an Eatherton layup at the four-minute mark, the Dragons put together a 10-2 run in less than two minutes to close the margin to single digits. Drexel clawed to within six in the game's closing moments, but NU made 13-of-15 free throws in the final two minutes to ice the game.

For the game, Northeastern shot 52 percent (27-52), including 36 percent (4-11) from 3-point range. The Huskies made a season-high 32 free throws on 73 percent shooting (32-44). Drexel shot 46 percent (30-65) from the floor, 44 percent (7-16) from long range, and 67 percent (14-21) from the line. The Huskies out-rebounded the Dragons, 42-31.

Northeastern will return to action in less than 24 hours when it faces regular-season champion Delaware at 2:30 p.m. in a semifinal match-up at Baltimore Arena. The Huskies are 13-7 against the Blue Hens all-time in CAA play, but UD swept the season series, winning 74-70 in Boston and 80-67 in Newark.

Game notes
> Northeastern defeated Drexel for the fourth time in the last five meetings
> The Huskies advanced to their fourth CAA semifinal and third in the last five years
> NU scored a season-high 90 points
> Drexel's 81 points tie for fourth-most by an NU opponent this season
> NU shot 51.9 percent from the floor, tied for second-best this season
> The Huskies made a season-high 32 free throws, including 13 (on 15 attempts) in the final two minutes
> Scott Eatherton (23 points, 15 rebounds) posted his 19th double-double of the season
> Eatherton registered his 1,000th career point in the game; he now has 1,003
> Zach Stahl (19 points, 12 rebounds) registered his second straight double-double and third on the season
> Stahl grabbed double-digit rebounds for the third straight game
> David Walker (18 points) scored in double figures for the fifth time in six games, and ninth time in the last 11 games
> T.J. Williams set career highs for free throws made (10) and attempted (12)
> Williams scored in double figures for the third time in the last four games, and fifth time in the last eight
> Northeastern improved to 6-0 this season, and 14-2 over the last two seasons, when leading by five or more at the half