Box Score | Infographic | Postgame Notes

ITHACA, N.Y. – In a game that saw 11 ties and 20 lead changes, Matt Morgan laid in what would be the game-winning basket for Cornell with just under 20 seconds left as the Northeastern men's basketball team fell to the Big Red 80-77 Wednesday night.
 
Morgan, who finished with a game-high 34 points, was 11-of-18 from the field including 7-of-13 from deep for Cornell (2-5), recording 21 of his 34 points in the first half alone to keep the Big Red within reach at halftime.
 
Leading the way for the Huskies (4-3) was T.J. Williams who put up 27 points on the night, his fifth 20-point game of the season, while Alex Murphy added a career-high 24 points and six rebounds. Williams also finished with nine assists and five rebounds and was 9-of-10 from the charity stripe.
 
Using an 8-0 run near the end of the second half, Northeastern took a six-point lead 71-65 with 5:41 remaining in regulation forcing Cornell to call a timeout. During the Huskies' run, Williams was a part of every basket, scoring the first, and dishing out passes to Murphy, Jimmy Marshall and Jeremy Miller in succession.
 
However, Cornell answered with a 9-0 run of their own, and back-to-back layups gave the Big Red a three-point lead with just over two minutes remaining.
 
As they had all game, the Huskies responded first when Williams hit a pair of free throws, followed by a Murphy lay in to regain the lead 75-74.
 
After Josh Warren put Cornell up 76-75, Murphy responded once again on the other end of the court to retake a 77-76 lead, but the Huskies would not be able to answer after Morgan's final basket. Warren added a pair of free throws with 7.3 seconds left to seal the win.
 
Cornell started off hot from deep as their first four shots of the game came from behind the arc including a pair from Matt Morgan. But the Huskies methodically plugged away and an Alex Murphy trey gave Northeastern its first lead of the game nearly five minutes in.
 
Cornell would go on to connect on 11-of-25 from long range, including the first three shots of the second half, while Northeastern was just 5-of-16 on the night and did not have a trey in the second stanza.
 
Reigning CAA Rookie of the Week Max Boursiquot gave the Huskies their first lead of the game with a layup and the Huskies continued to grow their lead throughout the rest of the first half as the team led by eight with 6:33 remaining when Shawn Occeus made the most of a Bolden Brace offensive board with a three from the top of the key.
 
Cornell did not relent thanks to that 21-point first half by Morgan. But the Huskies were led by T.J. Williams whose interior game was strong as he finished the first 20 minutes of play with 17 points, four rebounds and two assists and the final four points of the first half.
 
The Huskies will look to rebound when they continue on their six game road trip as they head to Stony Brook to face off in a Saturday night meeting against the Seawolves at 6 p.m. at Island Federal Credit Union Arena.
 
Postgame Notes

• The Huskies are now 4-2 all-time against Cornell and 1-2 in Ithaca
• Cornell snapped Northeastern's two-game win streak with the win tonight
• T.J. Williams played in his 100^th career game tonight for the Huskies
• T.J. Williams finished with 27 points, his fifth 20-point game of the season
• Alex Murphy added 24 points, a career-high for the grad student besting his previous high of 20 set against Boston University (Nov. 11)
• Tonight's game marks the second time this season Williams and Murphy have combined for at least 50 points (Williams 30, Murphy 20 vs. Boston University Nov. 11)
• Williams' nine assists were one shy of his career high 10 set two games ago against Maine (Nov. 20) 
• Devon Begley had five points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals on the day for the Huskies