Box Score | Infographic

KENT, Ohio – Behind four double-digit scoring efforts, including a 21-point game by Vasa Pusica, the Northeastern men's basketball team earned their fifth-straight victory, this time with an 81-69 win at Kent State Monday night.
 
During the Huskies win-streak, at least three Huskies have tallied double-digit scoring efforts in every single game. The 20-point effort marked Pusica's fourth of the season, and third during the streak.
 
Northeastern finished with 25 points off of 18 Golden Flash turnovers, with 19 of those points coming in the first half.
 
Northeastern (7-4) also connected on a season-high tying 20 free throws (on 23 attempts), including a career-high 12-of-14 effort from Pusica who also added five assists and three rebounds on the night.
 
Also adding to the Husky total was Shawn Occeus who finished with 16 points, a career-high six assists (previous three, twice), and three steals. Both Bolden Brace, 4-of-5 from deep, and Tomas Murphy, 6-of-6 from the field, finished with 14 points.
 
Kent State (5-6) was led by Kevin Zabo and Jaylin Walker who each had 18 points on the night, while Jalen Avery added 12.
 
FIRST HALF
In a first half that saw eight ties and eight lead changes, the Huskies got things going as Pusica hit a deep two from the corner to put Northeastern on the board first.
 
Kent State made it an 11-4 game following seven-straight points, which forced Husky head coach Bill Coen into calling a timeout just three minutes into the game.
 
Following the timeout, Donnell Gresham (seven points, four rebounds) poked the ball away helping Occeus to his first steal of the game which resulted in a Pusica layup. Devon Begley followed with a running hook shot, Maxime Boursiquot hit a bucket and Pusica added a pair of free throws as Northeastern responded with an 8-0 run to take a 12-11 lead.
 
After KSU once again got ahead, the Huskies once again fought back as a Murphy and-one tied the game at 20-all followed by a Pusica three-point play to give the Huskies a 23-20 lead.
 
After Kent State got back out to a 25-24 lead, their last lead of the game, Northeastern finished the half off with a 10-0 run that resulted in a 12-point lead, 38-26. The run began with yet another Occeus three-point play, followed by a Gresham three and Gresham driving layup and capped off by a Brace layup.
 
The Golden Flashes were able to make it a seven-point game at the half thanks to back-to-back buckets by Desmond Ridenhour and a three by Walker with time winding down in the half.
 
SECOND HALF
Occeus, who led the Huskies with 10 points in the first half, opened the second half with a three.
 
A Brace three made it a 10-point game, 47-37, but Kevin Zabo responded with three-straight threes of his own to cut the lead to just one point.
 
The Huskies built their lead back up slowly beginning with a pair of Pusica free throws to make the cushion a little more comfortable. Murphy followed with a layup, and after a Walker jumper, Pusica hit a couple more free throws. The two teams traded baskets and then Brace drained a three from the corner to give the Huskies a 58-50 advantage.
 
Pusica added a three out of the under-eight media to grow the lead to 11 and after an Avery bucket, Brace drained a three of his own, his fourth of the game. The two teams went back and forth for the remainder of the stanza as the Huskies came away with the 81-69 victory.  
 
UP NEXT
Northeastern will close out the first half of its season at St. Bonaventure on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. where the Huskies will look to improve on their 7-4 record and search for their sixth-straight win as they finish out their non-conference slate.