BOSTON– Coming off of a big second-half comeback over UNC Wilmington on Thursday night, the Northeastern men's basketball team brings the momentum of a five-game win streak into TD Arena on Saturday afternoon when they go head-to-head with Charleston at 4 p.m.
Northeastern has won nine of its last 10 games and currently sits in second place in the CAA. A win Saturday would provide some separation between the Huskies (10-3) and third place Charleston (9-5).
Here is what you need to know about Saturday's game:
THREE THINGS TO KNOW:
- Fighting Like Cats and Dogs
- Charleston enters Saturday afternoon's game coming off of a tough 99-95 loss to the CAA leader Hofstra on Thursday night
- Prior to the Hofstra game, the Cougars were on a six-game win-streak that began after their two-game road loss streak at Matthews and Hofstra earlier this season
- Charleston is 20-7 overall, and 11-2 at home this year, 5-2 in conference play
- The team's 9-5 overall conference record sits in third in the CAA
LEADING THE WAY
- Charleston junior guard Grant Riller, leads the team with a 22.0 ppg average while also dishing out 111 assists this season while senior forward Jarrell Brantley has added 18.7 ppg and 8.0 rpg this season
- Brevin Galloway adds 8.2 ppg to the starting lineup
ALL-TIME SERIES
- This will be the 13th meeting between the two teams in a series that is tied at six-all, since it began in the 2013-14 season
- The two teams have split the season series in three of the previous four seasons with the Huskies coming away with a sweep in the 2014-15 campaign
- Last season Charleston picked up the season sweep of the Huskies for the first time ever and finished the year out with an OT victory over the Huskies in the CAA Tournament Championship
- A strong second half comeback
- For the first time this season, the Huskies came away with a victory after being down 10+ points at the half
- Northeastern has only behind at the half six times this season and by a 10+ digit deficit three times, against #16 Virginia Tech, at Syracuse and at UNCW
- For the first time since Dec. 10, 2016, when Vermont held a 13-point halftime lead (31-18), the Huskies overcame the double-digit deficit to win (vs. UVM - 58-57)
- At UNCW the Huskies were down 44-33 at the half, and came back to earn an 81-77 victory
- Lucky Numbers 15 & 10
- For the fifth-straight season and the sixth time in the last seven seasons, Northeastern has put together a 15 win season
- The 15th win, coming over Elon in overtime last Saturday, the Huskies' came one game faster than last season (currently the Huskies are 16-9)
- Northeastern also earned its 10th CAA win of the year, again one more than last year's total 13 games into the conference season with five to go
- The 10 conference wins mark the second-straight season the Huskies have picked up double-digit conference wins, and the sixth time during the Bill Coen-era
And one more note….
Coaches Powering Forward
This year, coaches from around the country will be raising money for autism through Coaches Powering Forward for Autism benefiting Autism Speaks. Coaches will also be wearing the blue puzzle piece pin on their suit jackets during the games this weekend. This is part of college basketball's autism awareness weekend, an effort started by Towson head men's basketball coach Pat Skerry and USF assistant men's basketball coach Tom Herrion. It has since gone national with support from the NABC and Autism Speaks.
