GREENVILLE, N.C. – Behind a double-double from Chris Doherty and a 64% shooting performance in the second half, the Northeastern men's basketball team (2-2) kicked off the TowneBank Holiday Classic with an 82-76 victory over host East Carolina (2-2) on Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena.
 
The Huskies, which trailed by four at the break before responding with 53 points over the final 20 minutes in its highest scoring output of the young season, played team basketball from start to finish with all five starters reaching double figures, a season-best 55% afternoon from the floor and a season-high 20 assists on 31 made buckets.
 
Doherty, who finished the day with 18 points and 10 boards, was joined in double figures by Masai Troutman (14 points on 4-of-7 shooting), Luka Sakota (13 points, four assists), Jared Turner (12 points on 3-of-8 from three) and Joe Pridgen (11 points, five rebounds). 
 
ECU, meanwhile, was 28-of-58 (49%) overall and 6-of-23 from deep was Ezra Ausar led four Pirates in double figures with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
 
It was a physical battle from the jump, with neither team leading by more than five points in the opening half before ECU took a 33-29 lead into the locker room.
 
The Huskies oversaw a slow start to finish the half shooting 44% from the field (10-of-23), led by six points from Doherty while NU recorded eight assists on 10 made baskets with two apiece from Doherty and Turner.
 
East Carolina, which took its largest lead of the half thanks to a 9-0 run over nearly four minutes, got 11 points from Ausar and shot 50% as a team and logged 20 of its 33 first half points in the paint.
 
NU opened the second half shooting 8-of-13 overall and 3-of-5 from deep, highlighted by a 9-2 run that erased the deficit and gave the Huskies a 48-41 lead with 14:47 to go, with eight points coming from Turner.
 
The Pirates wouldn't go away, though, and came out of a timeout with a 9-0 run over less than two minutes to take a two-point lead with 12:29 left, 50-48.
 
Northeastern would respond yet again with less than nine minutes to go as Alexander Nwagha's put back slam gave the Huskies the lead that it never relinquished. NU would lead by as many as seven down the stretch before icing the game with free throws over the final 30 seconds.
 
The Huskies will be back in action on Monday afternoon when Northeastern takes on Kennesaw State at 3 p.m. on ESPN+.