BOSTON – After two straights wins on the road, the Northeastern men's basketball team returns home for the final basketball game at Matthews Arena on Saturday when the Huskies host Vermont at 1 p.m.
Northeastern will welcome back and recognize the family of Reggie Lewis, Basketball Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun and Northeastern Hall of Famer Keith Motley in a pre-game ceremony before a halftime ceremony featuring program alumni and staff.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1. CELEBRATING MATTHEWS ARENA
Saturday is the final basketball game at Matthews Arena. The Huskies played in the historic building from 1981 to 1997 and again from 2005 to present day. The arena, which opened on April 16, 1910, is the oldest active men's basketball arena in the nation. Located on the east end of the Northeastern campus, the hallowed hall was the original home of Boston's beloved Celtics and Bruins and was the birthplace of the Celtics' famed parquet floor.
The program first moved to Matthews Arena in 1981 after a period of sustained success in the 1960s and elevating to Division I status. The building was home to Northeastern basketball teams that reached the NCAA Tournament nine times, captured 14 America East regular season and tournament titles, four CAA regular season championships and two CAA tournament crowns.
2. SERIES HISTORY VS. VERMONT
The Huskies and Vermont are meeting for the third straight season, and 76th time overall. The Huskies leads the series, 44-31, with Northeastern in search of their first win over the Catamounts since 2017.
The margin of victory in each of the last five meetings between the teams has been five points or fewer.
Last season in Burlington, Northeastern trailed by 13 points with 2:21 to play before forcing five turnovers in the final 1:54 and cutting the deficit to three in the final minute of regulation, but could not complete the comeback as Vermont escaped with a 68-64 victory.
Youri Fritz had nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
3. HITTING HIS STRIDE
After becoming the first Northeastern freshman to record a double-double since the 2016-17 season,
Xander Alarie followed it up with a career-high 23 points and 11 boards on Tuesday at Harvard, becoming the first Huskies rookie to record a double-double in back-to-back games since Shawn James in 2004-05 (10 points, 10 blocks vs. Maine on Feb. 16, 2005; 16 points, 10 rebounds at Boston Univ. on Feb. 20, 2005).
Alarie enters the weekend ranked sixth in the nation in double-doubles and 23rd in the nation and leads the CAA averaging 7.67 defensive rebounds per game.
Youri Fritz joined him with a double-double of his own at Harvard (13 points, 13 rebounds), the first time the Huskies have had two players with a double-double in the same game since 2023.
