By: Justin Littman
Less than 36 hours after Northeastern lost a triple overtime thriller to Hofstra, the Huskies faced another tough test. Without Quincy Ford, who was unable to play after the Hofstra game, Northeastern was forced to play shorthanded on tired legs. Towson controlled the glass and scored 28 points off of 16 Husky turnovers, en route to a 79-72 victory.
“I thought that’s where our fatigue kind of showed” said Coach Coen after the game. “We threw some lazy half-court passes which led to immediate scores and their defense is so stingy you don’t want to give them easy baskets either off turnovers or off the backboard.”
The game started off slow, with both teams struggling to hit shots in the first half. The difference, however, came from Towson’s effort on the offensive glass. The Tigers pulled in six offensive rebounds in the first half and were able to take a 25-19 lead into the half.
After shooting just 28% from the field in the first half, the Huskies came out firing to start the second half. David Walker scored six quick points out of the break, forcing Towson coach Pat Skerry to call timeout. The game stayed close and after two Devon Begley free throws with 9:01 remaining, the Huskies took a 44-43 lead. The lead was short lived, however, as the Tigers followed up with a 16-0 run and never looked back.
After Towson had zero players score double-figures on Thursday when they lost 40-37 to Charleston, the Tigers had four starters score in double-figures in this game. John Davis led the Tigers with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and shot 8-11 from the line. Towson attempted a whopping 40 free throws in the second half alone, as the Huskies were intent on fouling as the game came to a close.
For Northeastern, David Walker scored 32 points on 7-12 shooting. T.J. Williams, who replaced Quincy Ford in the starting lineup, finished with 15 points. Bill Coen had high praise for his point guard after the game.
“Since conference play has started I think he’s played pretty well. His numbers are up in almost every category…He’s the guy that can get into the lane. He got to the basket today against their physical defense and we need that from T.J.”
The Huskies are now 4-4 in the CAA and 12-9 overall. They will look to get back on track Thursday, when they head to South Carolina to face the College of Charleston. The Cougars will be without their leading scorer Canyon Barry, who will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Quincy Ford is “Day-to-Day” for Northeastern.