For a few games, it appeared as though Jordan Roland had settled down. His scoring average dropped from the national top-five toward slightly more reasonable territory, and he was shooting just 30 percent in the team’s last three games.
But he couldn’t lie dormant forever, and on Monday evening he woke up, burying a James Madison lineup stocked with talented juniors. The Huskies ran past the Dukes, 88–72, in one of their best offensive showings of the year. The last Northeastern sporting event of the 2010s had a happy ending for the Huskies.
Roland wasted no time, putting himself on the board with an early lay-in.
He made it into double figures before the midway point of the second half, assailing the Dukes with his trademark blend of lefty floaters and three-point bombs. He was particularly zoned in on attacking late closes; if a defender didn’t get back to him in time, Roland would field the pass and take a quick, strong first step in the direction the defender was coming from. When his man couldn’t change direction in time, Roland drove to the basket and wreaked havoc.
When Roland’s white-hot shooting touch faded a bit, Tyson Walker picked up the torch.
By the end of the first half, Roland had amassed 21 points on 11 shots. Walker was somehow more efficient, collecting 15 points and making all six of his attempts, including three triples. Northeastern’s backcourt had outscored James Madison all by themselves.
But the Huskies’ first-half success also stemmed from their solid defense. Save for Deshon Parker and Matt Lewis, who both scored nine points, none of the Dukes really got going in the first 20 minutes. Just as they did against Towson on Saturday, Northeastern packed the lane, forcing difficult shots that frequently dripped off the rim.
Husky forward Max Boursiquot, starting his fourth consecutive game as a small-ball center, was once again tasked with guarding a larger player. Though James Madison forward Dwight Wilson was three inches taller and 40 pounds heavier, Boursiquot rose to the challenge with a deranged intensity, fighting for every rebound like his life depended on it. He routinely tipped balls away from Wilson’s reach, turning easy James Madison rebounds into scrambles for loose balls. Boursiquot also held firm on the low block, denying Wilson favorable position and limiting him to two points on one-of-four shooting in the first half.
The Huskies led by 12 at halftime. Four minutes into the second half, the lead had all but evaporated.
Lewis and Darius Banks drove in for layups. Wilson notched back-to-back buckets from point-blank range. Banks. Parker. Wilson. A 16–5 James Madison run shaved the Northeastern lead to one with 15:19 to play.
“They came out fired up and they were scoring — it felt like — in the first two seconds every time,” Roland remarked. “They played so fast that it catches you off guard. They’re laying the ball up before you’re even ready to play defense.”
But the first-half offensive floodgates were about to burst open once more. Roland got things back on track with a triple. Bolden Brace slid a slick bounce pass to a cutting Shaq Walters for an easy jam.
Roland drove to the basket for a layup, then notched another layup on a leakout. Brace nailed his first three-pointer of the evening.
Boursiquot scored off a nice dish from Walker. Walters nailed a pair of free throws. Three minutes after the Dukes cut the lead to one, Northeastern completed a 16–0 run and blew the game open. Though the lead oscillated for the rest of the game, the outcome was never really in doubt. Northeastern matched JMU bucket-for-bucket to keep the lead in double digits.
Roland finished with 33 points (12–18 FG, 4–9 3PT), three rebounds, and three assists in his best offensive game in more than a month. Oddly enough, he missed three of his eight free throws, the most he’s ever missed in a college game. His CAA-best mark of 93 percent and streak of 26 straight made free throws entering the game — along with the fact that he hadn’t missed multiple free throws in a game in nearly two years — shows his prodigious skill from the stripe.
Tyson Walker didn’t score in the second half, but added six assists to accompany his 15 points. Brace and Walters contributed superb all-around stat lines, with Walters notching 12 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists and Brace logging 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
James Madison’s junior quartet of Lewis, Parker, Banks, and Wilson paced the team; each finished in double figures. Parker played brilliantly, notching 19 points and six assists while cutting through the defense like a warm butter knife. He took note of how Husky defenders were playing him, then made split-second decisions regarding whether to take or reject his teammates’ screens.
Wilson turned on the jets in the second half to net another double-double, while Lewis made up for inefficient field goal shooting with eight free throws. Banks was the only one without a ton of upside, making just five of his 18 shots.
The result boosted Northeastern to 8–6 (2–0 CAA) and dropped James Madison to 7–6 (0–2 CAA). Both teams have a quicker turnaround than usual due to compact nature of the CAA’s opening week schedule. Northeastern will return to Boston for a Thursday matchup with the Elon Phoenix. Matt Neiser and Milton Posner will call that game, with coverage beginning at 6:45 PM EST.