With the toughest part of the CAA schedule behind them, Thursday marked a foot-in-the-ground opportunity for Northeastern to get back on track.
Consecutive, brutal road losses at UNCW and Charleston a week ago dropped the Huskies to just 2-4 in-conference, an ugly record which eroded most of the good feeling they generated throughout the non-conference slate. To make matters worse, fresh injury issues for Masai Troutman and LA Pratt only served to compound William Kermoury’s ongoing absence, straining an already-thin roster with the season only a loss or two from true disarray.
But, when game time rolled around on Thursday, Pratt dressed, JB Frankel stepped up, and the beleaguered Huskies did just enough to secure a necessary win over the Drexel Dragons.
Frankel’s star shone from the outset, as the sophomore drained corner threes on each of Northeastern’s first two possessions. Drexel’s Yame Butler responded with a jumper, but the Huskies’ red-hot start wouldn’t subside just yet, as a Youri Fritz stick-back layup extended the lead to 12-3.
All things must pass, though, and Northeastern’s offensive prowess proved no exception. What had been a steady downpour became a trickle, and the same offense that scored 12 points in the first four minutes managed just four in the ensuing six minutes as the Dragons sliced the lead to 16-15 with ten minutes left in the half.
The home side would regain an eight-point lead after a beautiful Rashad King outlet pass gave way to an Alex Nwagha layup, but Butler and Victor Panov orchestrated a 7-0 Drexel run to narrow the margin back to one with 1:15 left in the frame. With Matthews Arena behind them, though, the Huskies roared back to command the final 60, scoring through a Fritz layup and a needle-in-the-haystack Harold Woods three-pointer, before a strong defensive stand gave Northeastern a 32-26 cushion heading into halftime.
Drexel started the second half with purpose, ripping off a 14-4 run in the opening 4:30. Jason Drake led the charge, scoring or assisting on 12 of those 14 to vault the Dragons into pole position. Frankel was Northeastern’s only respite, knocking down his fourth three of the game to keep the score within reach while playing tough, heady defense on the other end.
Drexel’s lead got as big as five after a Butler coast-to-coast layup, but the Huskies responded with a 17-4 spurt spearheaded by King, who came to life somewhat after a dormant first half saw him score just four points.
The biggest shot, though, came on yet another Frankel three – this one a second-chance, in-rhythm bomb from the top of the key which gave Northeastern a six-point edge and blew the roof off Matthews Arena. And, moments later, with the old barn still quaking in approval, a highlight-reel Collin Metcalf putback slam shook the studs once again, pushing the Huskies’ lead to eight and sending most of Matthews into delirium.
In a strange turn of events, Drexel’s Butler and Northeastern’s Fritz got tangled up fighting for a rebound with 5:29 to play. It wasn’t quite clear why, but the scuffle ended with Butler flinging Fritz to the floor, which, upon review, was deemed enough for a Flagrant Two foul and an ejection. While the Huskies were already somewhat in control, Butler’s removal certainly benefited the home team, as the Dragons’ best scorer and playmaker was made to watch the final five minutes from the locker room.
Nonetheless, Drexel battled, and trimmed the lead to an uncomfortable five after a poor Frankel pass resulted in a transition dunk, but Northeastern kept their heads. Some deft clock management and the occasional free throw quelled the Dragons’ efforts before a King poster dunk (which was too impressive to describe with words, go watch it) with 1:39 remaining stretched the lead to an insurmountable ten. It was all window dressing from there, and the Husky faithful rose to their feet in a loud, deserved ovation as their team dribbled out a much-needed, complete 70-61 win.
In the midst of an injury crisis, the Huskies have called on JB Frankel over and over again, and he’s delivered, over and over again. Tonight was the latest in a string of star performances – the sophomore notched 19 points on 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, to go along with three rebounds and a steal – and played 36 massive minutes, often acting as Northeastern’s lead ball-handler. Frankel’s shooting in particular has been uber-important, but he’s looked the part of an all-around player in recent weeks, and tonight was no exception.
“He’s one of the more mature and more coachable guys in our program,” said Coen. “He set the tone early, making shots for us… he’s done that when he’s had this expanded role here, he’s making the most of his minutes, and I thought he played great tonight.”
Fritz was impressive, too, scoring 13 points and grabbing five offensive rebounds in his second start of the season. The Dutchman battled through an ankle injury, per Coen, and came up huge, registering a whopping 37 minutes in the victory.
Elsewhere, King finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, but shot just 6-of-20 and looked out of sync for a good chunk of the night. Woods added eight on 3-of-10, and Metcalf, Nwagha, and Sam Thomson collaborated for 11 combined points to go with four blocks. LA Pratt struggled to a goose egg in his return from injury, but looked physically uncomfortable for much of the night and only played 12 minutes.
“[Pratt] was a game-time decision… wasn’t himself, hadn’t practiced all week,” said Coen. “His minutes were valuable, though… it was a very unselfish act to get out there and help any way he can.”
Butler led the way for the visitors, scoring 17 points on 8-of-9 in addition to seven rebounds before his ultimate ejection, while fellow star Kobe MaGee struggled to just 11 points on 4-of-12 from the floor. Panov chipped in with 11, but the Dragons struggled overall, handing out 17 turnovers and connecting on just three of their 18 three-point attempts.
This game could’ve been over much earlier if Northeastern simply hit their free throws; the most recent flare-up in a season of awful shooting from the stripe continued Thursday, as the Huskies shot just 12-of-24 on the night. Fritz and Woods combined to shoot 2-of-9, a figure that will have to increase should the Huskies reach their season-long goals.
But, for tonight, it was enough to get them over the line, and that’s about all you can ask for. And, with a rare three off days before their next game, Northeastern will have some time to look back at this one – both as a source of pride, and a blueprint for how to be better moving forward.
Northeastern will look to avenge their loss at Towson on Monday when the Tigers come to town for a rare early-season rematch. Max Schwartzberg, Aiden Barker, and Andrew Fielding will be on your call, with tip-off set for 9 (yes, 9) p.m. on Sports+.