ALLSTON, MA — As a competitive first half came to a close between the Huskies and their cross-town rival, the Harvard Crimson, senior guard LA Pratt sat on the Northeastern bench with a towel over his head and a trainer tending to his left ankle.
Pratt had been Northeastern’s spark so far in the young season, averaging 19.5 points through his first two games. So, when he began limping across the court seconds after he stole an errant pass from Harvard guard Ben Eisendraft, there was immediate concern for both his health and Northeastern’s season.
To that point, Pratt had played 99 of Northeastern’s 104 minutes this season, which was the most minutes played by any player in the country through their first two-and-a-half games this season. Much of that can be attributed to Pratt’s elite talent, but head coach Bill Coen’s decision to keep his superstar in for full games has also come down to Northeastern’s lack of quality guard play.
Tuesday was a different story. After Pratt exited with his injury, the Huskies outscored the Crimson 45-35 en route to a statement 77-60 win, handing Harvard their first loss of the season.
Both teams started the game shooting a combined 2-for-9 with six turnovers sprinkled in. Harvard led 4-1 before Northeastern even made a field goal, which came courtesy of a Mike Loughnane fast-break layup—two of the junior guard’s four points across 17 minutes.
The two teams traded baskets for the next six minutes. Northeastern freshman forward Xander Alarie showed off his versatility, hitting his first three of the season and converting on two putbacks, but senior guard Chandler Piggé countered for Harvard, scoring eight of the team’s first 15 points.
At the 9:02 mark in the first half, momentum swung in the Huskies’ favor. Alarie picked off a bad pass from sophomore guard Robert Hinton, before finding sophomore guard Luca Soroa Schaller. The streaking Soroa kicked a pass to junior guard JB Frankel in the right corner, and Frankel drilled a three while getting fouled.
When Frankel converted his free throw, Northeastern led 19-17, and they wouldn’t look back. The Huskies closed the first half on a 21-10 run, holding the Crimson to just two made field goals in the final 10 minutes.
Entering the second period, there was reason to be concerned about Northeastern’s chances.. Soroa, who hadn’t scored yet this season, would be starting—and running the point—in place of the injured Pratt. Well, Soroa put those whispers to rest early, orchestrating a high-octane attack that blazed out of the gate on a 15-6 run. The Huskies hit a trio of three pointers—two of which were assisted by Soroa, and when the Swiss international knocked down a three of his own at the 13:02 mark, it was clear that he was more than capable of filling Pratt’s void, at least for a half.
After the game, Bill Coen spoke about Soroa’s importance to the team.
“Unfortunately for [Soroa], LA had been playing so well for the first couple of games… he’s played really well in our scrimmages and great in our practices, and he gives us a different look at the point guard. He’s got great vision, gets into the lane, and shares the ball at a high level.”
Soroa was far from the only contributor for the Huskies in the second half. Alarie continued to build on an impressive stretch of play and eventually finished with a game-high 23 points alongside 11 rebounds. Senior forward Youri Fritz chipped in with 13 points of his own, a game-high 13 rebounds, and two steals and blocks apiece. Alarie and Fritz scored 17 of Northeastern’s 19 points across a nine minute stretch in the second half, at one point extending the lead to 22.
The Huskies kept their foot on the gas until the final buzzer, closing out the game with a final score of 77-60 for their second consecutive win.
Coen was pleased with his entire team’s efforts tonight, but came away particularly impressed with Alarie.
“He’s played that way all preseason… he’s been great in intrasquad scrimmages, he’s looked really good all around, and that’s a great sign for us.”
Coen was also very transparent when speaking on the outlook for his team, saying that he’s “still trying to figure out rotations” and accepted that at times, it’s looked “clunky,” but overall, he was optimistic about the Huskies’ future this season given how many playmakers they’ve got on their roster.
He should be. Northeastern looked like a wagon in this game, with much of their success coming when Pratt was on the bench. After a heartbreaking defeat in their season opener, it appears as though the Huskies have officially turned the tides on their season.
Northeastern will return to action on Saturday, when they take on the University of Vermont in the final game at historic Matthews Arena. Jacob Phillips, Jordan Walsh, and Aiden Barker will have the call, with tip set for 1 p.m. on 104.9 FM.