Monday hardly could’ve gone worse for Northeastern men’s basketball.
The day started with travel delays, as the team’s scheduled Sunday flight got canceled. Rather, they’d arrive early Monday morning, truncating a routine that usually includes a morning shootaround.
Then, about an hour before tip, news broke that freshman guard Miles Newton would miss the season. The team announced that Newton suffered a torn Achilles in practice, a devastating injury that spread an already thin roster to the razor’s edge.
Star freshman Xander Alarie also missed out through injury, but he isn’t expected to be as long term. With Newton, Alarie, and LA Pratt out, the Huskies were missing 60% of their opening day lineup, with two of three gone for the season.
Once processions got underway, things didn’t really improve either. Northeastern competed, playing one of their best offensive games of the season, but their defense got absolutely shredded by a potent Elon offense en route to a 103-91 loss.
Northeastern dropped the game despite shooting 14-of-21 from beyond the arc. Since 1987, teams that have made 14 threes at a 67% clip or better were 100-7 overall. On Monday, not only did the Huskies lose, but they lost by double digits — an unprecedented measure for a team achieving the aforementioned shooting marks.
Maybe that gives you some idea of the defensive effort. Elon carved through the Huskies like a hot knife through butter, scoring at will from all three levels including a truly remarkable 24-of-31 from inside the arc.
This one started hot, with the teams combining for 21 points through the first three minutes. The frantic pace continued through the entirety of the first half. Northeastern stayed within striking distance but failed to put enough stops together to ever take the lead. Forwards Klacper Klaczek and Chandler Cuthrell each had 13 points in the first half for the Phoenix, who led 46-43 at the break.
The second half was nearly a carbon copy of the first.
Both teams scored seemingly whenever they wanted to, although Elon’s lead tended to fluctuate more between six and 12 instead of the tight game that it was in the first. Freshman forward Ty Francis broke out in the half, notching 15 points for the Huskies in the frame to carry the load. Junior guard Mike Loughnane chipped in with 13, as well.
It wasn’t enough.
Klaczek and Cuthrell combined for 30, and junior guard Randall Pettus II added 13. Elon scored a whopping 57 second half points, including 17-of-20 from the free throw line. Northeastern was within a point with 9:31 left, but three turnovers in four possessions allowed the Phoenix to widen the gap to eight, and they wouldn’t look back from there.
Elsewhere for the Huskies, junior guard Will Kermoury was fantastic, drilling four first-half threes on his way to finishing the game with six treys and 20 points. Sophomore guard Luca Soroa Schaller was positive in his limited action, registering a team-high six assists in 18 minutes.
It’s only the first conference game, so there’s no need for panic. And, in encouraging news, the Huskies’ offense looks like it can hang with anybody.
The other end, however, is another story. And until Northeastern can consistently get stops, those high-octane offensive nights may all be for naught.
Northeastern will return to action on Wednesday, when they take on NC A&T at 1 pm. WRBB will have written coverage.