BOSTON – Northeastern guard LA Pratt scored 24 points in his debut, including four three-pointers, as the Huskies beat the Boston University Terriers in the first game of the regular season, 80-72.
Another rematch of last year’s season opener, the Huskies came into this matchup with a lot of uncertainty. How would they fill some holes in the offense due to offseason departures? How would the now-junior class lead the team? Can they hold onto their lead late in the game?
On Monday, when the final buzzer sounded and players embraced, the answers to these questions seemed a bit more clear.
Pratt, along with sophomore guard William Kermoury, and juniors Collin Metcalf, Harold Woods, and Rashad King, started for Northeastern. Junior guard Masai Troutman was not dressed for the game and did not play.
“He wasn’t available today, he’s going to be out probably Saturday,” said Northeastern head coach Bill Coen. “Obviously we missed him today, he’s another experienced junior that is poised for a good year.”
Coen added that Troutman is day-to-day with the doctors and should be back sooner rather than later, which Huskies fans can breathe a sigh of relief to after expecting Troutman to suit up today.
But Troutman’s absence was filled with outstanding performances from a variety of players. Woods finished with 17 points and nine rebounds, King finished with 16 points and four assists, and Kermoury added an efficient 14 points and five steals.
The Huskies opened the game with a large lead, going up 17-5 after a freshman Ryan Williams layup six minutes into the game. Everything was going well for Northeastern on both sides of the floor, with two threes from Pratt and some defensive aggressiveness from both Metcalf and Kermoury.
But the lead quickly vanished, as some sloppy turnovers and fouls allowed the Terriers to claw back to make it 21 apiece with 8:30 minutes to go in the first. And then the tug of war battle began. Both teams traded buckets, with the Terriers going into the halftime break up 39-38.
“I thought we lost a little bit of our edge,” Coen said. “I mean we certainly came out with that edge and set the tone, [but] I thought in the middle of the first half it got loose.”
The first half would have been a little bit of a different story if the Huskies capitalized on more of their free throw attempts. As a team they attempted eight of them and only sank three. The Huskies looked to change that in the second half, along with regaining their lead.
But the Terriers weren’t willing to give it up that easily, and only 25 seconds into the second half, Metcalf and Terriers graduate guard Miles Brewster got tangled on a jump ball. Metcalf received a technical foul for what appeared to be some unnecessary roughness while fighting for possession.
Even though Brewster missed the two technical free throws, the Terriers then extended their lead to seven points, their largest of the game. But the tug of war battle resumed as the Huskies gained momentum once more, tying the game at 55 apiece with 12 minutes to play. They were then able to get a handful of steals and ran the fast break to perfection, shutting down the gym with six minutes to play when King flushed an emphatic and-one dunk, extending their lead 64-59.
The Huskies capitalized on their free throws this time, which became crucial in the final minutes. Despite a late Pratt foul on a made three-point basket for the Terriers — something Huskies fans might remember when Pratt was on Elon last year and fouled Luka Sakota for three game-winning free throws — the Huskies pulled off the victory.
Northeastern shot 64% from the field, compared to BU’s 47%. It was one of those games where the Huskies may have had less looks at the basket, but were simply more efficient.
“Our problems weren’t on [the offensive] end of the floor,” Coen said. “We were scoring, we were getting things that we wanted, but I think we have the capability to be a good defensive team.”
Defense was a factor in this one, with graduate forward Alexander Nwagha showing off his athleticism with five blocks. Kermoury’s five steals also played a critical role, proving himself to be a pest for opponents on defense.
“Kermoury had his best game for us as a Husky today,” Coen said. “He made big shots… solid defense, so we got contributions up and down the line.”
Northeastern’s offseason addition of LA Pratt is already becoming a great move, proving to be an important piece of the team and filling in that three-point hole — something the team’s coach agrees on.
“He’s not afraid of the moment,” Coen said. “He made some big plays down the stretch, so having a guy like that, along with our experienced crew, I think they get underrated a little bit, but Rashad King and Harold Woods, they made big plays for us [as well].”
This fiery performance from the Huskies looks very promising, and even with a good amount of issues to address, it seems Northeastern has found the right group of guys that want to compete.
The Huskies are back in action on Sunday, Nov. 10 for their home opener against Princeton. WRBB will have live coverage from Jacob Phillips, Jordan Walsh, and Sam Riggs. Tip off at Matthews Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m.