BOSTON — After 29 games and constant lineup changes, Northeastern concluded its regular season at 6-23 with a suspenseful loss against the Monmouth Hawks.
The Huskies showed strength in their offensive attacks, building momentum in the first half and showing signs of life in the second, despite being without leading scorer junior William Kermoury.
However, the Huskies struggled to disrupt Monmouth’s rhythm, as the Hawks consistently converted in transition.
Senior guard Kavion McClain, who was ineligible to play against the Huskies in January, made his return and rejuvenated an already-bright Monmouth offense. At 5-foot-10, the nimble guard led his team in points and assists, ending the night with a double-double. McClain’s return also allowed for senior guard Jack Collins to step back into his natural role, playing off the ball and providing the Hawks with greater depth in their bench.
“Kavion McClain’s a really good player,” said Northeastern head coach Bill Coen. “[The Hawks] didn’t have him when we played last time, but you can see the impact he has on the game and on this team.”
Momentum quickly swung in Monmouth’s favor as redshirt-junior guard Andrew Ball won the tip-off and immediately earned himself a two-hand jam to put the Hawks on the board. After a shooting foul on Northeastern, sophomore guard Ryan Williams knocked down a three on his first attempt to give the Huskies their first points.
Senior forward Youri Fritz, off a fast-break and a through-pass, handed Northeastern a brief lead 5-4, before junior guard Jason Rivera-Torres answered with a three.
Monmouth pushed the tempo, and the Huskies played right into it.
Junior guard Mike Loughnane would soon capitalize on a Hawk turnover, stolen by freshman center Petar Pinter, to bury his first three of the night. Loughnane and Williams followed up with threes as junior guard JB Frankel joined the action, landing one of his own and adding to the offensive momentum.
The Huskies began with perfect 5-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc and had made six threes in the first seven minutes of play.
However, the Hawks were able to keep on pace with the Huskies, despite Northeastern’s ball movement, and refused to let the game get away from them. Rivera-Torres assisted sophomore guard Justin Ray to tie the game 22-22 in transition.
Any offensive attack by the Huskies was not enough to stop the pressure that Monmouth consistently put on the Huskies’ bench.
While their three-point attacks began matching that of the Huskies, the Hawks diversified their scoring into the midrange and the paint, forcing the Huskies to switch up their zone defense.
As the half was winding down, it was time for McClain to live up to his difference-making expectations. The point guard pulled the Hawks away with three buckets at the end of the first half, stretching the lead to double digits.
The half would soon conclude with the Hawks up 52-42 as both teams put up solid offensive performances. The Hawks, however, only had one turnover to the Huskies’ six, creating additional scoring opportunities in transition and on second chances.
The Huskies established themselves in the second half with a great deal of ball movement, but it wasn’t left unanswered by the Hawks. Despite their pressure, the Huskies’ efforts were unable to restrain the Hawks from creating new scoring opportunities.
Freshman guard Xavier Abreu and Loughnane showed some grit driving to the rim, but Rivera-Torres and Ray matched their energy and shut them down on the other side of the court.
At this point, the Huskies’ defense was not consistent enough to cut the Hawks’ lead down to single digits, but this would soon be mitigated by a 12-2 Northeastern run. Junior forward Ty Francis scored from a lively alley-oop, providing a second-half boost. Loughnane would soon bank a three to put Northeastern within seven, 80-73.
While McClain tried to keep them at a distance, the Huskies shared the ball across the court to put themselves within one possession, 82-79. As the Hawks tried to stiff-arm their lead, Northeastern played with renewed confidence, as their efforts brought them within biting distance once again, 84-81.
However, with time slipping, several fouls, and a crucial missed out-of-bounds call that would send the ball the Hawks’ way, the Huskies soon lost steam in the remaining minutes of the game. Their efforts were commendable, but not enough to overcome the consistent ball control and continuous trapping of the Hawks.
“We are trying to find the right combinations [and] make sure there is no drop off when we sub,” Coen said. “I thought in the first half we gave away a little bit, but then we got it back in the second half where everybody came in and hit the ground running.”
The Huskies fell to the Hawks 89-83 for their twelfth straight loss. Despite both teams shooting over 55% from the field, it was the lack of turnovers and consistent opportunities that would allow for the Hawks to take an edge on the Huskies.
Loughnane ended the game with 22 points, while the Huskies totaled 23 assists as a team. Players stepping up in their roles to drive the Huskies’ full-court energy will be a key emphasis moving into the next phase of the season. The Huskies will look to compete in their first tournament game less than 72 hours away.
“Despite where our record is, if we come out and we can compete in a game like tonight, they have everything to play for,” Coen said. “We have the opportunity to play for each other.”
The performance offered immediate takeaways and mirrored broader themes from the season. While injuries have stretched the Huskies thin, their resilience and grit provided positives to build on heading into the postseason.
The Huskies will play the NC A&T Aggies March 6 at 2 p.m. in Washington, D.C. for the start of the CAA tournament. Jacob Phillips and Jordan Walsh will have the call on WRBB Sports++.
Emma Shkurti is a writer and color analyst for WRBB Sports.