Huskies Light Up Friars

On Saturday night the Northeastern Huskies earned their first victory over Providence College since 1926.

Before traveling to Providence on Friday night, the Huskies practiced and watched film on the Friars. They then drove and hour to the Biltmore Hotel in the heart of downtown Providence. As if the Huskies weren’t excited enough, the hotel added extra. The players loved the size of the rooms, beds, and most importantly the television.

Saturday morning the Huskies went down the street to shoot around at the newly renovated Dunkin Donuts Center. It was going to be the Huskies third game of the week, and the coaching staff was working tirelessly to prepare the team for all possible opponents while trying to still have a focus of the Providence game at the end of the week. But anyone who knows this coaching staff knows that they prepare extremely well for all opponents.

The city was buzzing. It was a new beginning, so to speak, for the Friars. They were fresh off of hiring their new head coach, Keno Davis. It was the first official game in the Dunkin Donuts Center for the Friars. Point guard Sharaud Curry was healthy and poised to play his first full season in over a year. There were new seats, luxury boxes, and locker rooms. Everything was scripted out for a nice celebration. The Huskies did not get an invitation to the party, so they crashed it.

Eugene Spates started off the game with a three-pointer. The Huskies are now 2-0 this year when starting the game with a Spates three-pointer. An 8-0 run by the Friars capped off by a Jonathan Kale lay up made it 13-5 in Providence’s favor. It looked like it was going to get out of hand quick, but the Huskies did not fold.
The Huskies kept chipping away and finally took the lead after a 6-0 run making it 20-19 with 3:31 left in the first half. At halftime, the Huskies were on top 26-25.

Here they were again very much in the game, this time in the lead, on the road at a BCS conference school. The energy in the locker room was contagious. We all believed it could be done. Coach Coen ran through some changes briefly, but mainly spoke of one thing. This night was not about them, it was about us. It was about what this team is capable of. It was about holding each other accountable, and playing to our potential. It was about a total team effort, from the guys on the floor and the guys on the bench.

The players took this speech to heart and came out firing in the second half. Matt Janning scored a quick 9 points in the first few minutes of the half. Baptiste Bataille nailed a three-pointer, and suddenly the Huskies found themselves up 11 with 9:11 left to play. But just when it looked like the Friars had given up, they came right back.

Brian McKenzie connected on three three-pointers in a little over two minutes to cut the lead down to three. The place was electrified. People were on their feet and cheering once again, but the Huskies kept fighting. But so did the Friars, tying the game up at 57 after a three-pointer by Geoff McDermott.

Baptiste Bataille, who seemed to be everywhere at once, answered back with a three of his own to make it 60-57 Huskies with just 3:55 to play. After a Jonathan Kale free-throw, it was 60-58 Huskies. The crowd was on their feet, screaming for the defense to stop the Huskies. But Eugene Spates, who had 17 points, hit one of his career high five three from way behind the arc, to make it 63-58.

Providence answered again with a Kale lay up, making it 63-60. Weyinmi Efejuku then stole the ball on the Friar press, and hit a lay up plus the foul to tie the game at 63. And then it happened, the shot. The fans were on their feet, louder than they had been the whole night. But the Huskies ran their offense smoothly and calmly. It looked like practice. Chaisson Allen dribbled the ball, off of a screen and swung it to Matt Janning. Janning, who finished with 24 points, drained a three from, exactly, the end of the coach’s box. The Northeastern bench erupted. So did the traveling section of fans. Everyone else was dead silent.

The Huskies needed one defensive stop to get the win that they have been so close to for the past two years. But a foul put it in jeopardy. Brian McKenzie missed his second free-throw however, and the Janning grabbed the rebound. The Friars fouled, and Chaisson Allen made one of two free-throws to make it 67-64. Allen then stole the ball, and was fouled again. This time he hit both, along with two more from Baptiste Bataille, and the Huskies were in the lead 70-66. The Friars tried one last desperation throw in, but Eugene Spates stole the ball and the Huskies won.

Janning threw the ball up in excitement, and the players wildly embraced. The locker room was booming with noise. After being so close so many times, this group had finally gotten a big non-conference win. It was an extremely enjoyable scene afterwards, and on the bus ride home.

If you ask Bill Coen about this, or any, victory he will tell you about how the players earned it. But not enough can be said about coach Coen and his staff. The amount of preparation and the depth of that preparation which goes into each game is extremely daunting. Congratulations to coach Coen and his staff for one of their biggest wins at Northeastern, with hopefully many more to come.