Chaisson Allen was in the gym shooting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, but I guarantee you the shot he hit was not one he practiced.Allen hit a half-court buzzer beater to give the Huskies a hard fought 70-67 victory.
Chase grabbed the rebound with 4 seconds left, dribbled four times, and let it fly. It seemed like the ball hung up in the air forever then dropped. The bench erupted and stormed the floor in pursuit of Allen. Paws, the mascot, got trampled in the process(which may have been equally as entertaining as the shot). Here's the video of the play everyone is talking about.
The Huskies came out flat in the first half, and trailed by 14 early on. After a late 17-7 run to close the half, they gained the momentum back and settled in. In the Raiders final posession, Vaughn Duggins ran down the clock and went one on one with Matt Janning who played him tough, and missed the jumper. Both teams really played hard, and the Raiders were the best team the Huskies have played thus far for sure. They were the disciplined team that the Huskies heard about from coach Coen all week.
Allen led the game with 21 points, while grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing 6 assists. Like I said, as Chaisson Allen goes, so go the Huskies. And Allen had 6 assists to only 1 turnover, which translated to a Huskies victory. Matt Janning had 15 points and 4 rebounds and Manny Adako scored in double figures for the first time this season, scoring 11 points. Adako and Ojougboh again got into foul trouble early, mainly Adako. But the Huskies won the battle of the boards 32-23. They also shot 83 percent from the free-throw line, a vast improvement from last game.
Tuesday night the Providence Friars come into town, the first Big East team to play on the Huskies home floor in 24 years. The Huskies beat the Friars last year in Providence, and the Friars surely will have that fresh on their minds coming into Tuesday night's game. The "White Out" will be in effect, so make sure you wear your white Huskies gear. The first 500 students will receive a free "N-Zone" t-shirt.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wright State Preview
The Wright State Raiders will come into Matthews Arena tomorrow looking to avenge last years loss to the Huskies in what should be a great matchup. The Raiders are arguably the best team the Huskies have played to date. They are coming off of three straight victories after losing their first game on the road at Washington. The Raiders have won 20+ games in three straight seasons, and return four out of their five starters. Vaughn Duggins has also returned to the lineup for Wright State. Duggins did not play last year against the Huskies due to injuries which kept him out for most of the 2008-2009 campaign, and just recently returned in the Raiders last game in which he scored 21 points. Todd Brown has been hot for the Raiders, averaging 20 points a game, while shooting 10-19 from three-point land this season. The Huskies are tough at home, but this will be a different atmosphere as the students are still on holiday break. Chaisson Allen needs to have a big game, as his play almost always dictates how the rest of the Huskies play. Manny Adako will also look to find his scoring touch, and stay out of foul trouble.
Terriers Top Huskies
It was another grind it out battle between the Huskies and Terriers on Wednesday, with the Terriers winning for the second straight year, 69-64 in overtime.
Northeastern jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but the Terriers chipped away and only trailed 29-27 at halftime. The Huskies are now 0-2 when leading at the half. The second half started with the Terriers holding the Huskies scoreless until the 14:22 mark, when Alwayne Bigby hit a layup to make it 40-31. The Huskies would lead by 6 with under four minutes to play. But ill advised jumpers early in the shot clock by Chaisson Allen and Baptiste Bataille left enough time on the clock for Corey Lowe to drop a jumper in to tie it up with 23 seconds left and send the game to overtime.
In the extra period the Terriers again came out to a fast start, going up by 7 with just under 3 minutes to play. The Huskies came back and gained the lead 64-63 on two free-throws by Bigby. But that would be the last points for the Huskies, who couldn't buy a jumper down the stretch, and the Terriers led by Jake O'Brien and Corey Lowe again won 69-64.
On a good note, the Huskies may have found their fifth starter in Alwayne Bigby. The freshman came up big again, scoring 16 points and grabbing 7 rebounds while not turning the ball over once. Bigby brings energy and hustle that sparks the Huskies, who now have the emergence of a freshman. But just like last year as Chaisson Allen goes, so go to the Huskies. Allen struggled again, scoring 9 points on 4-11 shooting (1-5 from behind the arc) with just 2 assists to 7 turnovers. The Huskies are still waiting for Allen to put together a full 40 minute game. Matt Janning struggled with his jumper Wednesday, but still was huge with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Manny Adako and Nkem Ojougboh both fought through foul trouble again, but Ojougboh finished with 7 points and 8 rebounds, nearing a double-double for the second straight contest. Adako showed flashes of his usual self, but could not get in a flow due to his foul trouble.
The Terriers just made more plays than the Huskies. They also made their free-throws, missing only one, while the Huskies missed theirs shooting 65%(17-26) from the line. Saturday doesn't get any easier as the Wright State Raiders come into town for the return game of last years ESPNU BracketBuster matchup.
Northeastern jumped out to a 9-0 lead, but the Terriers chipped away and only trailed 29-27 at halftime. The Huskies are now 0-2 when leading at the half. The second half started with the Terriers holding the Huskies scoreless until the 14:22 mark, when Alwayne Bigby hit a layup to make it 40-31. The Huskies would lead by 6 with under four minutes to play. But ill advised jumpers early in the shot clock by Chaisson Allen and Baptiste Bataille left enough time on the clock for Corey Lowe to drop a jumper in to tie it up with 23 seconds left and send the game to overtime.
In the extra period the Terriers again came out to a fast start, going up by 7 with just under 3 minutes to play. The Huskies came back and gained the lead 64-63 on two free-throws by Bigby. But that would be the last points for the Huskies, who couldn't buy a jumper down the stretch, and the Terriers led by Jake O'Brien and Corey Lowe again won 69-64.
On a good note, the Huskies may have found their fifth starter in Alwayne Bigby. The freshman came up big again, scoring 16 points and grabbing 7 rebounds while not turning the ball over once. Bigby brings energy and hustle that sparks the Huskies, who now have the emergence of a freshman. But just like last year as Chaisson Allen goes, so go to the Huskies. Allen struggled again, scoring 9 points on 4-11 shooting (1-5 from behind the arc) with just 2 assists to 7 turnovers. The Huskies are still waiting for Allen to put together a full 40 minute game. Matt Janning struggled with his jumper Wednesday, but still was huge with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Manny Adako and Nkem Ojougboh both fought through foul trouble again, but Ojougboh finished with 7 points and 8 rebounds, nearing a double-double for the second straight contest. Adako showed flashes of his usual self, but could not get in a flow due to his foul trouble.
The Terriers just made more plays than the Huskies. They also made their free-throws, missing only one, while the Huskies missed theirs shooting 65%(17-26) from the line. Saturday doesn't get any easier as the Wright State Raiders come into town for the return game of last years ESPNU BracketBuster matchup.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Huskies Take On Terriers This Afternoon
The Huskies will be traveling across town today to take on the BU Terriers at 4 p.m. at Case Gym in Boston. Last year the Terriers shot the lights out at Matthews Arena in an 83-75 victory. This year the Terriers have the same squad, who love to fire it up from anywhere and everywhere. The Huskies will look to keep up with the Terriers energy, and their shooters. Check back here after the game for the result and more. If you can't make it, you can listen live here online, or tune your radio to 104.9 FM.
McCarthy To Participate In National Coaches' Diary Series
Huskies assistant Jim McCarthy will be participating in the National Coaches' Diary series on Collegetalkchalk.com. This is being done throughout the country, with 50 different coaches participating. McCarthy will be writing this journal from now until March, writing about this season and the day to day life of coaching in college basketball. You can read his entries here.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Huskies Win Home Opener
The Huskies got their first win of the season in the home opener of the newly renovated Matthews Arena on Saturday. All of the new features look great, and so did the Huskies who are always tough at home. Coming into this week, Utah State had received votes for this weeks Top 25 poll. This is the second team in one week that the Huskies have played who have received votes in the poll. In the past two years, the Aggies have won 54 games and have gone to the postseason, the NIT in 2007-2008, and the NCAA Tournament last season. This is a team who has played with the elite teams in the country, and a team who was testing if the Huskies had what it takes to get to that level.
Early on the Huskies came out cold, and Utah State forward Tai Wesley was anything but. Wesley pushed the Aggies out to a 19-4 lead going into the under twelve minute media timeout. The Huskies chipped away, thanks to the aggressive play by Matt Janning and Baptiste Bataille. The lead was cut to 4 with under a minute left in the half, but a jumper by Tyler Newbold gave the Aggies a 34-28 lead at the half.
Halftime was filled with challenges for the Huskies. It was a challenge for their post players to get involved in the battle for rebounds, as the Aggies scored 16 second chance points. They were challenged to be more aggressive on offense. Most importantly, they were challenged to prove they were a team that people should be talking about.
In the second half they answered the bell, but not right away. The first play of the half was an alley-oop to Matt Janning that got the crowd on their feet. But the Aggies weren't shaken at all, and scored the next 7 points and brought their lead to 11 with 17:49 to play. Once again the Huskies would cut into the lead. Adako and Ojougboh became more active on the glass, and more aggressive on offense, which translated into great success for the Huskies. Freshman Alwayne Bigby brought the Huskies to within one point of the lead, coming up with an offensive rebound then laying it up to make it 43-42 Aggies. It was Bigby's first points of his career, and possibly the biggest play of the game. Adako would score on the next Huskies posession, giving them the lead for the first time. The Huskies led by 6 with under five minutes to play, but the experienced Aggies caught the Huskies and tied it at 55 with 3:53 to play. They traded baskets until Bataille hit 2 free-throws with 36 seconds left to give Northeastern a 60-58 lead. After a steal by Chaisson Allen, he too connected on both of his free-throws. Ojougboh sealed the deal with a pair of free-throws to make it 64-59. Interestingly at the end, Jared Quayle hit a three-pointer after time expired, but the officials didn't review it so the final score was 64-61.
It was a huge win for the Huskies, who now improve to 1-1. This was a statement game, no doubt, but it's just one game in a long season. Janning led the Huskies with 14 points, while Ojougboh had a huge game for the Huskies with 13 points and nine rebounds. Chaisson Allen bounced back nicely with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Manny Adako scored 9 points and three rebounds. Up next for the Huskies is a Wednesday afternoon showdown at Boston University.
Early on the Huskies came out cold, and Utah State forward Tai Wesley was anything but. Wesley pushed the Aggies out to a 19-4 lead going into the under twelve minute media timeout. The Huskies chipped away, thanks to the aggressive play by Matt Janning and Baptiste Bataille. The lead was cut to 4 with under a minute left in the half, but a jumper by Tyler Newbold gave the Aggies a 34-28 lead at the half.
Halftime was filled with challenges for the Huskies. It was a challenge for their post players to get involved in the battle for rebounds, as the Aggies scored 16 second chance points. They were challenged to be more aggressive on offense. Most importantly, they were challenged to prove they were a team that people should be talking about.
In the second half they answered the bell, but not right away. The first play of the half was an alley-oop to Matt Janning that got the crowd on their feet. But the Aggies weren't shaken at all, and scored the next 7 points and brought their lead to 11 with 17:49 to play. Once again the Huskies would cut into the lead. Adako and Ojougboh became more active on the glass, and more aggressive on offense, which translated into great success for the Huskies. Freshman Alwayne Bigby brought the Huskies to within one point of the lead, coming up with an offensive rebound then laying it up to make it 43-42 Aggies. It was Bigby's first points of his career, and possibly the biggest play of the game. Adako would score on the next Huskies posession, giving them the lead for the first time. The Huskies led by 6 with under five minutes to play, but the experienced Aggies caught the Huskies and tied it at 55 with 3:53 to play. They traded baskets until Bataille hit 2 free-throws with 36 seconds left to give Northeastern a 60-58 lead. After a steal by Chaisson Allen, he too connected on both of his free-throws. Ojougboh sealed the deal with a pair of free-throws to make it 64-59. Interestingly at the end, Jared Quayle hit a three-pointer after time expired, but the officials didn't review it so the final score was 64-61.
It was a huge win for the Huskies, who now improve to 1-1. This was a statement game, no doubt, but it's just one game in a long season. Janning led the Huskies with 14 points, while Ojougboh had a huge game for the Huskies with 13 points and nine rebounds. Chaisson Allen bounced back nicely with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Manny Adako scored 9 points and three rebounds. Up next for the Huskies is a Wednesday afternoon showdown at Boston University.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Huskies Fall To Saints
This was a tough one. The Huskies started out leading 20-6, but the Saints came charging back. After a Matt Janning steal and floater at the buzzer, the Huskies led 26-20 at halftime. But the Saints came out strong in the second half, and edged the Huskies 59-53.
The Huskies struggled to score in the game, but the second half especially. They shot 34.9 percent for the game. But it was the game the Huskies wanted. Northeastern kept a team that scores in the 90's to just 59 points. It was the defensive game the Huskies wanted. But Nkem Ojougboh and Manny Adako got in foul trouble early, and were really taken out of the flow of the game. Chaisson Allen also did not play his best, neither did Matt Janning although he led the Huskies with 14 points, and they still had a chance to win. The Saints also shot 27 free-throws to the Huskies 8,, which is a huge difference.
With all of these factors, the Huskies still were only a few buckets away from beating a Top 25 team on the road in only their first game of the season. The Saints now extend their home winning streak to 22 games, the third longest streak in the country. Don't be fooled though, it's not so much the building an atmosphere, it's the team on the floor (and the teams that they play on that floor). Trust me, just about all of the CAA teams have tougher road crowds. Siena will undoubtedly be dancing in March, but the Huskies showed they could be there as well.
It doesn't get any easier for the Huskies. Saturday at 12 p.m. will be their home opener against Utah State, who won 30 games and made the NCAA Tournament last year, losing in the first round at the buzzer to a very good Marquette team. The Aggies, in my opinion, are an even better team than the Saints. There are no cupcakes on this schedule for the Huskies, hopefully they can find their scoring touch at the newly renovated Matthews Arena.
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