Michael McNair dribbles the ball toward the hoop with a Northeastern defender trying to block him.
Erin Bush
80
Winner Northeastern NE 1-0,0-0 CAA
72
Boston U. BU 0-1,0-0 Patriot
Winner
Northeastern NE
1-0,0-0 CAA
80
Final
72
Boston U. BU
0-1,0-0 Patriot
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Northeastern NE 38 42 80
Boston U. BU 39 33 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Northeastern Pulls Away Late to Defeat Men's Basketball, 80-72

BOSTON – Despite four Terriers scoring in double figures, the Boston University men's basketball team came up short in an offensive slugfest with Northeastern, 80-72, on Monday night at Case Gym.

After the Huskies (1-0) saw their seven-point lead cut to one late at 2:52, they went on an 8-2 spurt over the next two minutes to hand the Terriers (0-1) a season-opening defeat. Northeastern finished the contest 27-of-43 (.628) from the field with a 16-0 advantage in fast break points.

Sophomore Kyrone Alexander led BU with 16 points and three steals, while senior Malcolm Chimezie posted 14 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Michael McNair (12 pts.) dished out a career-high seven assists in his first career start, and graduate student Miles Brewster earned 10 points.

For the Huskies, Elon transfer LA Pratt flushed four 3-pointers en route to 24 points, while Harold Woods nearly had a double-double with 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Rashad King and William Kermoury combined for 30 points and seven steals to help a defensive effort that included Alexander Nwagha swatting away five shot attempts around the rim.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • After NU's Rashad King started off with a 3-pointer, Pratt added two more along with a steal and slam dunk to grab an early 17-5 lead at 14:20
  • McNair responded with a pair of treys to pull the Terriers within four, 19-15, at 10:57.
  • Chimezie and freshman Azmar Abdullah two minutes later hit a pair of buckets to tie the game, 21-21.
  • Alexander gave BU the lead, 26-25, at 6:49 on a 3-pointer, and retook the lead three minutes later on a layup, 33-32.
  • BU entered the locker room with a 39-38 advantage after senior Ethan Okwuosa and Pratt exchanged buckets in the final minute.
  • Okwuosa started the second half with a trey, and McNair flushed another at 18:12 to extend the Terriers' lead to 47-40.
  • The Huskies chipped away and eventually tied the game at 11:47 on Collin Metcalf's jumper, 55-55.
  • The teams went back-and-forth over the following minutes with Pratt driving to the hoop at 3:45 to push the Huskies ahead, 69-62.
  • Alexander drained a 3-pointer with the bonus free throw on the next possession, and Chimezie added a short jumper to pull the Terriers within one, 69-68, at 2:52.
  • Pratt though came right back with his fourth 3-pointer, and the Huskies then converted on a steal with a fastbreak dunk to  pull away.
GAME NOTES
  • McNair scored in double figures for the second time in his career following a 21-point performance last February against Lehigh.
  • McNair was one helper shy of tying his combined freshman total of eight assists.
  • Chimezie reached double-figures in points for the third time in his career and was three shy of tying his personal best of 17 tallied last year against VTSU-Johnson.
  • All three BU newcomers, freshman Azmar Abdullah, freshman Ben Defty and sophomore Quinn Nielsen made their debut in the scarlet and white. They went a combined 4-of-7 from the field.
  • The Huskies improved to 77-75 all-time in a rivalry that has featured 17 of the last 18 meetings ending with a single-digit result.
UP NEXT
  • The Terriers will hit the road for a two-game West Coast trip, starting with a visit to the University of San Diego on Friday (Nov. 8). Tip-off is slated for 10 p.m. ET.
  • BU and USD, a member of the West Coast Conference, will meet for the first time in program history.
  • The Terriers will be making their first visit to California since participating in three games at the 2013 2K Sports Classic sub-regional hosted by UC Irvine.
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