WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a battle of two underdog stories, the No. 6 Northeastern Huskies’ narrative will continue after they defeated the No. 7 Elon Phoenix 68-60 in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Men’s Basketball Tournament Monday, March 9, at Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C.
The CAA Tournament final is now set. A rematch between Northeastern and the No. 1 Hofstra Pride will take place, setting up a matchup with rich history and many storylines. Last season, the Pride embarked on a 17-game winning streak before Northeastern ended their run. Favored in the CAA Tournament, the Pride advanced to the final, where they were eliminated by Northeastern.
“Two completely different seasons,” said Northeastern head coach Bill Coen. “They had another outstanding season. We lost our way a little bit. We played good basketball but we did not always finish the job.”
Northeastern had a much difficult regular season this year, finishing 15-15 overall and 8-9 in conference. However, they played Hofstra close in two outings, losing both by only a combined six points.
“You want to go against the best,” Coen said. “That is what this time is all about.”
This sets up another matchup between Coen and Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich. With Hofstra and Northeastern atop the CAA once again, this matchup extends off the floor as well.
“[Mihalich] does a great job,” Coen said. “He is one of the best coaches in the country. Each and every night, they are difficult to compete against. They are explosive on offense and stingy on defense. It is going to be a great battle and I am really looking forward to it.”
The Phoenix were down 37-21 at the half after a difficult start in this one, but surged late to nearly upset the Huskies. It was a back-and-forth affair towards the end – the teams exchanged baskets, making this once-blowout a close one.
Northeastern started this game with a vengeance. They started the night on a 9-0 run after Shaquille Walters buried a three-pointer with the shot clock expiring. Elon took 5:57 to get on the board and played from behind for the entire contest in their third game in three days.
With the Huskies rumbling, Tyson Walker continued to increase the lead for his team. A fast-break, euro-step beauty after a Maxime Boursiquot steal gave his team a 17-7 lead.
“I am really grateful to earn a victory tonight,” Coen said. “Our defensive energy to start the game set the tone for us. That was big to get us off to a good start.”
Entering halftime, it appeared as if Northeastern was on their way to their third consecutive CAA championship game. Elon had other plans in their first tournament semifinal appearance in program history.
Led by Marcus Sheffield, the Phoenix had the Huskies on their heels the entire second frame, keeping it close until the end. Sheffield tallied 18 points in the final 20 minutes, adding three triples to wither away at the deficit.
“We knew they were going to make a run in the second half,” Coen said. “We are proud of our guys for Elon to take their best shot and for us to be standing.”
In the end, Northeastern made their shots and recorded just enough stops to hold off the surging Phoenix. The buzzer sounded with Northeastern earning a rematch with the Pride.
That game will take place Tuesday, March 10, at Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C., and a trip to the NCAA Tournament will be on the line.
Photo courtesy of ENN Sports
