Nov. 22, 2014 Box Score | PDF Box Score
UNCASVILLE, Conn. - The Navy men's basketball team (0-4) fell to Northeastern (3-0), 68-44, in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday evening. Navy will next play Binghamton (1-3) in the Springfield Bracket Consolation game on Sunday at 5:30 PM on ESPN3.
Navy continued its challenging early-season schedule by taking on a Northeastern team that was picked to win the CAA and already has a win over Florida State. Navy's four opponents this season (Michigan State, Notre Dame, Providence and Northeastern) are a combined 13-1 and the only loss was Michigan State falling to #4 Duke.
"I think Northeastern is a very good basketball team and a team that is going to be in the NCAA Tournament," head coach Ed DeChellis said. "Their size and their speed really bothered us tonight. We couldn't keep them off the glass and we couldn't really shake free from them."
Northeastern's Scott Eatherton scored a game-high 19 points with eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. T.J. Williams added 11 points and Quincy Ford had eight points and seven boards. Northeastern outrebounded Navy, 38-16, and the Huskies grabbed 14 offensive rebounds.
Navy got off to a fast 7-3 start to open the game. Junior guard Tilman Dunbar scored a layup on Navy's first possession and senior guard Brandon Venturini knocked down a 3-pointer. Venturini then made a steal and dished to sophomore Grant Vermeer for a layup.
The teams played even for the first 16 minutes of the game. Freshman Bryce Dulin's 3-pointer with 4:08 remaining knotted the score at 20-20 for the sixth tie of the first half. However, Northeastern reeled off a 10-0 run before another Dulin 3-pointer to take a 30-23 lead into the break.
Northeastern opened the second half on a 17-6 run on the strength of three 3-pointers. Navy was able to cut back into the lead with a 6-2 run that saw Venturini make a layup, junior Will Kelly throw down a dunk and Dunbar hit a jumper. However, Northeastern pulled away again on its way to a 24-point win at 68-44.
"We were doing OK in the first half then in the last few minutes they take a 10-point lead and then they came out of the locker room in the second half and just jumped on us," said DeChellis.
Venturini scored a team-high nine points for Navy, while Kelly added a season-best eight. Dunbar and Dulin each had six points.
Northeastern was 16-of-19 from the free throw line, while Navy was just 2-8 and all of its attempts came in the second half.
Binghamton, Navy's opponent on Sunday, fell to Manhattan, 78-63, in the first Springfield Bracket game on Saturday. Navy has defeated Binghamton in each of the past two seasons.
Navy's game against Binghamton will be its fifth game in the first 10 days of the season.