WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Less than 48 hours after a heartbreaking triple-overtime loss, the difficulties of youth and a challenging Colonial Athletic Association slate reared its ugly head on Saturday afternoon inside Kaplan Arena. The preseason league favorite Northeastern shot a sizzling 65.5 percent in the second half, including 53.8 percent from 3, to dispatch of the William & Mary men's basketball, 90-70.
 
The Tribe (7-11, 3-3 CAA) led early thanks to a 9-0 run just over five minutes into the contest. Junior Matt Milon scored five during the spurt before freshman L.J. Owens' floater gave W&M a 12-9 lead. W&M led 22-20 with just 6:28 remaining in the opening half, but the Huskies finished the period strong. A 10-2 Northeastern run late in the frame gave the visitors a six-point advantage at the break, 40-34.
 
Northeastern's Shawn Occeus, who missed the opening nine games of the year due to injury, ignited the Huskies in the second half. He scored 16 of his season-high 21 points in the final 20 minutes, hitting 5-of-7 from the floor and 4-of-5 from 3. He came up big during a 17-3 run midway through the second half to put the game away. He scored 10 points during the run, including the final seven to push NU's lead to 78-51 with 5:11 remaining.
 
Junior Nathan Knight led the Tribe once again with 22 points on 7-of-9 from the field and a perfect 2-of-2 from 3 and 6-of-6 at the free throw line. He added team-highs with eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Classmate Justin Pierce tallied 14 points and seven rebounds, while Owens scored a career-high 15 points off the bench on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3.
 
How It Happened
- Occeus sparked an early 7-0 run to give the Huskies a 9-3 lead just over two and a half minutes into the game. He scored the final five points of the run, including a floater at the 17:23 mark to extend the margin to six.
- W&M answered with nine-straight points to regain the lead. Milon tallied five during the run, including the igniting 3-pointer. Owens' floater extended the cushion to 12-9 at the 14:07 mark.
- Four-straight Pierce points, including a left-side triple, gave W&M a five-point cushion before Northeastern put together a 7-0 run to move back in front. A Thomas Murphy top-of-the-key 3-pointer with 7:30 left gave the Huskies a 20-18 lead.
- After the Tribe regained the lead with four-straight points, NU's Jeremy Miller scored seven in a row to give the Huskies a 27-22 lead with 4:39 left.
- The Tribe pulled even at 27 on Owens' fastbreak 3-pointer just 42 seconds later, but the Huskies opened up its largest lead of the half with a 10-2 run. Jordan Roland and Bolden Brace knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers during the run, before a Donnell Gresham layup and a pair of Vasa Pusica free throws extended the margin to 40-32 with 52 seconds remaining in the half.
- Back-to-back 3-pointers from Occeus and Puscia opened up a double-digit Northeastern lead six minutes into the second half. Puscia's triple at the 13:57 mark gave the Huskies a 54-41 lead.
- NU put the game away with an extended 17-3 run midway through the second half. Occeus highlighted the run, scoring 10 points. He tallied the final seven of the run, pushing the Northeastern lead to 78-51 with 5:11 remaining.
- The Huskies connected on 10-of-12 from the field over a seven-minute stretch to push an 11-point lead to 83-55 with 3:39 remaining.
 
Inside the Numbers
- Northeastern shot 60 percent (33-of-55) for the game, including 65.5 percent (19-of-29) in the second half.
- The Huskies connected on 12 3-pointers and shot 48 percent from 3-point range, including 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) in the second half.
- W&M finished the contest at 45.5 percent from the floor (25-of-55), including 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from 3-point range.
- The Tribe held a 31-24 advantage on the glass and outscored NU, 12-0, on second-chance points.
- Northeastern turned 16 W&M turnovers into a 21-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
Notes
Junior Nathan Knight tallied his 10th game of 20 or more points this season … It was his third-straight game of 20 or more points … Freshman L.J. Owens scored a career-high 15 points off the bench … It was his seventh double-digit game of the season … Northeastern has won four of the last five games against the Tribe.
 
Up Next
- There is just one game on the schedule next week for the Green and Gold with the Colonial Athletic Association's new travel partners. The Tribe closes out its season-long three-game homestand when it welcomes Elon to Kaplan Arena on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 4 p.m.
- The game will be streamed online at Tribe Athletics TV via Stretch Internet.  
- Tribe fans can catch the men's basketball action over the Tribe Radio Network with Jay Colley and Charlie Woollum on the call. The Tide 92.3 FM and 107.9 Bach FM are the flagship stations of the Tribe Radio Network and the audio is also available over the Web at TribeAthletics.com.
 
The Chesapeake Bank Tony Shaver Show returns on Monday night, Jan. 14, at Paul's Deli in Williamsburg. The weekly show begins on-site at 6:30 p.m., with the live interview airing from 7-7:30 p.m.  Longtime Tribe play-by-play announcer Jay Colley will host the broadcast from Paul's Deli at 761 Scotland Street in Williamsburg. Shows will be held Mondays from Jan. 7 through Feb. 25. The Chesapeake Bank Tony Shaver Show can be heard over the flagship stations of the Tribe Radio Network at 92.3 FM The Tide and 107.9 Bach FM. It will be streamed online at TribeAthletics.com as well. Click HERE to listen to the Jan. 7 show live online.