Northeastern Reigns in Baltimore
Box Score | #CAAChamps Central
BALTIMORE (March 9, 2015) - Tournament most outstanding performer Quincy Ford scored a game high 22 points as Northeastern held off a late William & Mary rally to post a 72-61 victory and capture its first Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Championship Monday at Royal Farms Arena.
Third-seeded Northeastern improved to 23-11, claimed its first league tournament since 1990-91 in the North Atlantic Conference and secured its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 1990-91. The Huskies, who joined the CAA for the 2005-06 season and appeared in its title game in 2012-13, reached the 23-victory plateau for the first time since compiling a 27-7 record during an NCAA Tournament season in 1986-87.
Top-seeded William & Mary, which made its fourth appearance in the finals in the last eight years, dropped to 20-12 with the loss. As the top seed for the CAA Championship, William & Mary earns a bid to the National Invitation Tournament.
Ford, a 6-foot-8 redshirt junior swingman, hit on eight of 10 shots overall and four of five from three-point range and had four rebounds, two assists, three blocked shots and a steal in 34 minutes. He scored eight points as the Huskies took a 10-0 lead, had five points during a later 9-0 Husky run that led to a 36-26 halftime lead, and set the early second-half tone with a three-pointer on the period’s opening possession.
Joining Ford in double figures in scoring for Northeastern were junior guard David Walker with 15 points, junior guard Caleb Donnelly with 13, and senior forward Scott Eatherton with 12. Walker had three three-pointers and Donnelly four, and Eatherton hit on five of six shots and had five rebounds.
Senior guard Marcus Thornton led William & Mary with 20 points and five assists, while sophomore guard Daniel Dixon had 15 points on five three-point field goals. Junior forward Terry Tarpey had 10 points and seven rebounds for William & Mary.
Northeastern, which shot 59.1 percent (26-44) overall and 60.0 percent (12-20) from three-point range, appeared to have the game well in hand, leading 67-45 with 3:39 to play. However, William & Mary ran off 16 straight points, including four three-pointers, to get to within 67-61 with 36.5 seconds remaining. Northeastern, which had missed on the first of three one-and-one free throw chances, then hit on five of six attempts from the foul line the rest of the way.
Dixon and Thornton each had two three-pointers during William & Mary’s 16-0 burst before Northeastern got two free throws from redshirt Eatherton with 30.3 seconds left, one from Donnelly with 14.8 seconds left and two from Ford with 6.0 seconds remaining. William & Mary had missed on two three-point attempts after Eatherton’s free throws gave the Huskies a 69-61 lead at the 30.3-second mark.
After Ford’s three-pointer to start the second-half scoring, William & Mary pulled to within 42-35 with 12:42 left before a 17-5 burst, gave Northeastern a 22-point lead, 62-40 with 5:55 to play. Walker had seven points and Donnelly two three-pointers during the run.
Northeastern, with Ford converting a layup and two three-pointers, scored on its first four possessions to jump out to a quick 10-0 advantage, but the Tribe rebounded to pull into a 15-15 tie behind six points by junior guard Terry Tarpey with 13:07 left in the period.
The teams were tied 20-20 before Eatherton scored twice inside and Ford made a two and three-point field goal to give Northeastern a 29-20 margin with 3:44 left in the half. William & Mary, which went nearly five minutes without scoring, got three-pointers from freshman guard Greg Malinowski and Dixon pull to within 31-26, but a field goal by sophomore guard T.J.Williams and a Ford three-pointer raised Northeastern’s lead to 36-26 at halftime. Ford had 15 first-half points, including hitting on each of three attempts from three-point range.
William & Mary’s Thornton and sophomore guard-forward Omar Prewitt, who combined for 70 points in the Tribe’s 92-91 double-overtime win over Hofstra in Sunday’s semifinals, were held to five and zero points, respectively, on two-of-eight shooting during the opening half.
William & Mary shot 38.3 percent (23-60) overall and 40.0 percent on three-point attempts (10-25).
Ford scored 46 points in three tournament games and was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Eatherton and Walker, W&M Thornton and Prewitt, and Hofstra’s Juan’ya Green.
2015 All-CAA Tournament Team
Quincy Ford, Northeastern (Most Outstanding Performer)
Scott Eatherton, Northeastern
Juan’ya Green, Hofstra
Omar Prewitt, William & Mary
Marcus Thornton, William & Mary
David Walker, Northeastern