Dragons Open CAA Play With a 63-58 Win at Northeastern

Saturday, December 4

Boston, Mass.

4:00

Drexel University

Northeastern

Chris Fouch scored 27 points to lead Drexel past Northeastern

Dragons Open CAA Play With a 63-58 Win at Northeastern

12/4/2010 6:40:11 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Boston, Mass. – Chris Fouch poured in 27 points as Drexel defeated Northeastern, 63-58, in a tightly-contested game at the TD Garden. The game, which was part of the Boston Tip-Off Classic, was the conference opener for both teams.

Drexel (5-1, 1-0) went ahead for good with 16:02 to play in the game on a Fouch three-pointer, but the Huskies (2-4, 0-1) were in the game the entire way. Drexel got the second half lead up to six points with just under eight minutes to play. The Dragons defense got stingy down the stretch, holding the Huskies to just one field goal and four points in the final 6:58 of the game. However, Drexel's offense struggled down the stretch as the Dragons went scoreless for more than five minutes during that same stretch. The Dragons finally got some separation when Daryl McCoy scored on a put-back with 39 seconds left put the Dragons ahead, 61-56. Chaisson Allen drove to the basket and banked in a short jumper to cut the lead to three with 14 seconds left, but Fouch made two free throws with 11 seconds to play to ice the contest.

The Dragons led by as many as nine points in the first half. Frantz Massenat set up Fouch for a three-pointer and on the next possession Massenat drove the lane and scored to put the Dragons ahead, 25-16. Northeastern chipped away and cut the lead to 33-31 at intermission. The Huskies held Drexel to just two points over the final five and a half minutes and without a point for the final 2:51 of the half. Drexel's main weapons up front were all saddled with foul trouble. Daryl McCoy and Dartaye Ruffin each had two fouls midway through the half, and Samme Givens picked up his second with just over three minutes to play.

Fouch sank five three pointers and was 9-for-19 from the line. He was perfect in four free throw attempts. Gerald Colds also scored in double figures with 14 points. Samme Givens grabbed nine boards and McCoy added eight more. Both teams shot 39 percent in the game. Allen led Northeastern with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Dragons begin final exams this week and will be off until next Saturday, when Rider University visits the Daskalakis Athletic Center for a 4 p.m. tip-off.