CHARLESTON, S.C. — Milton native Jeremy Miller starred on both sides of the ball for the Northeastern men’s basketball team, tallying 11 points, a block, assist and a steal as the Huskies (2-1) defeated Alabama 68-52 Thursday.
The win in the first round of the Charleston Classic was the first in program history against an SEC opponent.
“All I focused on today was going out and trusting my teammates; playing as hard as I could with the minutes I was gonna get,” Miller, a senior, said in a postgame press conference. “I have a tendency to sometimes play with hesitation, but today I trusted myself.”
The Huskies jumped out to an early 12-point lead in the first half before the Crimson Tide held them scoreless for nearly eight minutes. Still, Northeastern managed to enter the second half leading 33-22.
“Guys were ready to play,” said Northeastern coach Bill Coen. “We got the shots we were looking for. We were aggressive coming out of the gate; just stepped up on big plays.”
Senior Vasa Pusica, the Huskies’ top scorer in the young season (61 points), settled in during the second half to record 15 of his game-leading 20 points on the day. Junior Bolden Brace added 11 points and five rebounds.
The loss was the first of the season for the Crimson Tide, who advanced to the second round of the 2018 NCAA tournament as a ninth-seed before falling to eventual champion Villanova.
The Huskies narrowly missed a tournament appearance in 2018 after winning a share of the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title (14-4) but falling to Charleston in the CAA championship.
Alabama received votes in the first two AP Top 25 polls of this season.
“It gives you a measure of respect nationally,” Northeastern coach Bill Coen said of the historic win. “For us, it’s about getting better and progressing and making sure we play our best basketball once you hit conference play.”
Jenna Ciccotelli is an intern in the Boston 25 Sports Department. Follow Jenna on Twitter: @jennaciccotelli
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