BOSTON – Like a number of teams, Northeastern needs more than their star players to win games and ultimately a conference championship. It’s no accident that in a number of recent wins and really throughout conference play, the Huskies have had players besides Matt Janning come through for them. Saturday’s 77-65 win over UNC-Wilmington provided the latest example of it.
One reporter after the game pointed out that there have been a few different players talking to the media after home games. The two who came up big Saturday were Chaisson Allen and Baptiste Bataille, both of whom posted career highs in the scoring column. Allen had 21 points on 8-11 shooting, including 3-6 from long range, and Bataille had 14 on 4-10 shooting, including 4-9 from long range. Janning didn’t play a poor game with 13 points on 4-8 shooting, but he blended in while Allen, who has shot the ball well lately, had the hot hand.
Allen showed an improved jump shot early on in practice, including a more fluid shooting motion. For a while, that didn’t show up in games, but it has been getting there more and more as he’s continued to hit jumpers that he either would not have taken or made a year ago. He’s now shooting just below 39 percent from long range in CAA games, and his effort on Saturday followed a 4-5 effort on Wednesday and 2-5 a week ago, putting him at over 56 percent from behind the arc in the last three games.
“He’s feeling more comfortable out there,” said head coach Bill Coen. “He’s always done a great job of running our club and getting us in an offense, and usually drawing the defensive assignment of the other team’s best player. Sometimes, when you do that, it takes a while for you to get accustomed to pick your own spots and know when to score.”
Allen, who stayed in Boston last summer, spent a lot of time taking jumpers every day. Last year, he almost looked like he was taking set shots and as if a jumper was an after-thought. But now, there’s less hesitation, his footwork setting up his shots is noticeably better, and his entire motion looks natural. Add in some confidence, both on his part and from the coach, and the results are showing up.
“Chaisson Allen played a phenomenal game,” said UNC-Wilmington head coach Benny Moss. “He did a great job and made shots, which made it difficult for us because of how we had to approach the game with our overall size.”
The most important thing for Bataille on Saturday wasn’t the numbers, but when he made shots. He was just 2-8 from the field late in the game, but with the Seahawks getting a 12-point lead down to six, he made two big three-pointers 42 seconds apart to bring the lead back up to a dozen.
In a sense, the game mirrored his career on Huntington Ave, as it didn’t start out this way. He came in with playing time seemingly available after key departures in the backcourt from the prior season, but played just 113 minutes in 21 of the team’s 32 games. After gradually improving last year, he’s become a key reserve by continuing to work and embrace his role. He’s now become a clutch player, having made a key three-pointer in their win at Providence, four free throws late in their win at VCU, and now the clutch three-pointers on Saturday.
“He’s a big help, with energy, he brings it all,” Allen said of Bataille.
Allen was expected to be a key cog on this team, although his shooting wasn’t expected to be part of the equation. Manny Adako has emerged of late on the low post, becoming the primary complement to Janning at the offensive end, and bookend Nkem Ojoughboh has helped inside as the other key holdover. With them, the core of the team was pretty solid.
Coen knew that if this team was going to live up to expectations, other players needed to do their part. That’s why he sat down the remainder of the team before the season and explained exactly that to them. The response has been exactly what the team needed, as players like Bataille, Eugene Spates, Matt Smith and Chris Alvarez have been a major part of the Huskies’ move into first place in the CAA as well. They have accepted and embraced their roles and have been nothing short of great teammates.
Despite the tough loss at William & Mary on Wednesday, signs are pointing to this team being one that can win the conference. This team has grown up just within the season, let alone over the past year, and that’s helped lead them to first place in the conference – that, along with the play of the supporting cast.
