The atmosphere in Cabot Center was electric as Northeastern men’s basketball (4-5, 0-0 CAA) soared past the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils (5-4, 0-0 Northeast Conference) 73-56 Sunday, Dec. 7.

Connecticut opened with a three by senior guard Melo Sanchez in the first minute, to which junior guard JB Frankel tried to respond but couldn’t.

Junior guard William Kermoury won a rebound and sent Huskies on the attack. Redshirt freshman forward Xander Alarie missed a layup, and a Blue Devil got the rebound.

With the score at 3-2 and only a minute and a half played, the Huskies took back possession and combined for a layup by Frankel. Kermoury followed up with a three-pointer as the Huskies piled pressure on the Blue Devils. The game was rapid with pinpoint passing.

A Northeastern foul gave the Blue Devils possession, but they were unable to make good. The Huskies stole the ball, but the shot went off the rim.

After a Blue Devils miss, the Huskies took the ball and drove into the paint. Kermoury added another three to his tally, bringing the score to 8-3 for the Huskies. Alarie claimed a rebound off a missed CCSU shot, but he missed, and the Blue Devils had possession. Redshirt freshman guard Roddy Jones scored a layup to close the gap with 15 minutes still to play.

A Northeastern foul gave the visitors possession, but the Huskies were active at the rim and blocked the shot. Northeastern stole the ball before the Blue Devils could get back.

Freshman guard Xavier Abreu scored a layup after some swift passing and completed his three-point play with a free throw. The score was 11-5 with 13 minutes left in the first half.

Conncectiuct tried to respond but shot an airball. The Blue Devils were lacking in accuracy, and the Huskies capitalized with a driving layup from Abreu 13-5 with 12 minutes left. Huskies pinned the Blue Devils in the paint before a timeout was called.

Northeastern returned to action in possession, and freshman forward Ty Francis dunked to bring the gap to 10 points. The Blue Devils responded with a layup and won a foul, sending junior forward Max Frazier to the line, but he missed both shots. The Blue Devils shot 58.8% from the line, compared to the Huskies’ 85.7%.

Freshman center Liam Koelsch was active with a block, which sent Huskies in pursuit. Despite their efforts, the Blue Devils couldn’t score, and Francis used his athleticism to block a high shot.

On Francis’ performance, head coach Bill Coen said, “[Francis] played with maximum energy the whole game … exactly what we needed today.”

The Huskies grew more comfortable, and Kermoury scored his third three of the night, making the score 18-7 with 10 minutes left in the half.

A Blue Devils foul saw Abreu to the line, where he sank both. The Blue Devils responded with a three to reach into the double digits.

Sloppy passing from the Huskies gave CCSU possession, but the three-pointer attempt hit the rim.

The Huskies drove off a Devils’ basket that was called as an offensive foul, with Kermoury scoring another three pointer, which took Northeastern over the 20-point mark with five minutes remaining.

CCSU responded with a shot just inside the line. Junior guard Mike Loughnane added a three as the game resumed its frantic tempo. Loughnane then added a layup to make the score 28-16.

Abreu scored a buzzer-beater three-pointer upon resumption from a timeout, bringing the score to 31-18 with just under two minutes to go. A Husky foul saw CCSU to the line for two scoring zero, despite retaking one due to a lane violation. The Huskies had possession, and sophomore guard Luca Soroa Schaller added a layup.

Senior guard Jay Rodgers scored and completed a three-point play with a free throw as the Blue Devils tried to eat into the Huskies’ lead. Soroa Schaller made an attempt but was brought down by a foul. He sank both to bring the score to 35-21 with a minute of play remaining in the half.

The second half opened with the Huskies immediately applying pressure. Koelsch finished the play with a dunk to extend Northeastern’s lead. The Blue Devils opened their second half with a three by Sanchez. The Huskies were in possession, and Koelsch scored another dunk to make the score 39-24 with only a minute and half played.

A Husky foul sent CCSU to the line for two, scoring both. The Blue Devils sent the ball out of possession, turning it to the Huskies. Northeastern took advantage, and Francis dunked again. CCSU replied with a jumper after some sharp passing.

Once the Huskies were back on the offense, Koelsch tipped the ball into the net and won a foul. He missed his free throw, and the Blue Devils claimed the rebound but sent it out of possession. The game was at 43-28 with four minutes played in the second half.

Francis scored a layup as Huskies edged away from the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils were in possession, but Huskies were up to it in defense, blocking any path to scoring. Northeastern kept possession, and Frankel scored. CCSU called a timeout to break pressure.

Play returned with the Blue Devils in possession, but Kermoury got the rebound off a shot. Soroa Schaller drove into the paint to pass to Frankel, who finished with a jumper. The score was 49-28 15 minutes into the game.

The Blue Devils were unable to make a shot, and the Huskies took possession. Francis won a foul and sank both shots from the line, setting the gap at 23 points.

The Huskies were on the attack, and Francis dunked off a second-chance shot from Soroa Schaller to extend Northeastern’s lead. Sanchez scored a layup to bring the Blue Devils to 20 down on the Huskies. The Huskies were sharp to respond with another three from Kermoury at 56-33 with 12 and a half minutes to go. Northeastern claimed the rebound after some defensive action, and Kermoury scored another three from deep.

Northeastern then stole possession and won a foul, and Abreu scored one of two free throws. The Blue Devils piled on pressure, and the Huskies absorbed it well, but CCSU prevailed with a layup. The score was 60-35 with just under 10 minutes left of play. The Blue Devils swiftly added another layup and won a foul. Frazier was at the line and scored his attempt.

Abreu shot but was tripped and earned a foul. Abreu sank both of his free throws to put the game at 62-38. CCSU took possession, but the Huskies got the rebound and flew off for a layup by Loughnane. CCSU netted another after the Huskies sent the ball out of bounds. But Northeastern was unrelenting, with Abreu scoring a second-chance jumper.

The game returned from a timeout with sophomore forward Darin Smith Jr. at the line, shooting and scoring one. The Huskies got a rebound off a missed Blue Devil three, and freshman center Petar Pinter logged his first points of the game with a layup at 68-43. Smith responded swiftly with a three with five and a half minutes to go. Loughnane drove into the paint and won a foul, scoring both free throws before a media timeout.

A Husky foul sent Smith to the line, where he scored both on the double bonus. The score was 70-50 with three minutes left.

Abreu claimed a rebound, putting Northeastern on the attack. After some smart play and a shot fake, the Huskies scored with a Soroa Schaller three-pointer. CCSU gained possession and shot, but the ball was swatted away by an alert Francis.

Northeastern took possession with 20 seconds left and ran down the clock to claim its first win of the season in Cabot Center at 74-53.

Coen commended the Huskies’ attack, particularly after the disappointment of the last two games, saying, “Great to be in Cabot … the passes were on time and on target.” He added that the team’s “veteran guards” of Loughnane, Kermoury and Frankel “set the table” for the team.

The Huskies will take on Syracuse University (5-3, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. in the JME Wireless Dome.