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BOSTON -- For much of Sunday afternoon, the Boston University Terriers just about dared the Northeastern Huskies to shoot. Sitting in a two-three zone for most of the first half, BU coach Joe Jones was content to give up contested 3-pointer after contested 3-pointer. It was the best of both worlds for BU when Northeastern took the Terriers up on the challenge: The shots didn’t fall (NU was 3-for-12 from 3) and double-double machine Scott Eatherton was a nonfactor (1-for-5 shooting, 2 points, 4 rebounds).   Eatherton averaged a double-double in 2013-14, at 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds, so the longer the Terriers kept him from getting established, the better off they figured to be.
The strategy, combined with nine assists on 12 baskets, paid off with a nine-point lead at the half. There was only one problem with the tactic: It let David Walker warm up. “I felt like if Walker scored 20, we still would have a chance to win the game,” Jones said. “Obviously him getting 23 really helped them. ... He played really well. He's a good player.” Walker kept Northeastern afloat, scoring a game-high 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting against the zone in the first half. “Any basketball team, you have to take what the defense gives you,” Huskies coach Bill Coen said. “We knew we had to get into the paint, either by the dribble or on a post touch. And once we started doing that, we got better quality shots.” The Huskies took advantage of the improved looks, shooting 6-for-11 on 3s in the second half to come back from as many as 11 down to win 71-65 in the first game of the second annual Coaches vs. Cancer tripleheader. With the win Northeastern improves to 4-1 versus BU in the past five meetings, all of which have been decided by eight points or fewer. Though he shot just 32.4 percent on 3s last season, Walker did most of his damage from long distance on Sunday. The junior set career highs in points (23), made 3s (six) and attempted 3s (10).  And with Northeastern clinging to a two-point lead with just more than two minutes to play, Walker made perhaps his biggest play.
The 6-foot-6, 196-pounder caught the ball on the right wing, drove toward the baseline and leapt over an on-rushing Terriers defender and whipped a pass to a wide-open Quincy Ford for a 3 to push the lead to five. The second-half display is a promising one for the Huskies, who will rely heavily on Eatherton again this season as they attempt to make preseason projections of a CAA title come true. But they’ll need guys such as Ford and Walker to play well to do so. “I think you’re going to like what you see from both these guys. They put in a lot of hard work over the summer,” Coen said of Walker and Ford. “Q’s in a little bit of a transition, he played most of his career at the power forward. He stepped out and played a little small forward today. Davey just does so much for us. His versatility allows us to move him to the point guard, or move him off the ball if we need a little bit more scoring. “He's got that feel and IQ for the game that makes the game fun to play and fun to coach. Both these guys are in new roles. I think they’re both going to develop as the year goes along.” Ford missed most of last season after suffering a back injury that required surgery. After putting up 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in his return, Ford was asked how far his teammate has come since they last played together. “A long way,” he said with a laugh. “Oh man, I like the new Dave. The aggressiveness, the shots he takes. This is the stuff he’s done all summer, working on his game. Truly proud of him.” For his part, Walker said he was just doing what he’s always done since he arrived on the Huntington Ave. campus -- trying to fill his role. “Coach asked me to shoot the ball, so I was just stepping in and shooting,” he said. “It was just one of those days when the shots were going in.” If there are more days like this for Ford and Walker in the future, the Huskies will be ready to accept whatever dares opponents throw at them. Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
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