Duquesne has return to coach Joyce's hometown spoiled by Northeastern's 93-86 victory

AKRON, Ohio — Duquesne’s run of successes in coach Dru Joyce III’s hometown ended Saturday with a thud.

Xavier Abreu poured in 32 points, and Northeastern outlasted Duquesne, 93-86, in the Morgan & Morgan Classic at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School’s LeBron James Arena.

Elezovic Haris added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and William Kermoury contributed 13 points for the Huskies (3-3), who led for nearly the entire game.

Tarence Guinyard led five Duquesne players in double figures with 19 points. The Dukes (4-2) also got 18 from John Hughley IV, 17 from Jimmie Williams, 14 from Jakub Necas and 11 from Cam Crawford.

The loss ended a seven-game winning streak at an Akron neutral site.

Both teams shot sizzling percentages, Northeastern finishing at 55.4 and Duquesne at 54.2.

Playing at Joyce’s alma mater, Duquesne was within a point in the final minute on a layup by Necas. But Northeastern closed the game on a 5-0 run, ignited by Kermoury’s 3-point shot with 32 seconds remaining, giving the Huskies a 90-86 lead.

Northeastern never led in the second half by more than seven points, the last being the final score.

Northeastern, taking advantage of Duquesne’s sluggish play, controlled the first half while leading for more than 18 of 20 minutes.

Crawford’s first of two 3-point shots in a span of 1:10 gave Duquesne its first lead with 2:47 left before intermission.

The second capped an 11-2 Dukes run that put Duquesne in front 36-33 before Northeastern scored the next eight points, four by Abreu, and clung to a 41-38 halftime lead.

Duquesne’s decision to play the neutral-site game comes with rewards and risks. While the allure of playing at the alma mater of LeBron James and Joyce III, his high school teammate, is great, the trip offers a chance to sightsee attractions in Joyce’s hometown.

“Last year was where we created some momentum there,” Joyce said earlier in the week, referring to Duquesne’s 65-47 victory over Towson. “It really jump-started us.”

Judging from the Dukes’ latest affair, they were the ones in need of a jumpstart.

As in years past, the Dukes on Friday visited the I Promise School, LeBron James Museum and House Three Thirty, all creations of the LeBron James Family Foundation.

Situated just blocks apart, all three facilities are a short distance from LeBron James Arena.

“They’re able to see all the details in history that went from where (James) started as a young man in his apartment all the way through this Lakers stage of his career,” Joyce III said.

House Three Thirty serves as a social center for the community, he said. It houses, among other things, restaurants and a coffee shop, theatre and bank.