Drexel University secured a spot in the next round of the 2026 Air Force Reserve CAA Men’s Basketball Championship after defeating Northeastern University 84-77 on Saturday in Washington. Drexel improved its season record to 17-15, while Northeastern ended at 7-24.
Drexel built an early advantage by shooting well from three-point range in the first half, making eight shots from beyond the arc and leading by as many as 22 points. The Dragons went into halftime with a 39-22 lead.
Northeastern struggled offensively in the first half, converting only 36% of their field goal attempts. In contrast, Drexel shot 56% from the floor during that period and limited Northeastern to just two three-pointers out of nine attempts.
Victor Panov led Drexel’s first-half surge with 12 points, hitting all four of his three-point attempts. Eli Beard finished as Drexel’s top scorer with 21 points.
Northeastern mounted a comeback in the second half, increasing their shooting accuracy to 51%. Mike Loughnane scored a career-high 29 points for Northeastern, including going perfect from both three-point range (3-of-3) and the free throw line (10-of-10). Loughnane also recorded six assists and contributed heavily to Northeastern’s late rally by scoring 22 points after halftime.
Liam Koelsch added a personal best of 14 points for Northeastern, making all seven of his field goal attempts and grabbing seven rebounds. Xavier Abreu contributed all of his 13 points in the second half.
Despite narrowing Drexel’s lead to just four points late in the game following a significant run capped by a Loughnane three-pointer, Northeastern was unable to complete the comeback. Shane Blakeney made key baskets for Drexel down the stretch before free throws helped secure their win.
Northeastern finished shooting 28-of-63 overall and made five out of twenty-two three-point attempts. Drexel completed their night at 25-of-49 from the field and eight-of-seventeen from deep.
“Mike Loughnane was sensational for the Huskies, dropping a career-high 29 points on 8-of-10 from the floor, 3-of-3 from three and 10-of-10 from the line along with a game-high six assists,” according to team officials. “He scored 22 of those points in the second half to led Northeastern to 55 second half points.”
“Loughnane was joined in double figures by Liam Koelsch, who recorded a career-high 14 points on a perfect 7-of-7 day from the field along with a team-high seven rebounds, while Xavier Abreu added 13 points that all came in the second half.”
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