Northeastern 86, Towson 70

TOWSON, Md. (AP) -- Shawn James scored 23 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked six shots as Northeastern defeated Towson 86-70 Saturday for its fourth straight victory.

Jose Juan Barea scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half, Aaron Davis added 13 points and Bennet Davis had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Huskies (17-10, 12-6 Colonial Athletic Association), who have won six of eight. Northeastern was 27-for-31 from the free throw line.

Lawrence Hamm had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (12-15, 8-10), who had won two straight and three of five. Dennard Abraham added 23 points and 11 rebounds for Towson.

Limited to six first-half points, Barea matched that total in the first 1:36 of the second half, erasing the Tigers' 37-35 halftime lead and sparking the Huskies' second-half comeback.

Barea knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner to put the Huskies on top, then converted a three-point play for a 41-37 edge.

Abraham followed Velmar Coleman's miss with a slam, capping a 6-0 Towson burst that provided a 43-41 Tigers lead with 16:26 left. But Northeastern responded by outscoring Towson 15-6 over the next 3:18 to take control for good.

Aaron Davis started the decisive run with a game-tying 3-pointer from the right wing, and James turned a transition basket into a three-point play for a lead the Huskies never relinquished.

Hamm had 11 first-half points, and Trevan Jackson's 3-pointer from the left corner with 1.9 seconds remaining gave Towson its two-point halftime lead.