Northeastern Illinois took a giant step forward Tuesday with its first Division I victory, but since then the Golden Eagles have taken two big steps backward.
A 92-52 loss Saturday to South Carolina State was Northeastern`s second straight 40-point setback. The Golden Eagles lost 106-66 Friday to host Tennessee-Chattanooga in the opener of the Red Food Classic.
”Being so young, it`s hard to be on the road,” Northeastern coach Rees Johnson said of his team, which has six freshmen and two sophomores. ”You`re going into stadiums where everyone is screaming against you.
”It was the hardest weekend of my life, basketball-wise.”
Minson Rubin, whose 18.5 average led Northeastern (1-5) in its first four games, was held to eight points against Tennessee-Chattanooga and seven against South Carolina State. The 6-foot-8-inch junior had only one basket against Carolina State.
”I was really disappointed in him,” Johnson said. ”He`s gauging his whole game by his offense. If he misses a shot or gets a shot blocked, it`s affecting him at the other end of the floor.”
Northeastern`s next three games are on the road against Alcorn State Monday, Indiana State Thursday and Missouri-Kansas City Saturday. But then the Golden Eagles play seven of their next eight games at home, with the one
”road” game at Illinois-Chicago.
