Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The Northeastern women's basketball team led by as many as 17 in the second half, but a 24-4 run by Eastern Michigan over the game's final twelve minutes propelled the Eagles to a 50-47 victory in the 2012-13 season opener on Sunday afternoon.
Senior captain
Deanna Kerkhof (Wallaceburg, Ontario) led the Huskies in scoring with 14 points, and also grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds to notch her first career double-double. Junior
Jewel Tunstull (Brooklyn, N.Y.) joined her in double digits with 13 points and added nine boards, while senior
Christine Huber (North Babylon, N.Y.) chipped in nine points and 11 rebounds. Senior
Kashaia Cannon (Providence, R.I.) made her first appearance since March of 2011 after missing all of last season as a medical redshirt, scoring eight points.
Northeastern led 27-17 at the break, but was held without a field goal over the game's final ten minutes in an impressive defensive display by the Eagles. The 50 points allowed by Northeastern is the lowest in a season opener under coach Daynia La-Force, and the fourth lowest total in a season opener since 1985.
Miranda Tate led all scorers on the day with 23 points for the Eagles, their only player in double digits. Both teams shot under 30 percent on the day, as the Huskies went 15-of-55 (27.3%) and EMU went 17-of-57 (29.8%). Northeastern only held one opponent under 30 percent last season.
EMU scored the game's first bucket, with Tate going coast-to-coast off an inbounds steal for an easy lay-in. Tunstull responded with NU's first basket of the year, spinning in the lane to knock down a runner and tie the contest.
After the Eagles jumped ahead by three, Cannon found Tunstull inside to hang, hit and draw a foul, knocking down the subsequent free throw to tie the game. A triple from Huber at 12:50 and a Kerkhof lay-in capped NU's 8-2 run leading up to the game's second media timeout at 10:47, with the Huskies leading 10-7.
Tate tied the contest at 10-all with a three, but NU responded with back-to-back long balls from Kerkhof and Cannon to put the Huskies up 16-10 midway through the opening stanza and force an EMU timeout at 9:59.
A pair of Tunstull lay-ups cut and a free throw from sophomore
A'lece Mark (Springfield, Mass.) capped a 13-1 NU run and put the Huskies up 23-11 with five minutes to play in the first. NU held that lead into the final media stoppage of the opening period with 3:55 to play, before Tate ended it with a triple on the other side of the timeout.
Another Cannon three-pointer with under a minute to play in the half gave Northeastern a 27-14 lead, its largest of the contest. Tate again responded with a triple of her own to cut the lead to ten, sending the contest to halftime with NU leading 27-17.
Tate led all scorers in the first half with 11, following by the Huskies' Tunstull's nine and Cannon's eight. Huber led all players in the opening stanza with 10 rebounds, and NU overall out-rebounded the Eagles 24-15.
EMU got on the board first in the second half, with Natachia Watkins hitting an inside jumper. Kerkhof responded with the Huskies first bucket, nailing a three to push the lead back to double digits. A jumper from sophomore
Amencie Mercier (Pierrefonds, Quebec) kept it there and sent the Huskies to the first media timeout of the half at 15:50 leading 33-23.
With 14:06 to play, Kerkhof converted a lay-up and drew a foul, knocking down the free throw to complete the three-point play and give NU its largest lead of the day at 40-26. After an NU timeout, Huber hit a pull-up jumper to push the lead to 17, leading to an EMU timeout.
After the second stoppage of the half, EMU reeled off five straight points before a Huber three at 10:26 pushed the lead back to 15.
A 21-4 run by the Eagles evaporated Northeastern's big lead, and the contest was tied at 47-all with three minutes to play.
With 1:38 to play, EMU's Olivia Fouty drew a shooting foul and went to the line, sinking one of two to give EMU its first lead since the game's opening minutes. Northeastern had a pair of looks with under a minute to play, but a Huber three rimmed out and Kerkhof couldn't knock down the put back.
NU was forced to foul with 14 seconds remaining, down one, and sent Desyree Thomas to the line. Thomas hit both ends of a one-and-one to give EMU a three point lead and ice the contest.
The Huskies next continue their three-game season-opening road trip when they head to Philadelphia for a pair of contests with Big 5 schools, starting with La Salle on Nov. 15. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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