Box Score
Post-game comments (Daynia La-Force)

PHILADELPHIA- Behind 22 points from senior Deanna Kerkhof (Wallaceburg, Ontario) and 16 from classmate Kashaia Cannon (Providence, R.I.), the Northeastern women's basketball team rolled through La Salle, 76-45, on Thursday night on the road at Tom Gola Arena.

In addition to her game-high 22 points, Kerkhof pulled down seven rebounds and dished out four assists, also accumulating a block and two steals. The Canadian captain shot 8-13 from the field, including going 4-7 from beyond the arc. Cannon did most of her damage from long distance as well, connecting on 5-8 from deep. Brittany Wilson led La Salle in scoring with 20 points.

Kerkhof and Cannon were supported from the inside by junior Jewel Tunstull (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and senior captain Christine Huber (North Babylon, N.Y.). Huber scored eight points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, while Tunstull chipped in 11 points and eight boards. Also lending a helping hand was sophomore A'lece Mark (Springfield, Mass.), who scored nine points and dished out a career-high six assists to lead all players.

Northeastern's last win by 30 points or more before tonight was Nov. 28, 2009, when it defeated Army, 77-45. The Huskies dished out 21 total assists in the win, the first time they have handed out more than 20 helpers since Jan. 29, 2012. NU outrebounded La Salle 47-32 on the day.

The last time NU held back-to-back opponents to 50 points or less was Jan. 15 and 18, 2009, when they turned the trick in wins over UNCW and George Mason. The last time it happened to start a season was Nov. 27 and 30, 1984, in season opening victories over Fairfield and Maryland. Northeastern has now also kept two straight opponents under 30 percent shooting from the field, holding La Salle to a paltry 23.7 (14-59) percent, including a 9.1 (2-22) percent mark from three-point range.

La Salle got the contest's scoring started with a triple from Jordan Mosley, but Kerkhof immediately responded with a long ball of her own to tie the game. Another three from Cannon at 17:28 gave NU its first lead of the contest at 6-3, where the score stayed into the game's first media timeout at 15:33.

Following the timeout, a Tunstull lay-in and a three pointer from freshman Kazzidy Stewart (Lanham, Md.) put the Huskies up 11-5 at 14:48. The triple was the first basket of Stewart's career.  Kerkhof connected again from deep a minute later to stretch the lead to seven, and the senior's lay-in at 11:16 pushed NU's lead to 21-11 and forced a La Salle timeout.

Coming out of the stoppage, a Mark free throw and a Kerkhof breakaway lay-in gave NU a 24-11 lead at 9:18 and forced another La Salle timeout. The Huskies made another strong play in transition two minutes later, with Tunstull finding freshman Tiffany Montagne (Jackson, N.J.) on the break for an easy lay-in, her first career basket. Huber hit a triple to extend the lead to 18, sending the Huskies to the 6:46 media break up 29-11.

A Cannon three out of the stop gave NU a 32-13 lead, its largest margin of the young season, and a Tunstull post basket pushed the lead to 21 with under five minutes to play in the half. The Explorers upped their defensive pressure towards the end of the half to settle NU's offense, but the Huskies kept the clamps on as well and took a 40-20 lead into the break.

NU's first half performance marked the second straight game it has taken a double-digit lead into the break, and the second straight opponent the Huskies have held to 20 points or less in the opening frame.

As it did in the first half, La Salle scored the first basket of the second half, with Wilson connecting before NU reeled off an 11-0 run, highlighted by threes from Cannon and Kerkhof, to force a La Salle timeout at 16:09 with NU up 52-24. Northeastern stretched the run to 13-0 and its lead to 30, but La Salle responded with six straight points.

Cannon knocked down yet another three at 12:57 to join Kerkhof in the double digit scoring column and push the lead back to 27, and the contest went to the under-12 media timeout at 11:59 with NU up 58-33.

A pair of Tunstull freebies at 10:41 and a Kerkhof lay-in 90 seconds later cranked NU's lead back up to 29, and a Mark free throw before the game's penultimate media break gave the Huskies a 65-35 lead with 7:41 to play.

The fifth three of the game from Cannon gave NU a 69-37 lead at 6:22, before Wilson rattled off six straight points to cut the deficit to 26 heading into the games final media timeout at 3:17. Stewart's second triple of the game and a Mark jumper had Northeastern up 31, and freshman Samantha DeFreese (Bergenfield, N.J.) scored her first career basket to keep it there and close the win.

The Huskies conclude their season-opening road trip on Saturday, when they head across Phiadelphia to take on the Temple Owls. Game time at the Liacouras Center is set for 5 p.m.