Box Score

Post-game interview (Daynia La-Force)

BOSTON -- Five players scored in double-figures, including a career-high 19 for sophomore A'lece Mark (Springfield, Mass.) to lead all players, and the Northeastern women's basketball team (7-4, 0-0 CAA) posted a season-best 94 points as they clobbered Rhode Island (5-9, 0-0 A10), 94-53, on Thursday night at Solomon Court. The win marked the eighth straight at home for the Huskies, dating back to last season, and was the largest margin of victory for NU in 25 years.

With the win, Northeastern closes conference play with seven regular season non-conference victories, the most since joining the America East conference back in 1996-97. The eight straight home wins stand three shy of the program record, set between seasons in 1987 and 1988.

NU's 94 points came on a dazzling 64 percent shooting performance from the field, as the Huskies sunk 32-50 shots. Northeastern also got it done from beyond the three point line, sending in 11-19 (57.9%) from long range, highlighted by a 4-4 performance from Mark.

Mark was joined in double figures by four of her teammates, making it the first time since Dec. 7, 2009 that NU saw five players score 10 or more. Senior captain Deanna Kerkhof (Wallaceburg, Ontario) scored 18 to go along with six rebounds, tied for the team lead on the glass. Classmates and co-captains Kashaia Cannon (Providence, R.I.) and Christine Huber (North Babylon, N.Y.) both also chipped in 13, as did junior Jewel Tunstull (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Cannon and Tunstull both grabbed six boards as well, to tie Kerkhof for the team lead.

The Huskies held a 38-29 edge on the glass, giving them a positive rebound margin for the second straight game. Northeastern also forced 24 Rhody turnovers while holding the Rams to 29.1 percent (16-55) shooting from the field, the fifth time this year it has held an opponent under 30 percent. The Huskies assisted on 23 of their 32 turnovers, led by five helpers from sophomore Amencie Mercier (Pierrefonds, Quebec) and four from Cannon.

NU's 41 point margin victory is its largest since a 78-30 victory over Brooklyn on Feb. 6, 1988. The last time the Huskies topped 90 points in a game came on Jan. 7, 2010, when they posted 100 in a triple overtime victory over Old Dominion. They last hit the mark in regulation on March 6, 2004, a 92-68 win over Stony Brook.  

Northeastern scored the games first four points with a pair of lay-ins from Tunstull and Mark, and NU extended the early lead to 9-2 at the first media break with a Kerkhof three. Northeastern stretched its lead to 17-4 at the 12:46 mark, forcing a Rhode Island timeout.

An 11-2 run by the Huskies taking a touch over two minutes gave Northeastern a 30-11 lead at 8:05 of the first and led to another Ram timeout. A Cannon three at 6:00 gave NU its first 20-point lead of the day at 36-16, and a Kazzidy Stewart (Lanham, Md.) triple, NU's sixth of the first half, stretched it to 21 seconds later.

The lead reached as many as 26 in the waning moments of the first half, and Northeastern took that lead into the break with Mark nailing a three with time expiring to push the Huskies' first half advantage to 50-24. NU had the game's four leading scorers at the break, led by 11 from Kerkhof and 10 from Mark.

Northeastern opened the second half with the same pace it closed the first with, pushing its lead over 30. Rhode Island found its three point stroke to get back within 26, but Northeastern immediately rattled off a 9-0 run to take a 35 point lead, doubling up the Rams at 70-35 heading into the 11:50 media break.

The Huskies stretched their run to 14-0, forcing another Rhode Island timeout that saw NU's lead ballooned to 40 at 75-35. A pair of Tunstull free throws pushed the lead to 41, where it stayed at the 7:32 stop. Tunstull's ninth and tenth points of the day gave Northeastern five players in double figures for the first time since Dec. 7, 2009.

Rhode Island whittled the lead back under forty, making it 84-48 at the game's final media break with 3:49 to play. Mark scored five points down the stretch to seal her new career-high and get the deficit back there, and Northeastern closed out the 94-53 victory.

Up next for Northeastern is start of CAA league play. Conference action kicks off with a visit from the George Mason Patriots on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 2 p.m.