Box Score

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - Despite a 12-point, 17-rebound double-double from Jewel Tunstull, the No. 4 Northeastern women's basketball team (17-13, 10-8 CAA) couldn't overcome a second half surge from the No. 5 Hofstra Pride (14-16, 9-9 CAA) and dropped a 55-52 decision in the quarterfinals of the 2013 CAA Women's Basketball Championship presented by Jani-King on Friday afternoon at the Show Place Arena.

The Huskies were plagued by one of their worst shooting nights of the season, connecting on just 30.3 percent (20-66) from the floor, and 31.6 percent (6-19) from 3-point range. NU also committed 19 turnovers, forcing 14. That negated a 49-39 rebounding edge, led Tunstull's season-high 17.

Tunstull (Brooklyn, N.Y.), an All-CAA third team member, tied for the NU scoring lead with sophomore A'lece Mark (Springfield, Mass.) who scored 12 points and dished out a game-high five assists. Classmate Amencie Mercier (Pierrefonds, Quebec) was the third Husky in double figures, scoring 11.

The Pride were led by 15 points from Andreana Thomas, and 11 from Deven Green. All-CAA first team member Shante Evans added six and a team-high 11 rebounds, while Candance Bond chipped in nine points and nine rebounds. Asia Jackson led all players with seven steals.

Rounding out the scoresheet for the Huskies was redshirt senior and All-CAA third team member Kashaia Cannon (Providence, R.I.), who scored nine points, all from 3-point range. All-CAA second team member Deanna Kerkhof (Wallaceburg, Ontario) battled foul trouble all game, finishing with a season-low two points and six rebounds. Christine Huber (North Babylon, N.Y.) added nine rebounds, while sophomore Tanisha Hopewell (Upper Marloboro, Md.) scored six points.

The Huskies took a 29-22 lead into halftime, but a 16-5 surge for Hofstra to start the second half gave them a lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Huskies tied the game midway through the second, but could not pull ahead.

HU's Annie Payton got the game's scoring started, knocking down a 3-pointer on the Pride's first possession. Mercier got NU on the board with a lay-in, leading to 12 straight for the Huskies that gave them a 12-3 lead and forced a Hofstra timeout with 13:40 remaining in the first.

The Pride ended a nearly six minute scoring drought after the timeout with back-to-back baskets, going on an 8-3 run to pull within four and force a La-Force timeout with 11:13 left in the first. NU got its lead back to five before the under-eight timeout, and a Mark triple gave NU a 22-14 lead after that stop.

Cannon fed Hopewell inside for an easy lay-in to give NU a 29-20 lead in the final minute of the first half, the largest lead of the day for the Huskies. Northeastern took a 29-22 lead into halftime, led by a game-high nine points from Mark. NU held a 26-14 rebounding edge in the first half.

Hofstra started the second half as they started the first, with a 3-pointer, which cut the deficit to the five. The Pride closed to within two early in the half, taking the game to the 15:55 stop with the Huskies clinging to a 34-32 lead.

A jumper from Candace Bond tied the game immediately after the stop, and an Asia Jackson lay-in gave the Pride their first lead since the game's opening moments. Hofstra stretched its lead to 38-34 at 13:22, before a pair of Tunstull free throws ended a 16-5 HU run to open the half.

The free throws marked the start of six straight from Tunstull, which tied the game back up at 40-all before the 11:14 media timeout. The Pride responded with a 5-0 spurt, leading to a La-Force timeout with 9:04 remaining in regulation.

After Hofstra got its lead to seven, its largest of the day, Kerkhof hit her first basket and Hopewell converted a steal to a lay-in to make it 47-44 and force an HU timeout at 7:02. The Pride scored four in a row after the stop, leading to another La-Force timeout down seven with 5:47 remaining.

Mercier hit a jumper in the paint before the 3:51 media stop, cutting the lead to five, before she nailed her first 3-pointer of the day to make it a two-point game with under three to play. Hofstra took time clinging to its 51-49 lead with 1:43 remaining, and an Evans lay-in pushed it back to four after the stop.

Northeastern couldn't convert on its next to possessions, and late free throws from the Pride pushed their lead to six. A Cannon triple cut it back to three with 13.3 seconds to play, but the Pride converted two more from the line and held on to the 57-52 win.

With the loss, NU is eliminated from the CAA tournament and ends its season at 17-13.

Game Notes:
- Kashaia Cannon has hit a 3-pointer in 29 of 30 games this year, has hit two or more 26 times and has a program single-season record 80 triples this year
- Neither team's leading scorer, Shante Evans for HU and Deanna Kerkhof for NU, scored in the first half
- Kerkhof's two points mark a season-low
- Jewel Tunstull posted her sixth double-double of the season, 12th of her career
- Tunstull's 17 rebounds mark a season-high, two shy of her career-best set on Jan. 5, 2012 at UNCW
- Tanisha Hopewell scored a career-high six points
- NU's 52 point output marks its lowest since Jan. 29 at No. 25 Delaware (50)