Box Score • Season Statistics • Postgame Interview • InfographicPISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Northeastern Huskies fell to the No. 22/24 Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 74-60, in their first road test of the season.
The Huskies had three players score in double-figures, including a game-high 22 points from junior guard
Tiffany Montagne. Playing in front of family and friends, Montagne, a native of Jackson, New Jersey, connected on seven of 13 attempts from the floor, including five of nine from beyond the arc. The junior fell two 3-pointers short of tying a career-high for 3-pointers made in a single game.
Samantha DeFreese, also a native of New Jersey, scored 13 points in 32 minutes of work. This is the second straight game the junior forward scored more than 10 points. DeFreese also grabbed five rebounds, tied with Montagne for the team-high.
Along with the two juniors, Northeastern got solid production from
Kazzidy Stewart, who finished with a career-high six assists. The forward chipped in 13 points in the loss after going three of 10 from the floor.
Amencie Mercier added eight points and three assists of her own. The senior is now tied for ninth all-time with 252 assists.
Right from the tip, the Huskies started playing strong basketball, leading for the opening nine minutes. Northeastern connected on six of its first 10 shots, pushing the gap to as many as six points, its largest lead of the game.
Tough defense from
Kelly Cole's squad generated three turnovers and forced the Scarlet Knights to go three of eight from the floor to open the game. With the score tied at 12-12, however, Rutgers went on a 10-0 run to take the lead from the Huskies.
Northeastern (1-1, 0-0) battled back, cutting the lead down to just two points with 2:47 left on the clock, but a late 8-0 run from Rutgers (2-0, 0-0) pushed the gap to 35-25 at the end of the first half.
The Scarlet Knights came out firing in the second half, outscoring the Huskies 8-2 to begin the game's final stanza. Montagne scored 14 of her 22 points in the second half, while DeFreese added seven to assist the comeback attempt.
As a team, Northeastern shot 36.7 percent overall, finishing 18 of 49 from the floor. NU connected on nine of 23 attempts from beyond the arc, and 15-18 from the charity stripe.
They were out-rebounded by the Scarlet Knights by a 33-29 margin, and committed 22 turnovers in the setback.
Northeastern returns to action this Saturday, Nov. 22, when the team welcomes the Red Foxes of Marist to Cabot Center for a 2 p.m. showdown. The Huskies then turn their attention to a matchup with North Dakota State in Boca Raton, Florida, as part of Florida Atlantic University's Thanksgiving Tournament.
Game Notes• Kazzidy Stewart registered a career-high six assists.• With 252 career assists, Amencie Mercier moves into ninth all-time.• The Huskies are now 1-6 all-time against the Scarlet Knights.For complete coverage of Northeastern women's basketball, follow us onFacebook(GoNUwbasketball),Twitter (@GoNUwbasketball), and Instagram (@GoNUwbasketball).The Huskies also run their own blog,The Husky Huddle, for fans eager to learn more about the team and hear from the coaches and players directly.
Check out exclusive live and on-demand videos of Northeastern Athletics atGoNU.com/xstreamand behind-the-scenes content onInstagram(GoNUathletics), Twitter (@GoNUathletics) and Facebook (GoNUathletics). For tickets, visitGoNU.com/ticketsor call (617) 373-4700. .
