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BOSTON – The Northeastern Huskies returned to their winning ways with a 58-51 victory over the visiting Marist Red Foxes on Saturday, Nov. 22.
 
The win brings an end to a three-game skid against the Red Foxes, and evens the all-time series, 3-3.
 
Northeastern (2-1, 0-0) utilized its tough defensive mentality and strong shooting performances from Samantha DeFreese, Tiffany Montagne, Amencie Mercier and Francesca Sally to earn the victory over Marist (0-2, 0-0) and push its record above the .500 mark. DeFreese, the team leader in points per game averaging 18 per contest, finished her night with 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
 
Montagne, fresh off a game-high 22-point performance against Rutgers, connected on five of 12 shots from the floor, en route to 14 points. The junior guard also contributed four rebounds and three assists. 
 
The team welcomed back senior guard A'lece Mark, who chipped in a double-double – 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds – in the victory. The Huskies have now had at least three team members finish their night with 10 points or more in three straight games. 
 
NU's defense, rebounding and ball movement was the story of the game. Kelly Cole's squad was able to force the Red Foxes into contested shots, resulting in a 17 of 59 mark from the floor and 15 turnovers. Whether it was a zone or man-to-man defensive mindset, the Huskies were up to the task each time the Red Foxes took the ball up the court.
 
On the other end of the floor, crisp passes led to open looks and layups as the Huskies dominated the Red Foxes inside. The return of Sally proved pivotal as the sophomore was able to control the paint for NU throughout the game. Cole's squad out-rebounded its opponent by a 41-37 margin, leading to 13 second-chance points, including nine over the second half to help secure the victory. Mark's 11 rebounds were the team high. 
 
The consistency from the offense allowed the Huskies to lead the Red Foxes for more than 28 minutes, including the entire second half. The largest lead for NU was 16 points, which happened twice during the game.
 
As a team, Northeastern shot 37 percent from the floor, connecting on 20 of 54 shots. From beyond the arc, the Huskies found their groove early and maintained it throughout the game, leading to a 34 percent mark from downtown. Montagne had a team-high four made 3-pointers, while Mercier and DeFreese both went two of three from three-point range.
 
The Huskies opened with a strong first half, converting on 12 of 28 field goals, including five of 13 from downtown. The ball movement from the Huskies was terrific, leading to open shots and a first-half season-high nine assists. Northeastern had been averaging 11.5 assists over its first two games.
 
Cole's team pushed its lead to as high 11 points in the first half.
 
NU was paced by a familiar face in DeFreese in the opening stanza. The junior forward hit on four of five shots leading to a team-high 12 points, two shy of a career high.
 
Along with the junior forward, it was the captain Mercier driving the Huskies' offense. She had eight first-half points after connecting on three of four from the floor, and a perfect two of two from beyond the arc. She also chipped in a season-high four rebounds.
 
Next up for NU is a showdown with North Dakota State University in the opening-game of Florida Atlantic University's Thanksgiving Tournament, held in Boca Raton, Florida. With a win against NDSU, the Huskies would play the winner of the second game between Florida Atlantic and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. NU's game against the Bison tips off at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28. 

Game Notes
• Kelly Cole becomes the first head coach in program history to start 2-0 at home in her first season.
• Samantha DeFreese has now scored in double-figures in three straight games. 
• The Huskies 15 assists are a season-high for the team. 

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