BOSTON - The Northeastern women's basketball team will head to Williamsburg, Va., to close out its regular-season road slate against William & Mary on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m.

STORY LINES
• The Huskies and Tribe have battled 12 times since Northeastern joined the Colonial Athletic Association in 2005. NU has enjoyed an 8-4 advantage in the series.

• Northeastern split on the week with a loss at Hofstra before taking Drexel to double overtime to capture a win at home.

• Senior center Jewel Tunstull led the Huskies with back-to-back double-doubles, averaging 22.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per game on the week. The senior leads the league in double-doubles with 11. She also added 5 blocks and 3 steals on the week.

• Amencie Mercier (12.5 ppg) and Samantha DeFreese (10.0 ppg) also added double- figure points on the week.

• Mercier, A'lece Mark, DeFreese, Kazzidy Stewart and Tunstull all recorded double- figures against DU, making it just the second time this season that five NU players have scored in double-digits.

NORTHEASTERN HUSKIES        
With only three games left before the CAA Tournament, the Huskies looks to improve their 11-15 overall record when they face William & Mary in their final regular-season road game. Since the last outing against Drexel, Northeastern has gone 4-4, all in league play. Most recently, Northeastern faced Drexel for the second time this season, taking the Dragons into double overtime to earn the win at home. The squad is led by lone-senior Jewel Tunstull who is averaging 15.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest and shooting a league-leading 54 percent from the field. A'lece Mark, who has played in 17 games for NU this season, is averaging 16 points per contest, while Tiffany Montagne and Samantha DeFreese are averaging 9.3 and 9.2 points per game, respectively.

WILLIAM & MARY TRIBE        
The Tribe enters Thursday's matchup fresh off a 68-64 win over second-place Delaware. William & Mary holds a 7-18 overall record and a 3-8 conference mark. The squad boasts four players that are averaging double-figures this season in Marlena Tremba (13.6), Kaitlyn Matheiu (12.4), Jazmen Boone (11.3), and Kayla Kersetter (10.8) and is the only school in the CAA to have four players ranking in the top 20 in scoring. Led by Marelna Tremba who averages 13.6 points per game, the Tribe ranks among the top 5 in the conference in turnover margin (+3.3), assists (12.9 per game), free-throw percentage (72 percent), field-goal percentage (37.7 percent), and leads the CAA in steals (10.9 per game).

HUSKIES VS. TRIBE
Northeastern and William & Mary have battled 11 times since NU joined the CAA in 2005. The Huskies have enjoyed an 8-4 advantage in the series. Daynia La-Force has won eight of her 11 attempts against W&M, including a 71-69 overtime victory in Boston last year on Jan. 10. In that win, Jewel Tunstull led four Huskies in double figures, scoring 16 points and grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds. Earlier this month, Northeastern defeated the Tribe, 78-57, at Cabot Center.

OVERTIME OUTING
The Huskies most dramatic victory of the year occurred after Northeastern overcame a 15-point deficit to defeat third-place Drexel, 78-73, in double overtime on Feb. 23. In a game that showcased the best 3-point shooting teams in the conference, Jewel Tunstull notched her 11th double-double of the year after leading five Huskies in double figures for the second time this year. Amencier Mercier tallied her 11th double-digit scoring game of the year with 13 points on the night and recording a new career-best for 3-pointers after sinking four. As a team, NU collected 12 threes, good for a new season-high and the most 3-pointers in a single game since Feb. 15, 2013.

TOP TANDEMS
At least two Huskies hold top-10 conference rankings in several categories, including rebounding, field-goal percentage, 3-point field-goal percentage, and 3-point field goals made. The most notable tandem is Kazzidy Stewart and Tiffany Montange who have claimed the top two spots in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 38 and 37.9 percent, respectively. William & Mary is the only other school that has players in the top two spots of a single category as Jazmen Boone and Kyla Kersetter rank at the top of the steals column.

LEADING LADY
Through 26 games Jewel Tunstull has recorded 11 double-doubles to lead the conference. Her first came against Rutgers when the lone senior totalled 14 rebounds and 18 points. Against Harvard, Tunstull notched her third double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds and went a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line, shooting 100 percent from the charity stripe for the third time this season. The last time an NU player shot a perfect 10-for-10 was on Jan. 27, 2006, when Maralene Zwarich accomplished the feat against VCU. Tunstull's most recent double-doubles came after she led the team to a 1-1 week against Hofstra and Drexel and averaged 22 points and 16 rebounds per game. The senior added to her list of career accomplishments when she logged her 1,000th-career point against Massachusetts to become the 17th player in program history to earn the achievement.

DEFREESE FRAME
After helping the Huskies to a win over William & Mary last Thursday, sophomore Samantha DeFreese earned her first CAA Player of the Week accolade. DeFreese shot lights out as she scored 18 points after shooting 7-of-10 (.700) from the floor, including 3-for-5 (.600) from 3-point range. DeFreese has played a crucial role on this season's roster. With 760 minutes logged so far this year, the forward has notched career bests in every category, including a career-high 21 points against Delaware and 16 rebounds against UNCW. As a threat both offensively and defensively, the 6-0 forward has tallied seven games as NU's leading rebounder and three contests as the scoring leader, while notching five double-doubles this year.

CHERISHING THE CHARITY STRIPE
Northeastern has taken advantage of its opportunities at the free-throw line this season, especially in its most recent contests, and ranks third in the CAA in free-throw percentage. In nine of the last 11 games, the Huskies have shot over 70 percent at the charity stripe, including a perfect performance against Towson. The squad recorded a season-best 28 free throws against Albany on Jan. 4, 2014, the most since the Huskies notched 29 in a 100-94 overtime victory over Old Dominion on Jan. 7, 2010.

THREE'S COMPANY
Northeastern has made at least five 3-pointers in all but three contests this season, including three double-digit trifectas against NJIT and twice versus Drexel. Kazzidy Stewart, who recorded five treys against Harvard, was joined by Tiffany Montagne who hit five 3-pointers against Marist as the only current players to have recorded more than four 3-pointers in a single game during their tenure on Huntington Ave. Montagne then bested her career-high against Massachusetts  with seven threes to tie a program single-game best. The Huskies sit second in the CAA in 3-point field goals made (7.2 per game) and in 3-point field goal percentage (.337). Northeastern notched a season-best 12 3-pointers against Drexel on Feb. 23, the most in a single game since the squad tallied 13 treys against William & Mary on Feb. 15, 2013.

COLONIAL TIME
NU entered the 2013-14 season having completed eight seasons in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 48-96 overall conference mark, including a 10-8 record last year. The Huskies have advanced to the CAA tournament quarterfinals in five of their eight tries, with four trips out of the first round under La-Force. Northeastern was projected to finish third in the conference this season, as announced in the preseason coaches poll on Oct. 21, 2013 at CAA Media Day. The third-place finish is the highest projected mark ever for the Huskies under La-Force. In six of La-Force's seven years at the helm, the Huskies have topped their preseason projection, including last year when they finished fifth after being tabbed sixth. This season, every CAA team will have the opportunity to play each other twice, once on the road and once at home. Northeastern began its ninth season in the conference against UNCW on Jan. 9, 2014, and walked away with a 60-54 victory before dropping five consecutive contests. Since the losing-streak, the Huskies have gone 5-3 in conference play, including a 78-73 double-overtime victory over Drexel.

RECORD WHEN...
This season, the Huskies have held nine opponents under 60 points, claiming eight of those victories. During the 2012-13 slate, Northeastern held its opponents under 60 on 14 occasions and tallied 12 wins. This season, the Huskies also hold an undefeated 9-0 record when leading at halftime.

STEPPING UP
So far this season, the Huskies have seen five different players notch 20-point scoring games for 15 total in A'lece Mark, Tiffany Montagne, Jewel Tunstull, Samantha DeFreese and Kazzidy Stewart. Last year, Northeastern closed out the season having only three players record 20-point games on nine occasions, including two from Tunstull. Northeastern has also had five different scoring leaders to top last year's four players.

TERRIFIC TIFFANY
After a breakout, record-setting performance, sophomore Tiffany Montagne earned her first Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week honor as announced by the conference on Monday, Dec. 23. The Jackson, N.J., native earned the accolade after leading Northeastern with 26.5 points per game as the Huskies split the week, 1-1. Montagne notched a career-best 19 points against Marist, before besting her career mark with 34 points in a 95-76 win over Massachusetts . The last time a Northeastern player scored 30-plus points was on Dec. 9, 2009, when Brittany Wilson tallied 34 against Harvard. Montagne is one of just two CAA players to record an individual 30-point game this season. Against Massachusetts, the 5-7 guard logged a career-best seven made 3-pointers out of eight tries (.875) to tie a Northeastern program single-game record for made threes.

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
Against Massachusetts , the Huskies tallied a program single-game best 26 assists. This season, Northeastern has recorded 20 double-figure assist games and three games of 15 or more assists. Amencie Mercier currently leads the Huskies in assists, averaging 4.3 per game to rank second in the CAA.

DOUBLING UP
Six times this season, four or more players have scored in double-figures. The first came against NJIT when A'lece Mark led a quartet of Huskies in double-digits. Mark contributed a game-best 18 points, Jewel Tunstull chipped in 16, Kazzidy Stewart logged 12 and Amencie Mericer posted 10 points. After that, Montagne led four Huskies in double-figures as the sophomore posted a career-best 34 points. Mercier and DeFreese joined in with a career-high 18 and 17 points, respectively, while Tunstull chipped in 14. The most recent came against Hofstra when Tunstull (16) led starters Mercier (11), Stewart (11), and DeFreese (11) in double digits. Twice this year, Northeastern has seen five players hit double-figures against Drexel and Hofstra. Last year, Northeastern saw five players hit double figures in the scoring column three times and four players hit double figures eight times.

POINTS ON POINTS
Eight players have marked new career highs in points this season. A'lece Mark was the first to add to her record book when she notched 28 points in the Huskies' season opener against Boston University. Tiffany Montagne launched 14 points against New Hampshire before Kazzidy Stewart led all scorers against Harvard as she sank 25 points for a new career best. Montagne broke her career high again when she notched a team-best 19 points against Marist before besting her career mark with 34 points against Massachusetts . The last time a Northeastern player scored 30-plus points was on Dec. 9, 2009, when Brittany Wilson tallied 34 against Harvard. Montagne is one of just six CAA players to record an individual 30-point game this season. Amencie Mercier (18), Samantha DeFreese (21), and Sade Iriah (8) also logged career-high points against Massachusetts, while freshman DaChé Williams tallied a career-best 10 points against Tulane. Senior Jewel Tunstull set a top-tier career mark three separate times this year, most recently stamping 29 points against College of Charleston on Feb. 9.

SHINING STEWART
Kazzidy Stewart led Northeastern in scoring for the first time in her career against Harvard, notching a career-best 25 points and five 3-pointers. Stewart added to her well-rounded performance with eight rebounds, four steals and an assist. Prior to that, Stewart shot 100 percent from the floor in consecutive games. She went 3-for-3 against Rhode Island before landing a perfect 5-for-5 from the field against NJIT. Against Maine, Stewart was one of five Huskies to score in double digits with 15, good for her third double-figure scoring game of the year.

HIGH-SCORING TRIO
Against Massachusetts, Tiffany Montagne, Amencie Mericer and Samantha DeFreese collectively scored 69 of the Huskies 95 total points to become the highest scoring trio since Jan. 7, 2010 when Kim Carr, Brittany Ilson and Jamie Conroy tallied 70 points against Old Dominion. Earlier this season, Kazzidy Stewart, A'lece Mark and Jewel Tunstull collectively scored 60 of NU's 74 total points against Harvard. The last time a trio scored more than 60 was on Jan. 29, 2012, when Tunstull, Deanna Kerkhof and Dani Ierovolino collectively recorded 64 points against William & Mary, when Northeastern walked away with an 82-71 victory.

COMING TOGETHER FOR #TEAMBLAKE
The Colonial Athletic Association recently took a look inside the Northeastern women's basketball program as part of its #CAAHoops In Focus series. The feature dove deeper than the Huskies' on-court exploits to uncover a different side of the team: its ability to rally around adversity. Earlier this year, associate head coach Tom Blake received news that his son, Brian, had been diagnosed with metastatic cancer. In the time since the video was released by the conference, Coach Blake has shared the exciting update that Brian underwent surgery and has been declared cancer-free.

From the very beginning of Brian's journey, the entire team has rallied to support Coach Blake and Brian in their continuous battle with the disease. Referring to the team as a 'family' has been a constant theme throughout the year, showing just how close the group has become and how connected they feel to the Blake family. The group coined the term "Team Blake" to refer to the single unit that encompasses both the Blake family and the entire women's basketball program. They all feel part of the same team when it comes to supporting each other.

Not only has the team played a major role in supporting Coach Blake and Brian during this difficult experience, but the Blake family has also inspired the women and given them a new perspective on their own lives.

Although Brian's journey isn't over, the Northeastern women's basketball team will continue to support both its coach and his son, and La-Force is confident that Team Blake will stick together during the ups and downs of this difficult time.

WEEKLY HONORS
The CAA has named a Northeastern player for a weekly honor four times this season, including back-to-back nods in the first two weeks of play. Most recently, Samantha DeFreese earned her first weekly honor after she recorded her fourth-career double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds to help the squad to a home victory over W&M. Prior to that, Tiffany Montagne earned her first conference award after leading the Huskies over a 1-1 week against Marist and Massachusetts , averaging 26.5 points per game. Jewel Tunstull earned her first conference Player of the Week honor after posting two double-doubles as NU split 1-1 during its second week of play. A'lece Mark earned the first CAA weekly accolade after posting a career-best 28 points in the Huskies' season-opening win over Boston University.

RELIABLE RETURNS
The Huskies return eight letter winners from last year's squad, including three starters in Jewel Tunstull and captains A'lece Mark and Amencie Mercier. Also returning is sophomore guard Kazzidy Stewart and junior forward Samantha DeFreese. Onia Webb, Tiffany Montagne and Tanisha Hopewell, who collectively made 35 appearances throughout the 2012-13 campaign, also return to the roster.

PRESEASON ALL-CAA HONORS
Lone-senior Jewel Tunstull was honored by the conference's coaches, named to the Preseason All-CAA First Team. A'lece Mark joined Tunstull in the accolades, earning a spot on the Preseason All-CAA Second Team.

HUSKIES TABBED THIRD
Returning three starters from last year's squad, the Northeastern women's basketball team has been predicted to finish third in the 2013 Colonial Athletic Association preseason coaches poll. The results of the poll were announced at CAA Basketball Media Day at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Md., on Oct. 21, 2013. Third place is the highest NU has been projected to finish in the preseason poll under La-Force and places the Huskies above six teams, including 2012-13 CAA Champion Delaware. James Madison earned the top spot in the poll followed by Drexel, which finished last year's slate with a 25-11 record.

OH, CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN
Junior guards A'lece Mark and Amencie Mercier were named captains for the 2013-14 season. The duo became fixtures in the Northeastern starting five last season, helping the Huskies to their highest conference finish since joining the Colonial Athletic Conference in 2005. Both closed out the 2012-13 season ranked among the top assist leaders in the CAA, with Mark (3.36 apg) finishing third and Mercier (3.4 apg) placing fifth. Both also placed top 10 in steals and assist-to-turnover ratio. Combined, the pair posted 24 double-digit scoring games over their first two seasons, both setting career-highs during their sophomore campaigns. Both guards have played in all 60 games since they arrived on Huntington Avenue two years ago.

GOODBYE, FAREWELL
Northeastern tipped off the season without the on-court assistance of the 2012-13 tri-captains Kashaia Cannon, Deanna Kerkhof and Christina Huber. The trio made a significant impact on last year's roster as they etched their names in the Northeastern record books. Kerkhof finished tops on the squad and seventh in the CAA with 15.0 points per game, eclipsing the 1,000 point mark on Jan. 24 and ending her time on Huntington Avenue as the program's 14th leading scorer with 1,140 career points. Cannon, a southpaw sharpshooter, finished second on NU with 13.4 points per game, 11th league-wide. The majority of Cannon's damage was done behind the arc, as she knocked down a program single-season record 80 3-pointers on the year, placing 27th nationally with 2.7 trifectas per game and 16th in the country with a 40.8 percent mark from range. Huber now places third all-time in NU history with 116 blocks over the course of her career.

ROOKIE ROLL CALL
The Northeastern University women's basketball team welcomed three new student-athletes for the 2013-14 season. Head coach Daynia La-Force tipped off this year having added freshmen DaChé Williams, Francesca Sally and sophomore Briana Schnare. The three newcomers bring a versatile unit to the squad as it looks to win its first CAA Championship. Williams is a 6-2 forward hailing from Bloomfield, Conn., and Sally is a 6-1 center from Denver, Colo. Both come to Boston after decorated high school and AAU basketball careers. Schnare, a 6-3 transfer from Manhattan College will be essential in helping prepare the team's posts for battle next season, as she is sitting out of the 2013-14 campaign per NCAA transfer legislation.

THE BEST YET
With seven regular season non-conference wins during 2012-13, Northeastern had its most such victories since it began modern conference play upon joining the America East conference in 1997-98.  With 10 wins in CAA play last year, Northeastern set a new program benchmark for conference wins since joining the Colonial prior to the 2005-06 season. The previous high was eight, set in 2007-08 and 2009-10. Northeastern's fifth-place finish in the league and No. 4 seed in the CAA Championship are both Colonial bests.

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