Box Score

BOSTON—In a balanced offensive effort, the Northeastern women's basketball team (12-16, 6-9 CAA) defeated second-ranked Delaware (18-9, 10-6 CAA), 54-53, for the first time since 1999 on Sunday afternoon at Cabot Center.

With the win, NU broke a 24-game losing skid against Delaware. Northeastern's last win against the Blue Hens came on Jan. 9, 1999, when the Huskies walked away with a 90-67 victory.

Delaware held the lead for over 39 minutes, but Northeastern snagged its first lead since the opening drive in the game's final five seconds for the win.

Four Huskies scored in double figures, including a game-best 13 points from sophomore forward Samantha DeFreese. Amencie Mercier logged 11 points and four assists, while A'lece Mark and Jewel Tunstull added 10 points each. Tunstull, who will be honored on Wednesday's game against James Madison, tallied six rebounds, three blocks and three steals for the win. Kazzidy Stewart, Tanisha Hopewell and Sade Iriah contributed 10 points, collectively.

Courtni Green set the pace for Delaware with 12 points, while Joy Caracciolo put up 11 points and six rebounds.

Mercier put the Huskies on the board first with a 3-pointer, but Delaware immediately matched it to even the score early. The teams exchanged baskets over the next minute before the Blue Hens hit consecutive shots, including a trey, to go ahead by five. Mark closed the gap to two after hitting a three of her own, but back-to-back layups gave UD a six-point advantage after seven minutes of action.

DeFreese and Stewart teamed up with a jumper and 3-pointer, respectively, to cut the deficit to 15-16. The Blue Hens answered right back with an 8-0 run to push its lead 24-15 with 10:08 on the clock.

Mark took control of the Northeastern offense and recorded the next eight points for the squad, including back-to-back triples, to cut the Delaware advantage to one with just under seven minutes left in the first half. Unfortunately, it was not enough as the Blue Hens took an eight-point lead with a 7-0 surge, 31-23.

Once again, NU rallied back and threatened UD's lead with a seven-point run of its own, capped with a 3-pointer from Hopewell.  In the final minutes of the half, the Blue Hens held the Huskies to one basket to claim the half-time advantage 36-32.

Delaware held the lead in the first three minutes of the second stanza, holding NU to a single free throw. In the 24th minute, DeFreese drew a foul and drained a couple of free throws to trigger a 7-0 run and even the score at 40. The Blue Hens broke the surge with a 3-pointer, but the Huskies did not allow Delaware to connect on consecutive shots.

Northeastern evened the score at the 43, 45, and 47 marks over the next five minutes. With 7:20 left in regulation, Delaware logged a three and a free throw for a four-point cushion.  Both teams were held scoreless until Mercier drew a foul and landed a pair of free throws to avoid a Blue Hen run.

The squads showcased a strong effort on the defensive end, holding each other scoreless, once again, over the final five minutes. Mercier and Mark made attempts to get on the board, but failed to connect on one shot apiece.

With 50 seconds left on the clock, DeFreese hit a trey from the right corner of the arc to bring the Huskies within one point, 52-53, and pressure Delaware into a timeout. NU forced a turnover with just 23 seconds left to play before Tunstull secured the lead with a layup in the paint. With three seconds on the clock UD raced down the court for one final push, but Mercier interrupted the pass and regained possession at the buzzer.

For the game, Northeastern shot 46 percent (19-41) from the floor, 42 percent (8-19) from 3-point range, and 89 percent (8-9) from the charity stripe. Delaware connected on 43 percent (21-49) of its shots, including 56 percent (5-9) from beyond the arc, and 67 percent (6-9) from the free-throw line. The Blue Hens won the rebounding battle, 26-25.

The Huskies return to action on Wednesday, March 5, at 7 p.m., when they host first-ranked James Madison in the regular-season finale for both teams. Northeastern will honor lone-senior Jewel Tunstull before the game. For ticket information, visit GoNU.com/tickets.

Game Notes
• A'lece Mark logged her 17th double-digit scoring game of the year and the 35th of her career.
• Four Huskies scored in double figures for the seventh time this year.
• Northeastern has shot at least five 3-point field goals in 15 of its last 16 contests.
• The win marks Northeastern's first victory over Delaware since Jan. 9, 1999, when NU defeated the Blue Hens, 90-67.
• Samantha DeFreese led the Huskies in scoring for the fourth time this year with 13 points and led in rebounds for the eighth time with nine. 
• The Huskies are 10-3 when shooting over 40 percent from the field.
• NU one-point margin victory is the smallest of the season.

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