Box Score • Season Statistics • Infographic

PHILADELPHIA – The Northeastern Huskies opened their 18-game Colonial Athletic Association schedule with a 58-35 setback to the Drexel Dragons on Sunday, Jan. 4.
 
Northeastern (3-8, 0-1) had a tough day shooting, going 12-of-52, en route to a a 23 percent mark from the floor. The shots from downtown wouldn't fall either for the Red and Black as the team finished connecting on three of its 18 attempts.
 
NU was paced by Francesca Sally who scored 10 points and corralled seven rebounds. Behind Sally on the stat sheet was senior guard A'lece Mark with six points, while fellow seniors Amencie Mercier and Tanisha Hopewell both added four points apiece.
 
The Huskies also struggled with defense following a mistake as they allowed their opponent to score 30 points off of their turnovers.
 
Drexel (7-5, 1-0) opened the game on a 9-0 run, despite both teams struggling to score baskets. The Huskies responded and brought it within five with eleven minutes to go, but the Dragons opened up another 8-0 run to go up 19-6 with 7:22 left in the first half. The first stanza closed with Northeastern trailing, 27-13.
 
The start of the second half was strong for head coach Kelly Cole and her team as they connected on early looks, but the Drexel offense responded with a 12-0 run to widen its lead to 26 points with 13:47 left. The first-half deficit proved to be too much to overcome. 
 
The Huskies and Dragons had a close competition on the stat sheet, however. Northeastern generated 10 steals to nine by Drexel; the Huskies committed 23 turnovers to 17 by the Dragons; and Northeastern won the battle in the paint, outscoring Drexel by an 18-8 margin.
 
The home team finished shooting 34 percent from the floor, making 18-of-52, including three-of-14 from beyond the arc.
 
The first half was an offensive struggle for the Huskies, who finished shooting 26 percent from the floor. The team connected on six-of-23 attempts, including one-of-seven from downtown. Northeastern also committed 11 turnovers, leading to 15 points for Drexel. The Dragons finished the first 20 minutes shooting 41 percent from the floor and winning the rebound battle, 21-15.
 
Junior Samantha DeFreese paced NU with six points, connecting on three-of-seven from the floor. She also corralled three rebounds, tied for the team high. Mark contributed three points, while both Hopewell and Sally added a bucket.
 
Northeastern now looks ahead to a matchup against the Pride of Hofstra on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. That contest will conclude the team's four-game road trip. The Huskies then return to Cabot Center on Friday, Jan. 9 when they welcome James Madison for a 7 p.m. showdown. Two days later, the Delaware Blue Hens are in Boston to challenge the Huskies, which is set for a 2 p.m. tip.
 
Game Notes
• The Huskies are now 0-1 in conference action this season.
• Northeastern is now 19-22 against Drexel all-time.
• Francesca Sally scored 10 points to pace the Huskies. 

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