Box Score | Season Stats | Infographic

BOSTON – Senior forward Samantha DeFreese led all scorers with 24 points while freshman Gabriella Giacone chipped in 14 points during her collegiate debut as the Northeastern women's basketball team ran away to the tune of a 77-44 season-opening victory against local rival, Boston University, on Friday at Case Gymnasium.
 
Trailing the Terriers, 26-17, with 3:54 to play in the second period, the Huskies assembled a streak of 21 unanswered points, holding BU without a basket for a steady duration of eight minutes and eight seconds during the second and third quarters. NU went on to outscore the Terriers, 49-18, during the second half, shooting a blistering 51.4 percent (18-of-35) from the field during the game's last 20 minutes.
 
With a 33-point margin of victory, Northeastern (1-0) celebrated its largest victory against Boston University (0-1) in 74 all-time meetings. The Huskies also defeated the Terriers for the third straight year on opening day, upping their winning streak against BU to four consecutive games.
 
Kazzidy Stewart was lights out during the second quarter, shooting four-of-seven from the floor and sinking both 3-pointers that she attempted. Stewart earned 10 of her 12 points during the second period, finishing the game with five rebounds and three assists.
 
Freshman Jess Genco led the Huskies with five steals during 35 minutes of action, draining one 3-pointer and ending the game with five points and two rebounds. Te'Erica Eason matched Genco with five points, while Claudia Ortiz went four-of-six from the charity stripe, finishing with six points.
 
Francesca Sally picked up where she left off last season, grabbing 13 boards, including four offensive rebounds, and tallying six points.
 
The Terriers were led by Troi Melton's 12 points and four rebounds, while Courtney Latham netted 10 points and five steals. Boston University was limited to just 29.8 percent shooting (17-of-57) by the Huskies' defense, which forced BU into committing 21 turnovers.
 
DeFreese's jumper 29 seconds into the game stood as Northeastern's only made basket for the majority of the first quarter as the Terriers responded with a 13-2 run to lead 13-4 with 2:45 to play in the period. Zwerling provided the Huskies with quality bench minutes during the late stages of the period, feeding Giacone with a no-look pass to bring NU within seven points at 13-6.
 
A 3-pointer by Latham less than a minute into the second quarter helped Boston University go on a 7-4 run to open a double-digit advantage against the Huskies at 22-12, causing NU head coach Kelly Cole to call for time with 7:39 to play. Following the break in the action, second-chance buckets by Stewart and DeFreese brought NU to within five at 26-21, while Stewart's second 3-pointer of the quarter allowed Northeastern to claw within two points with under three minutes remaining in the half.
 
Having closed the first half on an 11-0 run, the Huskies maintained their offensive aggressiveness, extending their unanswered-point streak to 21 with 5:42 to play in the third. Leading the Terriers, 42-32, two minutes later, DeFreese cashed in on a 3-point play before Giacone scored back-to-back baskets to put the Huskies ahead, 49-32.
 
With a comfortable lead already at hand, Northeastern scored the first 15 points of the fourth quarter with the help of a 3-point field goal by Taggart, another three-point play by DeFreese, and another 3-pointer by Genco. The Huskies rounded out a solid afternoon with great free-throw shooting, scoring their final seven points of the game from the line.
 
Northeastern will look to start the 2015-16 with a 2-0 record on Sunday, Nov. 15, as the Huskies travel to Siena for a 2 p.m. game.
 
STATS OF THE GAME
-Northeastern's 33-point victory is the largest NU has ever achieved against Boston University (74 meetings, 35 victories). The Huskies' previous high was a 26-point win during the 1994 North Atlantic Tournament on March 10 (W, 74-48).
-NU improves to 35-39 all-time against the Terriers.
-Northeastern has won four straight games against Boston University, including three straight regular-season openers.
-Kelly Cole improved her coaching record to 2-0 against the Terriers. She is also 2-0 against Boston University head coach Katy Steding.
-Samantha DeFreese came one rebound shy of achieveing a double-double. She finished with 24 points and nine rebounds.
-Northeastern's 44 points allowed are the fewest number of points Northeastern has surrendered during Kelly Cole's two seasons as head coach.
-The Huskies' 15 offensive rebounds are the most Northeastern has secured in a regulation game since Jan. 22, 2015, when NU recorded 15 offensive boards in a 65-61 loss to Towson.
-Northeastern's 47 total rebounds are the most NU has pulled in a regulation game since Nov. 29, 2014, when the Huskies' collected 50 boards in a 81-74 loss to Florida Atlantic.