Box Score • Season Statistics • Infographic • Press Conference 

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Northeastern Huskies fell to the James Madison Dukes, 47-82, at the Convocation Center on Friday, Jan. 27.
 
Northeastern (4-22, 1-15) put together a valiant effort during the course of the game, but with each run NU put together, James Madison (24-3, 15-1) went on one of its own.
 
Head coach Kelly Cole and her team relied on the hot hand of forward Samantha DeFreese. The Bergenfield, New Jersey, native put together a strong performance, finishing with 18 points on seven-of-14 shooting. She now has scored 10 or more points in 20 games this season.
 
DeFreese was joined by Amencie Mercier, Kazzidy Stewart, Tanisha Hopewell and Francesca Sally at the top of the stat sheet after all contributed solid minutes. Mercier finished with nine points and five assists – a team high – while Stewart chipped in five points and two assists.
 
Hopewell and Sally both added four points apiece in the setback.
 
Northeastern received a tremendous boost from its bench players during the course of the evening, accounting for eight points. All in all, six different Huskies finished with four points or more.
 
NU finished its night shooting 36 percent, connecting on 18-of-49 shots from the floor. JMU and NU battled inside the paint all night, but the Dukes ultimately outscored the Huskies, 36-18. Northeastern also battled hard on the glass, colleting 26 rebounds.
 
The first half was a strong showing for the Huskies, particularly DeFreese. The team moved the ball well and executed its offense, but trailed the Dukes, 25-36, at the buzzer. DeFreese led Northeastern with 11 points on five-of-11 shooting. She provided coach Cole a significant boost right from the get-go.
 
Along with DeFreese, Mercier and Hopewell chipped in solid efforts in the opening stanza. Mercier connected on two of her three attempts from the floor en route to six points, while Hopewell added four points of her own on two layups.
 
As a team, the Huskies shot 41 percent to start the game. Northeastern also grabbed 15 rebounds and committed 12 turnovers.
 
Cole and the Huskies will stay on the road until Sunday, when the team heads to Williamsburg, Virginia, to face the Tribe of William & Mary in their penultimate game of the year. Northeastern and William & Mary are scheduled for a 2 p.m. start. The regular season comes to a close on Wednesday, March 4 as Northeastern plays host to Drexel. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. Prior to the game, the team will honor its senior class.
 
Game Notes
• This is Samantha DeFreese's 20th game in double-figures.
• The Huskies are now 0-2 against the Dukes this season.
• Amencie Mercier finished with a team-high five assists.
• Six different Huskies finished with four or more points.

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