Box Score | Season Stats | Infographic

NEWARK, Del. – Sophomore shooting guard Claudia Ortiz celebrated a career day on the hardwood Sunday afternoon against Delaware, despite the Northeastern women's basketball team coming up short, 59-52, against the Blue Hens during the final game of a weekend CAA road trip.
 
Ortiz set career highs in points (27), field goals made (10), and 3-point field goals made (five), as the Carolina, Puerto Rico native steamrolled through Delaware's defense. After coming up empty during the first quarter, Ortiz lit up the NU side of the scoreboard with six points during the second, 12 points during the third, and nine during the fourth, all on a combined 10-of-14 shooting from the floor.
 
Kazzidy Stewart jumpstarted the Huskies' offense during the opening frame, knocking down both 3-pointers she attempted en route to an eight-point period. Fellow senior Samantha DeFreese led Northeastern (6-8, 1-2 CAA) with nine rebounds, including five offensive boards, but was held scoreless for just the third time during her last three seasons (71 games).
 
Freshmen Gabriella Giacone and Jess Genco finished with six and five points, respectively, while Genco also tacked on four assists and three rebounds to counter just one turnover during 38 minutes of work. Te'Erica Eason helped the Huskies' guards out with three assists in addition to chasing down two rebounds.
 
A +6 rebounding advantage at halftime was the key contributor to the Blue Hens' 31-23 halftime lead, but Northeastern managed to clean up the glass, pulling the final margin back to three, 42-39, in favor of Delaware (7-7, 2-1 CAA). Fouls also began to stack up for the Huskies during the fourth quarter as Stewart, Sally, DeFreese, and Tiffany Montagne each ended the game with four or more personals.
 
Makeda Nicholas led Delaware with 12 points and 15 rebounds, while Erika Brown came away with 12 points, four assists, and two rebounds. Courtni Green also ended the day in double figures for the Blue Hens, while Hannah Jardine charted eight points and eight rebounds.
 
After Hannah Friend had put Delaware ahead, 14-6, with 3:13 remaining in the first quarter, Stewart's 3-pointer shortly after triggered an 8-0 run for Northeastern that leveled the game at 14-14. Having surrendered the lead back to the Blue Hens before the period had ended, Ortiz kicked off her 27-point day with a 3-pointer during the opening minute of the second, knotting the game again at 17-17.
 
Second-chance points proved to be the difference in the game as both teams moved through the second quarter. Delaware's 10 points in the category helped the Blue Hens outscore the Huskies, 14-6, during the final eight minutes of the first half.
 
Out of the locker rooms, Northeastern's defense began to tighten up during the start of the second half. NU held Delaware without a made field goal for the first four minutes of the third quarter, a Blue Hens' drought that stretched back as far as the 3:19 mark in the second quarter (7:25 of game time). Giacone's two free-throw makes out of the 4:34 media timeout completed an 8-0 run for the Huskies that tied the game at 33-33. Following two more tie scores at 37-37 and 39-39, the two sides found themselves knotted again at 41-41 with one quarter to play.
 
However, Green's 3-pointer just more than two minutes into the fourth capped what was a 7-0 run for Delaware that sent the Blue Hens in front, 48-41. Successive buckets by Montagne and Ortiz helped bring NU to within three points at 50-47, but another clutch three by Ortiz brought the Huskies to within two at 52-50.
 
Trailing 54-52, Northeastern had several good looks at a game-tying basket with under three minutes to play, but the Huskies were unable to find the bottom of the net as Delaware hit five free throws down the stretch to earn a 59-52 victory.
 
NU will return to Cabot Center on Friday, Jan. 15, for a 7 p.m. CAA game against William & Mary.
 
STATS OF THE GAME
- Northeastern shot 31.3 percent from the field (20-of-64), compared to Delaware's field-goal percentage of 37.0 (20-of-54).
- The Huskies outscored Delaware, 18-10, during the third quarter, erasing an eight-point halftime deficit.
- Claudia Ortiz's previous career high in points was 19, set earlier this season on Nov. 15 against Siena.
- Delaware improved its advantage in the all-time series against Northeastern to 36-11.
- NU trailed Delaware in points in the paint, 26-20.
- Northeastern and Delaware were tied six times during Sunday's game.