Game-day Information: Game 17 at Hofstra
When	Friday, Jan. 22  |  12 p.m.
Where	Hempstead, N.Y.  |  Mack Sports and Exhibition Center  |  Directions
Broadcast and stats	Stats  |  Video  |  Audio
Notes	Northeastern (PDF)
Media Guide	2015-16 Northeastern Women's Basketball Media Guide
Social media	Twitter: @GoNUwbasketball Facebook: GoNUwbasketball Instagram: GoNUwbasketball Use #GoNU

BOSTON – With four of its first six CAA games taking place away from Cabot Center, the Northeastern women's basketball team will make its shortest road trip of the conference season on Friday, Jan. 22, as the Huskies will play a 12 p.m. matinee against the Pride in Hempstead, New York. NU has won three of its last four Friday games, including two straight in overtime, and is 2-0 this season in games starting at noon.
 
ALL-TIME AGAINST HOFSTRA
 
Northeastern and Hofstra will take the court on Friday tied at 18-18 in the all-time series. Although the Huskies led the Pride, 11-4, during the two teams' tenure in the America East conference and its predecessor, the North Atlantic Conference, NU is just 7-14 against Hofstra as a member of the CAA. The Huskies last claimed a road victory against the Pride on Feb. 7, 2013, when NU scooted by Hofstra, 59-57. Both programs also met in the 2013 CAA quarterfinals, with No. 5 Hofstra topping No. 4 Northeastern, 57-52.
 
SCOUTING THE PRIDE
 
Locked in a three-way tie for first place in the CAA with a 4-1 conference record, Hofstra is ranked first in the league in scoring defense (55.9 points allowed per game) and rebounding defense (35.7 rebounds allowed per game). Besides being strong on the defensive end, the Pride are also second in the conference in field goal percentage (39.3) and 3-point field goal percentage (34.3), while boasting the third best assist-to-turnover ratio at 0.9. Preseason All-CAA First Team selection Ashunae Durant is nearly averaging a double-double for Hofstra, pairing 11.8 points with a league-leading 9.4 rebounds-per-game average. The Pride also return three CAA Player of the Week selections from their 20-win squad a year ago.
 
DEFREESE AMONG THE NU SHOOTING GREATS
 
Senior forward Samantha DeFreese enters Friday's game with a career field-goal percentage of 50.0 percent (362-of-723). With 13 games remaining in the regular season, the Bergenfield, New Jersey, native looks to join Jewel Tunstull (54.9 percent, 2010-14), and Carla Singleton (51.9 percent, 1983-87) as the only Northeastern players to shoot 50 percent or better during their careers, given at least 450 field-goal attempts.
 
GENCO ON PACE TO BREAK NU ASSIST RECORDS
 
Freshman point guard Jess Genco has dished out 61 assists during her first 16 career games, averaging 3.8 assists per game during her rookie season. Only three Northeastern players have averaged more assists during their entire careers: Tesha Tinsley (4.0, 1996-00), Jody Burrows (3.9, 2003-07), and Desiree Clagon (1981-85). Genco is also just 36 assists shy of tying the NU record for most assists in a season by a freshman (97).
 
BOARDS, BOARDS, BOARDS
 
Northeastern's 56 rebounds on Jan. 8 against Drexel were two less than the program record, 58, which was set on Nov. 30, 2003 against Quinnipiac. They were the most NU had recorded in a single game since the Huskies grabbed 57 in an overtime loss against William & Mary on Feb. 1, 2015.
 
AT THE LINE FOR NORTHEASTERN... 
 
The Huskies knocked down a season high, 17 free throws, on Jan. 17 against James Madison. Gabriella Giacone (four-of-four), Claudia Ortiz (four-of-four), Te'Erica Eason (two-of-two), and Francesca Sally (two-of-two) each finished the game perfect at the foul line.
 
T.G.I.F.
 
NU has earned four of its wins this season on Fridays, more than any other day of the week. The Huskies are also 2-0 in CAA games held on Fridays, having defeated both Drexel (Jan. 8) and William & Mary (Jan. 15) in overtime.
 
GIACONE WITH TWO ROOKE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
 
Gabriella Giacone achieved the second double-double of her freshman season (16 points, 10 rebounds) on Jan. 15 against William & Mary. Giacone's first double-double was on Dec. 9 against Quinnipiac (12 points, 10 rebounds).
 
CLEANING UP THE GLASS
 
Entering Jan. 22, Northeastern is fifth in the CAA in rebounding offense (39.9 rebounds per game), third in rebounding defense (37.4), and third in rebounding margin (+2.5). James Madison and Hofstra are the only schools in the conference that rank higher than the Huskies in all three statistical categories.
 
NU CREATING SECOND CHANCES
 
On the offensive glass, Northeastern is ranked second in the CAA with an average of 14.9 boards per game. The Huskies' offensive rebounding percentage of 37.2 is also ranked second best in the league.
 
ORTIZ SHOOTS THE LIGHTS OUT
 
Sophomore shooting guard Claudia Ortiz celebrated a career day on Jan. 10 against Delaware, setting new career highs in points (27), field goals made (10), 3-point field goals made (five), and field-goal percentage (.714). Although the Carolina, Puerto Rico native was kept scoreless during the first quarter against the Blue Hens, she went on to score six points during the second, 12 points during the third, and nine points during the fourth on a combined 10-of-14 shooting. Ortiz's previous scoring high was 19 points against Siena on Nov. 15, 2015.
 
THAT MAGIC (THIRD) QUARTER
 
On Jan. 10 against Delaware, the Huskies outscored the Blue Hens, 18-10, during the third quarter, erasing an eight-point halftime deficit to tie the game at 41-41. This season, Northeastern has come out of the locker room firing on several occasions, outscoring four opponents this year by 10 points or more in the third. Here is a look at some of the Huskies' best third-quarter performances this season:
 

Date	Opponent	Score	Margin
Dec. 4	Maine	23-8	+15
Nov. 13	Boston University	23-9	+14
Dec. 2	New Hampshire	19-7	+12
Nov. 15	Siena	24-14	+10
Jan. 8	Delaware *	18-10	+8
Jan. 15	William & Mary *	17-9	+8

 * CAA opponent
 
SHARING THE WEALTH
 
With Claudia Ortiz's 27-point scoring effort on Jan. 10 against Delaware, Northeastern has observed five different leading scorers during its previous five games. Since Dec. 4 against Maine, the Huskies have seen six different leading scorers, with Samantha DeFreese leading the team three times during the stretch. This season, Northeastern has also seen seven different players lead the team in scoring at least once, including all four freshmen.

CLEAN & TIDY DEFENSE
 
Northeastern limited Drexel to eight free-throw attempts on Jan. 8. During the 2015-16 season, the Huskies have held three opponents to under 10 free-throw attempts in a game: UMES (eight), Drexel (eight), Maine (zero).
 
DRAININ' THE MONEY BALL

NU successfully knocked down ten 3-pointers during two of its last four games. Seven different Northeastern players made 3-pointers against Canisius on Dec. 21 as the Huskies shot 37.0 percent from behind the arc (10-of-27). On Jan. 3, NU made ten 3-pointers again during its CAA-opening game against Towson, shooting a season best, 38.5 percent, from long range. Claudia Ortiz also drilled a career high, four 3-pointers, that day against the Tigers.
 
NU IN TRUE ROAD GAMES

The Huskies' loss to Delaware on Jan. 10 was Northeastern's first in a true road game this season after winning its first four. NU opened the 2015-16 season with road wins against Boston University (W, 77-44) and Siena (W, 70-67), and more recently defeated New Hampshire, 66-54, at Lundholm Gymnasium on Dec. 2. On Jan. 8, the Huskies shut out Drexel in overtime, 8-0, to earn a 73-65 win. Overall, Northeastern is 4-2 in true road games this year.
 
GENCO LEADS NCAA ROOKIES IN MINUTES
 
As of Jan. 21, freshman Jess Genco leads all Division I freshmen in minutes per game with an average court time of 38.4 minutes per game. Genco is also ranked fourth in the nation in the same category among all Division I student-athletes, trailing only Hampton's Malia Tate-DeFreitas (39.0 minutes per game), UNCG's Lucy Mason (38.7), and Lafayette's Jamie O'Hare (38.5).