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EAST LANSING, Mich. – Behind 18 points from Jess Genco, the Northeastern women's basketball team held tough against Michigan State, but the Spartans came away with the 78-44 win on Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center.

Maureen Taggart scored a season-high seven points, including two 3-pointers. The Huskies outshot the Spartans from beyond the arc, with nine 3-pointers compared to Michigan State's eight. Despite the deficit heading into the fourth quarter, Northeastern was able to outscore Michigan State 14-12 in the final stanza.

Tori Jankoska led the way for the Spartans with a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds), while chipping in four assists and three steals. Branndais Agee (12 points, seven rebounds) and Jenna Allen (seven points and eight rebounds) also put on balanced performances.

Michigan State (10-2) displayed a full-court press for much of the game, but Northeastern (2-8) was able to break it nearly every time. Kelly Cole displayed confidence in all of her players, rotating in 12 different Huskies throughout the game.

QUARTER RECAPS

First quarter: Michigan State jumped out to a hot start, scoring the first 10 points of the game. Northeastern responded with a 3-pointer from Claudia Ortiz, who received a pass from Genco on the left baseline. The Spartans were able to maintain control, however, and went on to score nine-straight points. Genco managed to score the final basket of the quarter with a pull-up jumper from the right with 40 seconds to play.

Second quarter: Michigan State went on a 14-point scoring run that spanned six minutes in the middle of the period, led by Jankoska, the seventh-highest scorer in the NCAA. The Huskies answered back towards the end of the second, however, and went on a 6-2 run of their own. Genco's most impressive 3-pointer came when she crossed over an MSU defender and used the extra space to score with 44 seconds left in the half. With that bucket, she hit the 400-point mark for her career at Northeastern.

Third quarter: The Spartans were especially dominant in the third quarter, tallying 27 points to the Huskies' 15. Ortiz had a strong quarter, as she was fouled on a made layup early in the quarter, then proceeded to sink the free throw and convert the 3-point play. Shannon Todd also chipped in, breaking a seven-point scoring run by the Spartans with a jumper midway through the quarter. Todd went on to bury a three with just over two minutes left.

Fourth quarter: The Huskies had a big fourth quarter, outscoring the Spartans by two points, thanks in part to a pair of threes from Genco. Taggart, Briana Schnare, Francesca Sally and Gabby Giacone also got on the board in the fourth.

UP NEXT
The Huskies remain on the road with a matchup at Denver on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. EST (12 p.m. MST).