Box Score | Season Stats | Infographic

BOSTON – Balance, precision passing, and strong interior play were the keys to the Northeastern women's basketball team's 57-54 victory on Friday night against Delaware as the Huskies improved their winning streak to three consecutive games.
 
Five NU players scored between nine and 11 points on Play 4Kay Night, with Claudia Ortiz, Gabby Giacone, and Samantha DeFreese each sharing the team scoring lead at 11. Ortiz finished five assists shy of a triple-double, but hauled in a new career high, 10 rebounds, against the Blue Hens. DeFreese extended her double-double streak to five straight games, pulling down 11 boards, including nine on the defensive glass.
 
Francesca Sally came through with 10 points off the bench during 25 minutes, splitting her six rebounds, three and three, on the offensive and defensive glass. Senior co-captain Kazzidy Stewart posted nine points and created the Huskies' only two steals of the contest.
 
Northeastern (11-14, 6-8 CAA) registered 18 assists on 23 made field goals. Jess Genco was responsible for a third of the Huskies' 18 assists (six), boosting her season total to 97 and bringing her into a tie with Jody Burrows (2003-04) for the most assists by an NU freshman.
 
Sade Chatman paced Delaware (13-12, 8-6 CAA) with 12 points and four rebounds, while Courtni Green tallied 11 points, four assists, three steals, and three rebounds.
 
NU led for the final 35 minutes and 20 seconds of the game, taking the lead for the final time when Giacone hit a 3-pointer that put the Huskies ahead, 8-7. The Huskies led by five after the first quarter, 19-14, and built as large as a 13-point advantage, 29-16, with 2:02 remaining in the half.
 
Ortiz opened the evening with eight points during the first quarter, hitting all three of her free-throw attempts. Stewart followed suit during the second, scoring seven points on three-of-four shooting, while Sally helped NU jump out to a 14-4 lead in points in the paint by halftime.
 
The Huskies also held a 10-0 edge in points off turnovers after the opening two quarters.
 
Following DeFreese's basket 13 seconds into the second half, Giacone scored on consecutive possessions, propelling Northeastern to a 37-25 lead with 8:43 left in the period. Stewart's jumper in the lane put NU up comfortably, 39-26, with 7:28 to go, but the Huskies were unable to extend that lead any further.
 
Trailing the Huskies, 53-40, with 7:31 left in the fourth, Delaware steadily chipped away at the deficit, compiling a 14-4 run that brought Northeastern's lead to 57-54 with 1:42 remaining in regulation.
 
A costly foul by Nicole Enbosi allowed NU to work with a new shot clock with 44 seconds remaining, allowing the Huskies to take the game clock down to 16 seconds before Genco's 3-point try went out of bounds. Northeastern sealed off the perimeter, though, during the closing seconds, limiting the Blue Hens to one final heave before time expired.
 
NU will remain home this weekend and host UNCW on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m.
 
STATS OF THE GAME
 
- With Friday night's win against Delaware, Northeastern has now won three or more games in a row for the second time during the 2015-16 campaign. NU has only held multiple winning streaks of three games or more in the same season twice before during its tenure in the CAA (2009-10, 2012-13).
- Friday's victory is the second victory Northeastern has earned against Delaware in its last 31 games against the Blue Hens (NU had won 11 of the first 17 all-time meetings).
- The Huskies have now won six or more CAA games for the seventh time during their 11 seasons in the conference.
- Samantha DeFreese (658 career rebounds) moved into sole possession of eighth place on Northeastern's all-time rebounding list, passing Kym Cameron (657, 1980-84).
- Four NU players have reached double-figures in scoring during each of the Huskies' last three games.
- The Huskies' 18 assists are the second most NU has recorded during the 2015-16 season, three fewer than its season high, 21, set on Jan. 3 against Towson.
- NU improved to 9-2 this year when shooting better than 40 percent from the field. The Huskies shot 45.1 percent (23-of-51) on Friday, marking the fifth time Northeastern has achieve a 45-percent shooting clip.
- Kelly Cole has now led the Huskies to a +7 win turnaround, a feat that ranks in the top 10 of Division I. She also earned her first career victory against Delaware and Tina Martin (fifth game).