Box Score | Season Statistics | Infographic

PHILADELPHIA – In the wake of Francesca Sally scoring the game's first basket, the Northeastern women's basketball team soon found itself facing a steady uphill climb on Sunday against Drexel as the Huskies received a 74-51 defeat from the Dragons at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
 
NU guards Claudia Ortiz and Jess Genco carried the bulk of the Huskies' offense, totaling 15 and 13 points, respectively, and combining for 11 of the team's 20 field goals, including four of its seven shots from downtown. Maureen Taggart accounted for the remaining three 3-point baskets in addition to pacing Northeastern bench with nine points and four rebounds during 33 minutes of action.
 
Sally's game-opening layup proved to be her only bucket of the afternoon, despite the senior snagging five rebounds and dishing out four assists.
 
As a team, Northeastern (7-14, 3-6 CAA) shot 37 percent from the field against Drexel (15-5, 6-3 CAA), an improvement from the Huskies' 21-percent clip they had charted when the two programs last met at Cabot Center on Jan. 8.
 
Together, Sarah Curran and Jessica Pellechio went 17-of-25 from the floor and were responsible for seven of the Dragons' nine 3-point baskets. Curran finished with the game's scoring high, 24 points, and collected eight rebounds, while Pellechio registered 18 points and five boards. Bailey Greenberg also chipped in 10 points for the home team courtesy of a five-for-eight shooting day.
 
Drexel took control of the game during the first quarter, responding to Northeastern's 2-0 lead with a streak of 16 unanswered points that forced NU into burning two of its four timeouts before the five-minute mark. Although the Huskies had only committed five turnovers during the quarter compared to the Dragons' four, Drexel outgained Northeastern, 11-0, in points off turnovers en route to a 19-5 lead by the end of the period.
 
A native of nearby West Chester, Pennsylvania, Courtney Redcross helped the Huskies regroup during the second quarter, knocking down her first career field goal in the NU red-and-black with 8:55 to play. Redcross logged a career high, 22 minutes, during the game, tallying three points and two rebounds.
 
Genco and Taggart began to dial in from 3-point range before the first half came to a close, helping Northeastern keep its 14-point deficit static by the end of the second quarter.
 
Out of the locker rooms, Drexel converted each of its first four field goals to begin the second half during a 10-0 run, widening the Dragons' edge to above 20 points, where it would stay for the remainder of the game.
 
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Northeastern will host William & Mary at Cabot Center on Friday, Feb. 3. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.