Box Score | Season Statistics | Infographic

DURHAM, N.H. – Even with its junior class combining for 60 percent of its offensive production, the Northeastern women's basketball team was unable to chase down New Hampshire during the second half of Friday night's game at Lundholm Gymnasium, playing to the 65-50 score line.
 
Gabby Giacone led the Huskies with 16 points while also recording six rebounds, a block, and a steal. Jess Genco finished behind Giacone in NU scoring, totaling 12 points courtesy of four 3-point jumpers. Loren Lassiter matched her season and career high with 15 rebounds, grabbing eight on the offensive end, in addition to scoring five points and dishing out three assists.

Shannon Todd, a native of nearby York, Maine, chipped in six points and three rebounds while playing in front of her hometown fans.
 
Northeastern (3-4) experienced its coldest shooting day of the season, converting only 28 percent of its attempts from the field. New Hampshire (6-2) shot 48 percent from the floor, but received a strong piece of its scoring from the free throw line, where the Wildcats went 17-for-22.
 
Carlie Pogue paced UNH with 23 points and eight rebounds, while the Wildcats also benefitted from Olivia Healy's 15 points, four rebounds, two blocks, and two steals, and Kat Fogarty's 12 points and three steals.
 
The Huskies' loss snapped a streak of four straight series victories by the visiting team. New Hampshire extended its lead in the all-time series to 36-33.
 
FIRST QUARTER
 
Gabby Giacone began the night with a roaring start, shooting three-for-three from the field and tacking on a free throw to provide Northeastern with its first seven points of the game. Giacone made efficient work in the paint, single-handedly outscoring New Hampshire, 7-2, during the period's opening three minutes. Brittni Lai knocked down a pair of free throws to slow Giacone's pace, but Jess Genco took the pressure off her teammate, unloading her first of four 3-point jumpers on the evening to give the Huskies a 10-4 edge with 5:52 to play.
 
Despite Northeastern's hot start, the Huskies endured a cold spurt, missing on four straight trips down the floor while the Wildcats ran up their tab at the foul line, shooting seven-for-10 during the quarter. Aliza Simpson and Olivia Healy hit a pair of 3-pointers to put the finishing touches on New Hampshire's 8-0 run, before Shannon Todd ended Northeastern's dry spell, tying the game at 12-12 courtesy of her jumper with 2:36 to play. NU and UNH traded free throws down the stretch as the Wildcats carried a 17-14 advantage into the second quarter.
 
SECOND QUARTER
 
Northeastern and New Hampshire did not find much separation during the opening five minutes of the quarter, strategically alternating baskets. Genco popped a transition 3-pointer to slice the Huskies' deficit to 21-19, while Stella Clark scored a stylish four points in the paint on each of Northeastern's next two trips to knot the game at 23-23 with 5:18 to play. However, the Wildcats broke the tie with a string of 10 straight points during the ensuing four minutes, receiving production from four different players. Genco snapped the UNH run at the one-minute mark with her third 3-pointer of the first half which was made possible by Lassiter's offensive board and kick-out pass to the perimeter. Lai tallied the final basket of the quarter for the Wildcats, leaving the home team in front, 35-26, at the break.
 
THIRD QUARTER
 
The Huskies burst open the doors to the second half as Giacone sandwiched a pair of layups around Genco's 3-pointer, trimming the UNH lead from nine points to just two (35-33) and forcing the Wildcats into a called timeout with 7:48 to go. However, three Northeastern turnovers out of the timeout shifted the momentum over to New Hampshire, which compiled a 6-0 run during the next four and a half minutes. Giacone went three-for-four from the free throw line, but the Huskies missed their final 11 shots of the quarter as UNH built a 46-36 lead.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
 
Kat Fogarty and Carlie Pogue extended the Wildcats' lead to 14 points (50-36) to begin the final quarter before Lassiter was able to end Northeastern's 10-minute drought without a field goal. Clark drilled a perimeter make to narrow the score to 52-41 with 7:03 remaining, but the Wildcats continued to find the bottom of the net, responding with a 10-1 run to take a 20-point lead with 4:13 to go. Te'Erica Eason, who made her season debut on Friday, hit her first basket of the season during the Huskies' end game, prompting NU to close with six straight points.
 
UP NEXT
 
Northeastern is back in action at home on Wednesday, Dec. 6, but not at Cabot Center, as the Huskies entertain Harvard at Matthews Arena during Boston Public Schools Day. Tipoff between the two crosstown foes is scheduled for 12 p.m.