Box Score | Season Statistics | Infographic

ELON, N.C. – Sophomore point guard Jess Genco dropped 17 points to lead all scorers and Maureen Taggart funneled through four 3-point baskets despite the Northeastern women's basketball team ending Friday night 12 points shy of Elon, 70-58, at the Phoenix's Alumni Gym.
 
Genco, who had been enduring a three-of-19 shooting stretch during her last two games, bounced back to shoot 50 percent from the floor, making five of her eight shots from inside the arc in addition to knocking down a pair of 3-point makes during the first quarter. She rounded out her stat line with four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.
 
Taggart drained each of her first four attempts from downtown, tying her career high for 3-point field goals for the fourth time. The junior three-guard rattled in 12 points and led the Huskies in rebounding, grabbing six off the defensive glass.
 
Northeastern (7-17, 3-9 CAA) trailed first-place Elon (19-5, 11-1 CAA) by a single point, 47-46, with 1:29 to play in the third quarter, but lost a pinch of momentum as the period came to a close. Lenaira Ruffin's steal from Claudia Ortiz with six seconds to go prompted Madison Wilder to beat the buzzer on a controlled 3-point jumper, allowing the Phoenix to double its three-point lead to six, 52-46, at the horn.
 
Four Elon starters finished in double-figures, most notably Malaya Johnson, who recorded team highs in scoring (16 points), rebounding (eight), and blocks (four). Lauren Brown tallied 13 points and three boards, Essence Baucom went two-of-three from behind the arc en route to 12 points, while Shay Burnett charted 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
 
Foul trouble plagued the Huskies during the first half as Francesca Sally and Gabby Giacone both picked up their second personal fouls before the end of the first quarter. Elon capitalized with the two NU post starters on the bench to take a 22-8 advantage in points in the paint by halftime – a margin the Phoenix would extend to 34-16 by the end of the game.
 
Taggart's 3-pointer at the 6:31 mark of the second quarter capped off a 7-0 run for Northeastern that allowed NU to retake the lead at 25-24. Four minutes later, Genco split a pair of free throws at the line to pull the Huskies within one of Elon at 34-33, but the Phoenix closed the half with six unanswered points, keeping Northeastern scoreless for the last 2:13.  
 
Through three quarters, the Huskies had the better shooting touch than the Phoenix, despite NU heading into the fourth quarter with a -6 turnover differential. Northeastern stepped into the fourth quarter shooting 40 percent from the field and 46 percent from downtown, but closed the game making only five of its final 18 tries.
 
Elon opened the fourth quarter on a 7-2 scoring run to go up by double digits, where the Phoenix would remain until the final whistle.
 
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Northeastern will return to Cabot Center on Sunday, Feb. 12, to host College of Charleston during the two program's first meeting of the 2016-17 season. Prior to the game, NU will retire alumna Tesha Tinsley's No. 10 jersey – the first jersey ever to be retired by the Northeastern women's basketball program – during a special pregame ceremony beginning at 1:45 p.m. Tipoff between the Huskies and the Cougars will follow the ceremony at 2 p.m.