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WILMINGTON, N.C. – Equipped with the dual scoring threat of Claudia Ortiz and Francesca Sally, the Northeastern women's basketball team was unable to continue its four-game winning streak on Sunday afternoon as the Huskies were defeated by UNCW, 68-63, during the Seahawks' Senior Day at Trask Coliseum.
 
Ortiz elevated her career scoring high to 29 points, unloading 14 points during the second quarter alone courtesy of four 3-point jumpers. The NU junior guided in 10 of her 17 field goal attempts and shot 60 percent from downtown, burying a career best, six 3-pointers, while recording five rebounds and four assists.
 
Sally eclipsed 20 points for the third consecutive game, tallying 22 points on nine-of-15 shooting, while registering five boards, and two steals. Together with Ortiz, the duo combined to score 51 of the Huskies' 63 points.
 
Te'Erica Eason knocked down three of her four shots from the floor, while Jess Genco and Loren Lassiter each chipped in a field goal as well.
 
With Sunday's loss, Northeastern (11-18, 7-10 CAA) missed an opportunity to clinch a top-six seed in the 2017 CAA tournament, but still controls its own destiny and can secure a berth in the league quarterfinals with a win on Wednesday, March 1, against Hofstra, or a loss by UNCW the same night at Elon. Prior to tipoff of Sunday's game between William & Mary and James Madison, Northeastern can enter the conference tourney as the No. 5, No. 6, or No. 7 seed.
 
Balanced scoring helped UNCW (10-18, 5-12 CAA) chase down the Huskies during the second half. Jenny DeGraaf led the Seahawks with 15 points, while Jordan Henry (14 points), Jasmine Steele (13), and Madison Raque (10) joined her in double-figures. Rebekah Banks brought down six rebounds to pace UNCW.
 
The Huskies and the Seahawks accounted for four lead changes during the back-and-forth first quarter that ended with Northeastern leading by one, 15-14. Sally found the bottom of the net on four of her five attempts from the field, funneling in 10 points and scoring six of the Huskies' eight points in the paint.
 
Ortiz's 3-pointer with 7:25 remaining in the second quarter broke a 17-17 tie and sparked a 10-3 run for Northeastern that forced UNCW into a called timeout. Riding Ortiz's 14-point quarter, including two 3-pointers in particular that were hit from well behind the arc, the Huskies headed into halftime with a five-point lead, 35-30.
 
Northeastern would go cold during the start of the second half as the Seahawks strung together 11 unanswered points to build a 41-35 advantage midway through the third quarter. Sally dropped the Huskies' first bucket of the period with 4:47 to play, sparking an 11-0 run during the next three minutes that allowed NU to regain a five-point lead.
 
The Huskies jumped out to a pair of six-point leads at 50-44 and 52-46, the latter occurring with 8:23 left in regulation, but a big 3-pointer by the Seahawks' Raque turned the momentum towards the home team. UNCW slid in front, 59-58, with 3:23 to play and took its final lead of the game at 61-60 with 2:10 to go.
 
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Northeastern will honor the two members of its senior class, Francesca Sally and Briana Schnare, prior to its Wednesday, March 1, game against Hofstra. Tipoff at Cabot Center is set for 7 p.m., while the Senior Night ceremony is slated to begin at 6:40 p.m.