Box Score | Season Statistics | Infographic

BOSTON – Receiving the bulk of its scoring from juniors Jess Genco and Gabby Giacone, the Northeastern women's basketball team kept pace with Drexel early on Friday night at Cabot Center, despite succumbing to the Dragons' consistent second half shooting and being handed a 69-58 defeat.
 
Genco scored a season high, 23 points, to lead Northeastern (8-9, 3-3 CAA), unloading 14 points during the second half. The NU point guard finished runner-up on the glass (seven rebounds) behind Giacone's eight boards, while also totaling three assists and a steal during her fifth 40-minute game of the CAA season.
 
Giacone coupled 14 points with her team rebounding high, in addition to recording an assist and a steal.
 
Shannon Todd and Loren Lassiter both finished with six points for the Huskies. Todd accounted for two of the Huskies' five steals, while Lassiter brought down four rebounds.
 
Northeastern and Drexel (13-5, 5-1 CAA) shot identical, 11-for-26 marks from the field during the first half (42 percent), although the Dragons were successful in being able to limit the conference's top 3-point shooting team to only one perimeter make during its four attempts before halftime. The Huskies converted a season low, four 3-pointers, during the game, despite outhustling Drexel in the paint, 38-22.
 
Kelsi Lidge led the Dragons with 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Megan Marecic followed Lidge with 13 points and four rebounds, while Aubree Brown recorded seven points, four rebounds, five assists, and a steal.
 
Drexel sported a 20-4 advantage in bench scoring and 16-8 edge in points off turnovers.
 
Friday's game was played in front of more than 800 fans during the Club Sports Night promotion at Cabot Center. The evening's grand prize – $1,000 awarded to the operating budget of the Northeastern club sport in attendance that displayed the most school spirit – will be awarded next week via @GoNUhuskynation on Twitter.
 
DECIDING FACTOR
 
Facing a six-point deficit at the start of the second half (29-23), Northeastern had trouble slowing Drexel's hot shooting as the Dragons collectively went nine-for-17 (53 percent) from the field during the third quarter, outscoring the Huskies, 21-13. Contrastingly, NU shot 35 percent during the third quarter and misfired on each of its three 3-point attempts, trailing Drexel by as many as 18 points (48-30) with 2:25 remaining in the period.
 
Northeastern witnessed more offensive success during the fourth quarter, where the Huskies hit three of their four total 3-point field goals in addition to shooting 42 percent from the floor. Jess Genco accounted for two of Northeastern's three perimeter makes: first capping a 12-4 scoring run for Northeastern that trimmed Drexel's lead to eight points (54-46) with 3:27 remaining, then netting another with 36 seconds to go, reducing the Dragons' lead to seven points (63-56). However, Drexel combined to shoot eight-for-12 from the foul line during the fourth quarter, including six-for-eight following Genco's final 3-pointer.
 
GAME NOTES
 
• Northeastern experienced its second defeat of the season when shooting above 40 percent from the field, lowering its record to 5-2. The Huskies shot 41 percent from the field against the Dragons' 46-percent clip.
 
• Jess Genco posted the fourth 20-point scoring game of her career and second within Northeastern's last four games. She has led the Huskies in scoring during four of the team's first six CAA games of the year.
 
UP NEXT
 
Northeastern will host William & Mary on Sunday, Jan. 21, during its second annual We Back Pat Game, during which all proceeds will go to support The Pat Summitt Foundation. Tipoff between the Huskies and the Tribe is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Cabot Center. Fans may receive a complimentary We Back Pat T-shirt upon making a donation in support of The Pat Summitt Foundation.