Box Score | Season Statistics | Infographic

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Sporting a 13-rebound advantage on the glass, the Northeastern women's basketball team fended off Hofstra's fourth quarter surge to earn the 55-50 victory at the Mack Sports Complex on Friday night, clinching a CAA quarterfinal berth for the third consecutive season in the process.
 
Claudia Ortiz led Northeastern (14-13, 9-7 CAA) with 13 points, shooting three-for-four from downtown in addition to securing five rebounds. Gabby Giacone recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, while Stella Clark notched her fourth straight double-digit scoring game, totaling 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
 
Shannon Todd accounted for six of the Huskies' nine steals, despite Northeastern finishing -8 in turnovers to Hofstra (11-16, 5-11 CAA). Loren Lassiter fouled out during the game's closing minutes, but not before tallying seven points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
 
The Huskies (18-for-52) shot nearly identical to the Pride (19-for-53) from the field, but outgained Hofstra, 41-28, on the glass, allowing Northeastern to overcome deficits in points in the paint and points off turnovers. NU also drained four more 3-pointers than the Pride and hit three more free throws.
 
Aleana Leon paced Hofstra with 14 points, while Boogie Brozoski notched 13 points, fouling out with 37 seconds remaining in regulation and the Huskies leading, 52-50. Clark went one-for-two during the ensuing free throws to put NU ahead by three points before Ortiz collected the rebound off Leon's 3-point miss and sealed Northeastern's win at the foul line.
 
NU led Hofstra by as many as 16 points (38-22) with 6:18 left to play during the third quarter, but the Pride managed to charge back, closing within 10 points (42-32) by the end of the period.
 
Hofstra began the fourth quarter with a string of 10 unanswered points to knot the game with 5:50 remaining in regulation. Lassiter chimed in with Northeastern's first field goal of the quarter with 3:53 to go, while Maureen Taggart scored two clutch baskets for the Huskies down the stretch, providing NU with enough insurance to hang on to the win.
 
With the victory, Northeastern's seeding window for the 2018 CAA tournament now stands as high as No. 4 and as low as No. 6.

UP NEXT
 
Northeastern will pull into College of Charleston – the Huskies' final CAA road destination on their 2017-18 regular-season calendar – on Sunday, Feb. 25. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at TD Arena.