BOSTON – Before departing for Philadelphia and next week's CAA tournament, the Northeastern women's basketball team will first close out the 2017-18 regular season on its home floor, Cabot Center, on Saturday, March 3, when the Huskies host Hofstra at 2 p.m. (Senior Day festivities are scheduled to begin at 1:45 p.m.).
THANK YOU, SENIORS
Prior to Saturday's game, Northeastern will salute the three members of its 2018 senior class:
Loren Lassiter,
Claudia Ortiz, and
Maureen Taggart. Together, these three seniors have co-led the Huskies to 28 CAA victories – the most by any four-year class during the program's conference tenure – in addition to helping steer NU to its first-ever CAA semifinal game during the 2016 conference tournament.
Loren Lassiter
Lassiter ranks as the Huskies' active leader in career appearances, having taken the floor 103 times and made 36 starts during her four-year career. The five-foot-11 forward thrived in the role as Northeastern's sixth woman during her junior season (2016-17) and has since transitioned into one of the top rebounders in the CAA during her senior campaign. This season, she has started every game for the Huskies and pulled down a career high, 15 rebounds, on two occasions, helping land her among the top 10 CAA players in rebounds per game (7.5) and top five on the offensive glass (3.0). A two-time recipient of the Commissioner's Academic Award, in addition to being named to the CAA All-Academic Team as a sophomore (2015-16), Lassiter is pursuing her May 2018 graduation with her bachelor's degree in biology and a double minor in English and ethics, and has already been accepted across the board into veterinary school.
Claudia Ortiz
Ortiz has been a key contributor to the Huskies' cause during her 83 appearances and 66 starts since debuting with the program three seasons ago after playing her freshman campaign (2013-14) at Mississippi. With the ability to score from every location on the floor, the crafty shooting guard has totaled more than 900 points during her collegiate career (913) and arrives at Senior Day with the third highest 3-point field goal percentage in Northeastern women's basketball history (37.8), as well as the fourth highest free throw percentage (78.5). Among her memorable performances in the red and black, Ortiz scored a career high, 31 points, on Jan. 7, 2018, against Elon, tying the program record with seven 3-pointers while remaining perfect at the free throw line. Ortiz's career accolades include CAA Player of the Week and All-CAA Third Team honors during her junior season (2016-17), as well as a selection to the Preseason All-CAA First Team during her senior season. After graduating in June 2017 with her bachelor's degree in psychology, she is currently on track to receive her master's degree in leadership in May 2018.
Maureen Taggart
Taggart has made 86 appearances and 25 starts during her four-year Northeastern career. She is a 33-percent career 3-point shooter and has provided the Huskies with a steady supply of perimeter makes through the years, staging all but 11 of her 98 career field goals behind the arc (88.8 percent). Among Taggart's memorable performances, she posted a career high, 20 points, during her junior season against Towson (Jan. 6, 2017) – one of four games during which she drained four 3-point jumpers. Taggart's career numbers include 312 points, 202 rebounds, 75 assists, 37 steals, and an 83-percent clip at the free throw line. She is pursuing her May 2018 graduation with her bachelor's degree in psychology.
CAA STANDINGS
Northeastern is in control of its own destiny when it comes to clinching at least a share of fourth place in the final CAA regular-season standings, which would tie the program's highest year-end placement as a league member (the Huskies tied for fourth place with Old Dominion during the 2012-13 season). NU can secure fourth place outright with a win coupled with a Delaware loss, or land a share of fourth place by matching results with Delaware on Saturday. Else, the Huskies will finish in fifth place outright.
In terms of CAA tournament seeding, Northeastern has clinched either the No. 4 or No. 5 seed and is guaranteed to oppose Delaware during the league quarterfinals in Philadelphia (hosted by Drexel) on Thursday, March 8, at 2:30 p.m. The Huskies own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Blue Hens courtesy of their regular-season sweep (2-0) – Northeastern's first against Delaware since the 1997-98 America East season. NU can clinch the No. 4 seed and wear home jerseys during the CAA quarterfinals with either a win on Saturday against Hofstra, or a Delaware loss at Towson. Else, the Huskies will draw the No. 5 seed during next week's conference tournament.
| Northeastern |
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN |
Hofstra |
| 63.1 |
Scoring Offense |
60.0 |
| 61.6 |
Scoring Defense |
63.7 |
| 38.3% |
Field Goal Percentage |
40.0% |
| 34.6% |
3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
29.6% |
| 66.0% |
Free Throw Percentage |
61.3% |
| 37.2 |
Rebounds per Game |
35.6 |
| 13.8 |
Assists per Game |
13.4 |
| Jess Genco (14.2) |
Top Scorer |
Boogie Brozoski (13.1) |
| Loren Lassiter (7.5) |
Top Rebounder |
Ashunae Durant (8.9) |
| Jess Genco (5.2) |
Top Assister |
Boogie Brozoski (4.0) |
