Box Score | Season Statistics | Interview | Recap

📹 | "We started out as individuals who liked to play basketball and became a team and (overall) a program that's going to be reckoned with."@GoNUwbasketball HC Kelly Cole comments on the legacy of her seniors, who helped lead the #HowlinHuskies to their first-ever #WNIT. pic.twitter.com/mXgbFcb54f

— Northeastern Women's Basketball (@GoNUwbasketball) March 22, 2019

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Competing in its first-ever Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) game on Thursday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Northeastern women's basketball team led Butler by as many as eight points during the opening quarter before succumbing to the Bulldogs' high octane offense as the Huskies exited the tournament courtesy of their 89-72 defeat.
 
During the final act of her legendary collegiate career, senior Jess Genco tallied 21 points, three rebounds and eight assists, playing the duration of the game until being subbed out to an embrace by head coach Kelly Cole with 25 seconds remaining in regulation. The NU point guard closed her four-year scoring account at 1,567 career points, surpassing Katasha Artis for third place on the Huskies' all-time scoring list.
 
Shannon Todd and Kendall Currence joined Genco with double-digit point totals, finishing with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Ayanna Dublin also contributed nine points and six rebounds to the NU cause.
 
Northeastern (20-12) caught fire out of the gate, sprinting to the 12-4 lead that sent Butler (22-9) into a called timeout less than four minutes into the ballgame. Genco offloaded 10 points during the opening quarter, helping NU regain its eight-point lead again at 23-15 with roughly a minute left to play in the period.
 
Receiving 16 first half points from Whitney Jennings, the Bulldogs began the second quarter on the 13-2 scoring run, despite the Huskies remaining within striking distance. Ayanna Dublin knocked down a jumper to knot the game at 35-35 at the 3:44 mark, although Butler broke the tie by closing the half on the 17-1 run to establish the 52-36 lead at the intermission.
 
Northeastern made only three of its 13 field goal attempts during the third quarter as the Bulldogs elevated their advantage to 76-44. The Huskies rallied to shoot 47 percent from the field during the fourth quarter, reducing Butler's lead to less than 20 points.
 
Jennings finished with the game high, 29 points, draining seven 3-pointers. Kristen Spolyar scored 21 points for Butler, snagging seven rebounds.

NOTEWORTHY
• Northeastern's 20 wins during the 2018-19 season rank as the third most that the program has achieved across its history.
• The Huskies' 2019 WNIT berth marked the program's ninth postseason appearance and its second during as many seasons. NU had advanced to the 2018 Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI).