ELON, N.C. -- Justice Tramble led Northeastern with 12 points and the Huskies hung tough through four quarters, but Elon pulled away for a 70-57 victory on Sunday afternoon at Schar Center, dropping Northeastern to 7-18 on the year and 3-12 in CAA play.
The Huskies were paced by Tramble, who finished with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting and added a rebound and an assist in 20 minutes. Yirsy Quéliz and Maria Sánchez Pitarch each chipped in nine points, with Quéliz adding three steals and two assists and Sánchez Pitarch contributing three rebounds.
Northeastern struggled to find consistent offense on the afternoon, shooting just 37.0 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from three-point range on 2-of-10 shooting. The Huskies did get to the free throw line, connecting on 15 of 20 attempts, but were outclassed in the efficiency department by an Elon squad that shot 49.1 percent overall and 90.0 percent from the charity stripe.
The Phoenix also dominated in the secondary categories that have hurt Northeastern all season. Elon outscored the Huskies 41-17 from the bench, converted 15 second-chance points to Northeastern's eight, and held a 35-28 rebounding edge.
Northeastern opened the game with a Maya Summerville jumper off a Justice Tramble assist just 19 seconds into play. The Huskies found themselves in an early back-and-forth contest before Elon's reserves took over midway through the first quarter. A Kamryn Doty three-pointer and a Ruby Willard layup helped Elon build a lead it would never relinquish, with the Huskies trailing 13-10 at the end of the first.
Northeastern continued to battle in the second quarter, keeping the deficit within single digits for the bulk of the period. The Huskies got as close as one with a Justice Tramble free throw, and Summerville and Alyssa Staten provided occasional interior buckets to keep Northeastern in the mix. But Elon's Quinzia Fulmore — who finished with a game-high 12 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting — and Tyana Walker proved too much down the stretch, and the Phoenix took a 33-25 lead into halftime.
The third quarter proved to be the decisive stretch. Elon's second unit erupted for 15 bench points in the period, highlighted by a Doty triple and a Willard three-pointer as the Phoenix extended their lead to as many as 19. The Huskies made some noise late, with Morgan Matthews converting a fast-break layup and a free throw and Nariyah Simmons knocking down a three from the corner, but Northeastern still trailed 50-37 heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter was played on even terms, with both teams scoring 20 points, as Tramble continued to attack the paint and Quéliz added a pair of buckets to keep the scoreboard moving. Sánchez Pitarch also showed toughness late, working hard in the post for two second-chance baskets in the final two minutes, but the Huskies were unable to dent the double-digit deficit. The final score was 70-57 in favor of the Phoenix.
Northeastern's bench was held to just 17 points while Elon's reserves contributed 41, a gap that proved insurmountable. The Huskies also surrendered 14 second-chance points as Elon shot 69 percent from inside the paint on second opportunities.
With the loss, Northeastern falls to 7-18 overall and 3-12 in conference play. The Huskies return to action on Friday, Feb. 27 with a road trip to Drexel at 6 p.m., before returning home to face Hampton on Sunday, March 1 at 1 p.m.
