WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Morgan Matthews led the Northeastern women's basketball team with 15 points and Nariyah Simmons added 11, but a furious fourth-quarter comeback fell just short as the Huskies dropped a 51-50 decision to UNCW in the opening round of the CAA Tournament on Wednesday afternoon at CareFirst Arena.
The Huskies (7-23) trailed by as many as six points in the fourth quarter before mounting a 9-0 run, capped by a Justice Tramble layup with 1:56 remaining, to take a 50-47 lead. UNCW (7-22) responded with four consecutive free throws from Angelina Pelayo in the final 41 seconds — the last two with just two seconds remaining — to steal the victory. Yirsy Quéliz's driving layup at the buzzer rimmed out, ending Northeastern's season.
Matthews was the Huskies' most efficient player, shooting 6-of-11 from the field including a clutch three-pointer in the fourth quarter that pulled Northeastern within one at 46-47. She also added eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in nearly 33 minutes of action. Simmons contributed 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting with eight rebounds and two assists, while Justice Tramble recorded seven rebounds in just over 21 minutes.
Northeastern's defense held UNCW to 30.4 percent shooting from the field and just 21.1 percent from three-point range, but the Seahawks made up for it at the free-throw line, connecting on 13-of-15 attempts (86.7 percent). The Huskies shot 31.8 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from beyond the arc in what was a defensive struggle throughout.
The Seahawks jumped out to an early lead, building a 19-13 advantage after the first quarter behind six points from Beaudion-Foliaki. Northeastern went just 5-of-15 from the field in the opening period and committed two turnovers that UNCW converted into quick scores.
The Huskies' defense tightened in the second quarter, holding UNCW to 4-of-16 shooting and just 10 points in the period. Simmons' fast-break three-pointer capped a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 26-20, but Northeastern could not fully erase the first-quarter hole, trailing 29-24 at halftime.
Northeastern came out of the break with renewed energy, outscoring UNCW 15-10 in the third quarter to tie the game at 39-39. Mary Ferrito sparked the rally with a fast-break pull-up jumper, while Kylah Silver answered with a driving layup for the Seahawks. Ferrito later drilled a three-pointer off a Silver assist to knot the score at 37-37. Icyss Storm gave UNCW a brief lead with a second-chance layup, but María Sánchez Pitarch's fast-break layup off a Ferrito steal tied the game heading into the fourth.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair defined by defensive stops and free throws. Torin Rogers opened the period with a three-pointer off a Silver assist to give UNCW a 42-39 lead, and Silver's and-one driving layup pushed the Seahawks' advantage to 44-39 — their largest lead of the second half. Northeastern answered with Rogers free throws and a Silver foul-shooting sequence, but it was Matthews' three-pointer at the 4:26 mark that cut the deficit to 44-47 and ignited the Huskies' comeback bid.
Northeastern's defense clamped down from there, holding UNCW scoreless for nearly four minutes. Matthews converted two free throws to pull within two at 46-48, and after Pelayo turned the ball over, the Huskies had a chance to take the lead. Tramble's layup with 1:56 remaining completed a 9-0 run and gave Northeastern a 50-47 advantage — its largest lead of the game.
UNCW's Kylah Silver was the game's leading scorer with 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Pelayo finished with 10 points — all from the free-throw line and a pair of field goals — including the decisive four free throws in the final 41 seconds. Ferrito added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Seahawks.
Northeastern was outscored 32-20 in the paint and 12-4 in points off turnovers, but the Huskies held a 45-40 rebounding advantage and generated seven steals to UNCW's six.
