By Justin Clear-Vekinis, News Correspondent
Despite a sluggish season for the women’s basketball team, one Husky has been red-hot.
Junior guard Deanna Kerkhof led the Huskies in scoring six of their last seven games. The only time she didn’t lead the team was when sophomore forward Jewel Tunstull scored her then-career high of 20 points against the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Even in that game Kerkhof had 15 points, which tied for the second-most on the team and tied with the scoring leader, Tunstull.
Fifteen points may seem low for a game’s leading point score – and it is when you take it in comparison to the number Kerkhof has put up since.
On Sunday, Kerkhof shot a career-high 29 points in an energetic Husky win over Colonial Athletic Association rival William & Mary.
“Just having her step up really helps our scoring,” head coach Daynia LaForce-Mann said. “We need scorers on this team.”
It wasn’t just 29 points; it was 29 points, three steals, six rebounds sinking all six of her free throws, as well as the 50 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
On Jan. 12, Kerkhof was responsible for in the winning of an important CAA game, the Huskies’ first conference win, against the George Mason Patriots. She knocked down a then-career high 25 points, something that pales in comparison to this past weekend’s numbers.
Nineteen of her 25 points came in the second half to erase the 16 point deficit. In addition, she scored the go-ahead basket, crossed the court to block a Patriot attempt, was fouled and sunk the game-winning free throws.
In addition to her rising numbers on the court, she’s also very modest, citing the team’s effort alone in securing her incredible win.
“It just happened to be me on the last play,” Kerkhof said. “I think as a team we came together and won it.”
Kerkhof’s ability to read the game and read what is going to happen is key to her success. Of course, it helps that she has great support in the middle through sophomore forward Jewel Tunstull.
“[She’s the] center of the universe, Jewel,” associate head coach Tom Blake said. “Any time you have a good post player you want that, especially when you have good three-point shooters.”
Tunstull has been key in Kerkhof’s success with ability to draw two or even three defenders leaving the wing wide open for Kerkhof. Tunstull’s presence on the court, and particularly in the paint has allowed Kerkhof to knock down more a 43 percent of her three point attempts in these past seven games.
Kerkhof missed nearly a month’s worth of games between December and January because of injury. Ever since then, the Wallaceburg, Ontario, native has exploded onto the scoreboard.
“She’d been out for a couple of games,” LaForce-Mann said. “So I think she had a lot of energy built up inside and was ready to really step out their and help us win.”
Even before her break from play, Kerkhof had put up big numbers. She knocked down 24 points against cross-town rival Boston University, a 16 point game against Vermont, and three separate games with 14 points a piece.
Kerkhof’s junior season is seemingly a break-out one. She is averaging more than 11.8 points per game, second to only Tunstull, who has an impressive 13.5 points per game.
Though Kerkhof was posting similar numbers last season, with 11 points per game over 21 games. She accounted for more than 230 of Northeastern’s points last season.
This isn’t a new trend for Kerkhof, but these recent performances definitely don’t make it look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.
As the team prepares to take on Georgia State tonight in Atlanta at 7 p.m., fans and teammates can expect a similar performance from Kerkof, as she led scoring in both of last seasons the games against the Panthers.
“She’s so versatile. She really is a weapon for the team,” senior gaurd Dani Iervolino said.
