By Justin Clear-Vekinis, News Correspondent
The women’s basketball team stunned the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) No. 2 James Madison University by winning 61-50 Sunday at home.
Northeastern entered Sunday’s game having lost the last 11 games against the Dukes, making the victory the first-ever for the program.
The Huskies held JMU to a mere 50 points, the lowest of any opponent all season.
“We work hard, we play hard, we compete,” head coach Daynia LaForce-Mann said. “If we continue to do that, we can win any basketball game.”
Junior guard Deanna Kerkhof – who was named CAA player of the week – led all scorers with 23 points, followed by senior guard Jamie Conroy with 12.
The Huskies kept all JMU players to single-digit points for their lowest point total all season. Guards sophomore Kirby Burkholder and junior Tarik Hislop were the high scorers with eight points each.
JMU picked up 52 rebounds compared to the Huskies’ 47. However, Northeastern forced 14 turnovers leading to 17 points for the Huskies.
“What was huge for us was rebounding,” LaForce-Mann said. “[JMU] is a very good rebounding team and to only be down on rebounding by five is pretty good.”
Sophomore forward Christine Huber was responsible for 13 of the Huskies’ rebounds, with Kerkhof and Conroy each adding seven.
The game was close in the first half, with the lead changing hands nine times until the Huskies had a two-point advantage, 23-21, going into the half.
The second half was a different story as Northeastern stayed ahead for the entire 20 minutes, which started with a 9-0 run.
The Dukes responded with a 7-2 run of their own to close the gap, but the Huskies matched every response from the Dukes point-for-point, if not shooting for more.
Twice in the second half, Northeastern extended its lead to 11, with the first time coming six minutes into the second half, and then once again at the finish.
Both teams ran into foul trouble in the second half, with three players from both team ending the game with four fouls each.
JMU fouled 23 times, which helped the Huskies as they knocked down 80 percent of their 25 free throws in comparison to the Dukes’ 47 percent from the line.
“We are used to people trying to beat us up,” LaForce-Mann said. “Teams feel that with physicality they can beat us, and I think the games against Georgia State and George Mason prepared us for the physicality of this game.”
Similar to the blowout of Georgia State last Thursday, the Dukes’ last shot of the game was an air-ball, a trend that is helping Northeastern.
The Dukes came into Sunday’s game with a 20-5 record, sitting second in the CAA and on a five-game win streak.
“We kind of felt a little disrespected by James Madison,” LaForce-Mann said. “They didn’t look like they were ready to play us and I told my team that they need to respect us and how hard we work.”
The Dukes left with their first road loss in their last seven road trips.
Northeastern won two straight games for the first time this season, with only three regular season game left the Huskies look to keep the momentum up.
“Three more,” Huber said. “We’re trying to go 5-0 for our last games so we can get a nice sweet entry into the tournament.”
Northeastern travels first to Norfolk, Va., to take on the Lady Monarchs of Old Dominion University. The Lady Monarchs hold a 6-9 in the CAA (9-18 overall) and are currently in ninth, one spot above the Huskies on the leader-board.
