Coming off of two CAA wins on the road, the Northeastern women’s basketball team (6-9, 2-3 CAA) hoped to pick up another win back at home against the College of Charleston Cougars (12-5, 4-2 CAA) for its Alumnae Game. The 83-46 loss marked the Huskies’ biggest conference loss of the season and their biggest overall loss since November when they lost 88-45 to Columbia University (12-5, 3-1 Ivy League).
Northeastern dropped to ninth in the CAA after this loss while the Cougars climbed to the third position.
Senior guard Derin Erdogan started strong by immediately converting the jump ball into a layup, but things only went downhill for Northeastern as the first quarter progressed.
About three minutes into the game, the Cougars began an 18-0 run against the Huskies. Charleston also scored 17 of its 30 points for the quarter off 10 Northeastern turnovers. The Cougars displayed a perfect free throw shooting through five attempts in the first frame.
“We just didn’t come out ready to go,” head coach Priscilla Edwards-Lloyd said. “I was disappointed with our shoot-around this morning. I didn’t think we were focused, and a lot of the first quarter looked like our shoot-around today.”
While Charleston’s scoring slowed in the second frame, it continued to climb ahead of the Huskies for a 43-17 lead at halftime.
Northeastern had its most success in the third quarter, tallying 16 points. Senior forward Deja Bristol contributed seven points in this frame. For her first time this season, Bristol was the Huskies’ top scorer of the game.
An injury to Northeastern junior guard Gemima Motema in a Dec. 22 matchup against Boston University (12-6, 4-3 Patriot League) has given the opportunity for other players to fill in for the starter. Sophomore guard Marian Turnbull has gained big minutes in the past few games and played for nearly half of the game against the Cougars, contributing a three-pointer and three defensive rebounds.
“[Turnbull] has been having to step up and play more with the injuries we’ve had.” Edwards-Lloyd said. “She’s learning she’s giving her best effort, so I’ve been pleased with her effort and what she’s been bringing.”
Northeastern scored just 13 points to Charleston’s 23 in the final quarter, giving the Cougars their largest lead to end the game 83-46. Charleston scored 20 points off of fast breaks over the first three quarters, but despite falling behind, the Huskies did not allow any fast-break points in the fourth quarter.
Freshman forward Sophia Carlisle was able to make her home debut after taking the court for the first time at University of North Carolina-Wilmington. Carlisle notched a three-pointer in the final frame of the game.
The Cougars topped the Huskies in nearly every category except points in the paint, where Northeastern led 30-20.
“We have to be more focused, more locked in and more prepared,” Edwards Lloyd said. “I’ll make sure of that next game”
The Huskies face off against the University of Delaware (6-11, 2-3 CAA) on the road Friday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.
