BOSTON — Northeastern’s Sunday afternoon Think Pink game, which honored breast cancer awareness against Stony Brook, was simply one to forget. The Seawolves entered play atop of the CAA with an 18-3 record that included an 8-2 record in conference play. Stony Brook’s conference success did not waver in the slightness as they rolled past Northeastern.
The Seawolves shot an impressive 42% from the floor in contrast to the Huskies’ inefficient 27%. Ultimately, Northeastern could not keep up with Stony Brook’s fast pace and physical defense, leading to the Seawolves’ lopsided 71-35 victory.
Stony Brook held control of the contest for the entire afternoon and set the tone early in the first quarter with a 10-0 run. The Seawolves’ 15 boards in the first period alone supplied Stony Brook with countless second-chance scoring opportunities and further pushed NU’s deficit.
Rebounding has been a struggle for Northeastern all season long, and the difficulty was no exception in Sunday’s game, as they were outrebounded an unbelievable 49-25.
“We’ve got to rebound,” said Northeastern head coach Priscilla Edwards-Lloyd. “We’re getting stops, but we have to make sure that we rebound.”
Right: Jacob Oshinsky/WRBB Sports
The Huskies had scored 50 points just once in their previous four games leading up to Sunday. NU’s offensive woes continued, as the Huskies scored just seven points combined between the second and third quarters.
In addition to their scoring trouble, the Huskies had no answer for the Seawolves defensively. Stony Brook, one of the best three-point shooting teams in the CAA, torched the Huskies for the entirety of the afternoon. As a team, the Seawolves shot 11-28 from beyond the arc, good for 39% from three.
“We need to work on just not falling apart, quite frankly,” Edwards-Lloyd said. “We need to work on getting healthy so we can be able to play the defense the way we’re capable of doing.”
Northeastern has struggled with injuries throughout the entire season, and only nine players dressed for Sunday’s game. The Huskies were without juniors Gemima Motema and Asha Parker, both of whom look to be out for some time. As a result, typical depth players such as senior forward Halle Idowu and freshman forward Sophia Carlisle played elongated minutes.
Northeastern’s short bench did not warrant sufficient rest for the Huskies’ lineup, and Stony Brook drastically outpaced them. The Huskies’ high workload led to more turnovers and poor defense in transition, as the Seawolves’ rapid pace allowed Stony Brook to attempt 60 shots, 25 of which fell.
“When we take care of the ball, it makes our transition defense a little bit easier,” Edwards-Lloyd said. “Right now, when we turn the ball over, it’s hard to defend in transition.”
One bright spot in Northeastern’s otherwise forgetful loss was the Huskies’ strong offensive fourth quarter. In the final period of play, the Huskies notched 17 points, including eight from fifth-year guard Jaelyn Batts on 4-7 shooting.
“She brought energy,” Edwards-Lloyd said of Batts. “I told [the team] that they have to keep fighting, and she kept fighting until the end.”
A rough game for Northeastern that wraps up a 0-2 week. The Huskies are back in action on Friday, Feb. 16, as they will host Elon in their Black History Month Game at 7 p.m. Stay tuned for live coverage of the contest on WRBB Sports+.