BOSTON – Fueled by scoring from sophomore guard Camryn Collins and junior guard Yisry Quéliz, Northeastern secured their first home win of the season in a hard-fought 68-60 victory over the Sacred Heart Pioneers, the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Huskies finally gave their home crowd something to celebrate.
“It’s always a good thing to win,” said Coach Priscilla Edwards-Lloyd. “I’m more happy for the girls to be able to experience a home win, just after a couple tough losses.”
Collins led all scorers with 19 points, while Quéliz added 15, her sixth consecutive double-digit performance this season. Sophomore center Alyssa Staten dominated the glass with 10 rebounds, contributing to Northeastern’s 36 rebounds in this game.
The Huskies came out hot in the first quarter. Collins opened with a three-pointer, followed by Quéliz and Staten on back-to-back baskets. The Pioneers struggled early, going scoreless from the field in the first three minutes, and Northeastern sophomore forward Taylor Holohan’s layup capped an 11-0 run. In the first quarter, the Huskies shot 58.3% from the field compared to the Pioneers’ 42.9%, with four Sacred Heart turnovers leading to six Husky points. Sacred Heart senior guard Sierra Johnson finally stopped the bleeding with a layup, and senior guard Amelia Wood added a wide-open three to make up some ground, but the damage was done. The quarter ended 17-10, with Northeastern’s 10-point advantage being the largest lead of the game.
However, the Huskies couldn’t maintain that momentum through the middle quarters.
Instead of picking up points, Northeastern started picking up fouls. Sophomore guard Morgan Matthews and center Alyssa Staten worked effectively under the basket, but it came at the cost of accumulating fouls in the process. The Pioneers capitalized on the efforts from fifth-year guard Jordanna Schrecker, who drained two three-pointers, Amelia Wood, and fifth-year guard Sophie Nascimento, going on an 8-0 run. Northeastern endured a six-minute scoring drought, but still clung to a 27-25 halftime lead.
The third quarter devolved into a one-possession fight. Graduate student Nariyah Simmons converted a layup, but Nascimento of Sacred Heart answered immediately with one of her own. The Huskies responded with a three from Matthews, only to see the Pioneers respond with two free throws. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc; Northeastern shot 33.3% (1-3), and Sacred Heart just 14.3% (1-7), while the officials’ whistles dominated play. The Huskies committed eight fouls to the Pioneers’ six, and the back-and-forth action energized the rowdy Cabot Center Crowd. Northeastern led 44-41 entering the fourth, but had accumulated 22 fouls throughout the first three quarters.
“We have to adjust to how the game is being called,” said Edwards-Lloyd when asked about the numerous fouls. “We just have to recognize how it’s being called and adjust, and adjust quicker.”
The Huskies listened.
Sacred Heart cut their deficit to one on an early fourth-quarter layup, but Collins responded immediately with a basket and two free throws to reclaim the advantage. With Quéliz and Collins’ misfiring on three-point attempts, dropping their three-point percentage to 16.7%, Quéliz made up for it with a layup that left her sprawled on the floor, putting the Huskies up 53-50. The Pioneers’ discipline crumbled as they accumulated 12 fouls in the quarter, asNascimento and Junior Guard Emma Kirby both fouled out. Staten also fouled out for Northeastern, a significant loss, but the Huskies continued on the attack and out-rebounded Sacred Heart 14-8 in the final frame. Simmons ended the game with two free throws, and the final horn sounded with Northeastern’s victory, 68-60.
“We found a way to win, which is a good thing. ‘Cause we’ve been in this situation a lot, already this year, and weren’t able to close it out. So I’m proud of their growth of figuring it out, how to win and lock in to close the game,” said Edwards-Lloyd about the game.
Hoping to secure a second-win streak, the Huskies will travel to UMass Lowell on Tuesday, Nov. 25, with tip-off at 6 p.m.
Madison Ferreira is a first-year student at Northeastern University. You can find her articles here.