Parker leads balanced Huskies effort with 14 points, 9 rebounds

Kelly scored a season-high 20 points and matched her season-best with six rebounds for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Ryan Feeney)

EASTON, Mass. (December 20, 2022) – Northeastern University wrapped a 20-4 run between the third and fourth quarters to take control of a back-and-forth game to that point and claimed a 75-64 victory over Stonehill College in a non-conference women's basketball matchup on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

Sophomore Asha Parker led a balanced Northeastern effort with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting with a game-high nine rebounds (six offensive). Four players in all reached double-figures for the Huskies who finished shooting 50-percent (35-for-70), despite a 1-for-12 night from three, with six scoring at least eight points.

Junior Izzy Larsen added 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, while sophomore Gemima Motema totaled ten points, three rebounds, two assists and five steals. Northeastern took advantage of 16 Stonehill turnovers to record an 18-5 advantage in points off, committing just nine themselves.

Senior Mia Kelly and fifth-year Emily Bramanti combined for 39 points to lead Stonehill. Kelly scored a season-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-for-5 from three, with a season-high matching six rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and steal. Bramanti reached double-figures for the sixth-straight game, with 19 points, connecting on 5-of-7 threes, with four assists and three boards.

In a game that featured five ties and 17 lead changes, including three and 11 in the first half alone, neither team led by more than six in the first half. Northeastern outscored Stonehill 16-4 over the final 6:42 of the third quarter to open a double-figure lead (58-48) heading to the fourth. With the Skyhawks leading by a pair (44-42) after a jumper by fifth-year Sophie Glidden the Huskies reeled off a 14-2 run to grab a ten-point lead (54-46), with Larsen scoring four points and the visitors getting six-straight points during that stretch off turnovers.

Bramanti added 19 points, marking her sixth-straight double-figure scoring game (PHOTO BY Brian Foley)

Northeastern extended its lead to 11 (58-47) with a Parker layup with 13-seconds to play in the third and then stretched the run to 20-4 by scoring the first four points of the fourth to push the lead to a game-high 14 (62-48) after a layup by junior Derin Erdogan. Stonehill followed with a 13-4 run to close the gap to five (66-61) after a Kelly three with 3:55 to play, as Bramanti scored eight points during that spell, with 3:55 remaining.

Stonehill would get no closer as Northeastern responded with the next nine points, starting with four-straight by Motema off turnovers, to seal the win.

Noteworthy

• Stonehill head coach Trisha Brown was coaching her 600^th game at the College tonight. She is now 406-194 (.677) over her 22 years at Stonehill and trails just Paula Sullivan's 636 career games in program history.
• Kelly posted the second 20-point game of her career – and the second by a Stonehill player this season – with her 13^th career double-figure scoring game (fifth in 2022-23).
• Bramanti scored in double-figures for the sixth-straight game and 35^th time in her career, burying four-plus three-pointers for the third time this year (sixth career).
• Glidden finished with a team-high eight rebounds, leading Stonehill for the ninth time this season (18^th career).
• Stonehill was limited to 5-of-16 (31.3%) shooting in the fourth quarter and 10-for-27 (37%) in the second half overall, compared to 55.9% (19-34) shooting for Northeastern in the final 20-minutes.
• Stonehill jumped out to a 10-4 lead behind a pair of Bramanti threes and four points by Kelly just three minutes into the game. The Skyhawks held a pair of five-point leads in the second quarter.

Up Next
Stonehill (3-9, 0-0 NEC) is back in action here at Merkert Gym next Thursday, December 29, when it closes out its non-conference schedule against Queens (N.Y.) College at 4 p.m. Northeastern (5-6, 0-0 CAA) visits Monmouth College for its Colonial Athletic Association opener next Friday, December 30, at 3 p.m.

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