Hempstead, NY - Jess Genco scored six of her 13 points in overtime to help Northeastern to a 53-51 Colonial Athletic Association victory over Hofstra in the CAA opener for both schools at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Monday afternoon.

Hofstra fell to 7-5 on the season and 0-1 in league play. Northeastern improved to 5-8 overall and 1-0 in the CAA.

Krystal Luciano was Hofstra's leading scorer with 15 points and also added five assists. Ashunae Durant tallied 10 points and six rebounds, while Sandra Dongmo posted a team-high seven boards to go along with eight points.

Both teams started off slowly, but the Pride held a slim 6-5 lead midway through the first quarter. But Northeastern would take a 9-8 lead with 3:01 left in the opening quarter on a layup from Maureen Taggart. Neither team would score again until the Pride's Olivia Askin connected on a three-pointer with seven ticks left to give Hofstra an 11-9 lead at the end of the opening stanza.

Hofstra would lead the Huskies 19-13, midway through the second before Northeastern used a half-closing 12-2 run to take a 25-21 lead at the break. Francesca Sally had four points during the run, while Taggart and Claudia Ortiz added three points each. The Huskies shot 54 percent (7-13) from the field during the second quarter compared to 27 percent (4-15) for the Pride.

The Pride scored the first four points of the third quarter to tie the score but Northeastern answered with four quick points of its own to take a 29-25 lead with 7:43 to play. A 10-0 spurt by the Pride, highlighted by a pair of Luciano three-pointers, gave them a 35-31 lead with 5:49 to go. But in what was a quarter of runs, Northeastern responded with four straight points to tie the game at 35 with 4:40 to go on a jumper from Sally. Following the media timeout, neither team could get the offense going as the teams combined for three points in the final 4:05 with Hofstra holding a 37-36 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter started with the Huskies scoring the first four points to take a 40-37 lead with 7:03 to play. Hofstra did not get a basket until 5:19 had elapsed, missing its first 10 shots. But Dongmo ended the drought with a layup to make the score 40-39. Durant gave Hofstra the lead on its next possession, scoring on a driving layup to put the Pride up 41-40 with 3:54 to play. Shelly would tie the score at 41 with a free throw with 3:28 to go. The teams would trade baskets before Northeastern took a 30-second timeout with 1:08 to play. The Huskies would miss a three-pointer on the possession and the Pride corralled the rebound with less than a minute to play. A missed jumper from the Pride resulted in a rebound for Northeastern and the Huskies called timeout with 12.3 seconds left to set up a final play. But good Hofstra defense prevented a shot attempt and sent the game to overtime tied at 43.

Hofstra held a 48-47 lead with 2:47 left in overtime following a free throw from Luciano before Northeastern went on a 6-0 run to take a 53-48 lead with 59.2 seconds left. Genco scored four points, all on free throws, during the spurt. Askin hit a three-pointer to pull Hofstra within two, 53-51, with 46 seconds left on the clock. Hofstra then forced a turnover and to get the ball back for a final shot with 16 seconds to go. But the shot was off the mark as the Pride dropped an overtime game for the second consecutive contest.

Sally led all scorers with 23 points and also added six rebounds. Genco added eight rebounds and six assists to go along with her 13 points, while Taggart had a game-best 10 rebounds.  

The Pride continues CAA play this Friday when they begin a three-game road trip at James Madison. Tip-off from the JMU Convocation Center is set for 7 p.m.

Notes:
-Hofstra played back-to-back overtime games for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
-The all-time series between Hofstra and Northeastern is now tied at 20 wins apiece, though the Huskies have now won two consecutive matchups.
-Northeastern had a 51-35 rebounding advantage, just the third time this season that Hofstra has been outrebounded.