Erdogan’s Career Day Leads No. 3 Northeastern to CAA Semifinals with 85-68 Win Over No. 6 Stony Brook
Hunter Peters
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TOWSON, Md. (March 10, 2023) – Junior guard Derin Erdogan set career-highs with 27 points and 10 assists as third-seeded Northeastern used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away from sixth-seeded Stony Brook, 85-68, on Friday night in the final quarterfinal game of the CAA Women’s Basketball Championship presented by Primis at SECU Arena.
The Huskies (19-11) won their ninth straight game and advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2019, where they will face No. 7 Monmouth at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Stony Brook fell to 18-13 after the setback.
It was the first career double-double for Erdogan, who scored 21 of her 27 points in the first half and dished out all 10 of her assists in the second half. Backcourt mates JaMiya Braxton and Gemima Motema added 14 points apiece and Deja Bristol had eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench for the Huskies.
Stony Brook was led by Daishai Almond with 16 points and Shamarla King posted a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Northeastern held a narrow two-point lead heading into the final quarter, but got a corner 3-pointer from Braxton and four straight points from Motema to take a 67-58 advantage less than two minutes into the period. The Seawolves wouldn’t get closer than seven the rest of the way as the Huskies shot a blistering 71.4% (10-for-14) from the floor over the final 10 minutes.
Northeastern never trailed during a high-scoring first quarter. The Huskies went on top 20-13 on a Braxton layup, but Stony Brook reeled off six straight points to close within one. Erdogan, who was 4-for-4 from the floor and scored a team-high 12 points in the first 10 minutes, closed the period with her second trey of the game to make it 23-19.
Stony Brook, which went 4-for-5 from 3-point range in the second quarter, got consecutive treys from Erin Turral, King and Annie Warren to grab a 31-29 lead. The Huskies responded with a 13-2 run capped by a Braxton three to go up 42-33 with 2:07 on the clock. SBU was able to close within 42-37 at the half.
A back-and-forth third quarter featured big runs by both squads. The Seawolves tallied 10 straight points, including four by Turral, to grab a 53-49 advantage. Northeastern answered with a 7-0 spurt and moved ahead 56-53 on a three-point play from Halle Idowu. The Huskies held a 60-58 lead heading into the final stanza.
The Huskies’ 85 points were their most in a game since Jan. 8. The nine-game winning streak matches a Northeastern program record. The streak started with a victory against Stony Brook back on February 9.
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