BOSTON (Interstat) — In a game defined by dramatic momentum swings and a frantic final minute, the Northeastern Huskies overcame a significant second-half deficit and a late Monmouth rally to secure a 72-67 victory in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Sunday at Matthews Arena.

The Huskies, who improved to 5-9 overall, bookended the contest with dominant quarters but needed every second to withstand a relentless effort from the Hawks, who fell to 10-5.

Northeastern exploded from the opening tip, leveraging its size and defensive pressure to build a commanding 23-8 lead after the first quarter. The Huskies scored the game’s first eight points, with Justice Tramble of Canton, Michigan, and Camryn Collins of Foxboro, Massachusetts, combining for early baskets to set the tone. Monmouth struggled against Northeastern’s active defense, committing seven turnovers in the period which the Huskies converted into easy transition opportunities.

The second quarter, however, belonged entirely to Monmouth. The Hawks erupted for 24 points, spearheaded by a sudden offensive outburst from guard GiGi Gamble of Somerset, New Jersey. Gamble hit a pair of three-pointers during a 13-2 Monmouth run that sliced the deficit to single digits. The Hawks’ defense stiffened, holding Northeastern to just 13 points in the quarter, and closed the half on a 9-2 spurt to trail by only four, 36-32, at intermission.

Monmouth carried that momentum into the third quarter, briefly taking its first lead. The Hawks continued to chip away, eventually tying the game and then nudging ahead as their ball movement improved and they began to find cracks in the Huskies’ interior defense. Northeastern’s offense stagnated, managing another 13-point quarter, and Monmouth took a 48-49 lead into the final period, having outscored the Huskies 41-23 over the middle two quarters.

The final frame saw the game transform into a tense, back-and-forth affair. Northeastern rediscovered its first-quarter form, opening the fourth with a 10-2 run to reclaim a 59-51 advantage. Tramble and Taylor Holohan of Averill Park, New York, were instrumental in the surge, attacking the basket and drawing fouls. Yet Monmouth, demonstrating the resilience that has characterized its season, refused to fade. A three-pointer from Gamble and a driving layup from Divine Dibula of Ottawa, Canada, keyed a 7-0 response that brought the Hawks within a single point at 61-60 with just over four minutes to play.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final 38 seconds. With Northeastern clinging to a 64-61 lead, Monmouth’s Dibula drove for a potential tying layup, but her attempt was emphatically blocked by Tramble. Collins secured the defensive rebound for Northeastern and was immediately fouled. She calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to 66-61.

Monmouth answered with remarkable speed. After a timeout, Gamble was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three free throws, pulling the Hawks back to within two at 66-64 with 28 seconds left. The Huskies’ composure was tested again on the ensuing inbounds play, leading to a foul that sent Collins back to the line. She again made both shots, pushing the lead back to 68-64.

The Hawks’ final chance to tie came up short. A rushed three-point attempt missed, and Northeastern’s Nariyah Simmons secured the defensive rebound and was fouled. She made both free throws with two seconds remaining to seal the 72-67 victory, a game that saw 10 lead changes and five ties.

Collins led all scorers with 19 points for Northeastern, adding three assists. Holohan provided a crucial 14 points and four rebounds, while Tramble finished with 13 points, five rebounds, two steals and the game-sealing block in just 16 minutes of action. Alyssa Staten of Statesboro, Georgia, added 12 points and four rebounds off the bench.

For Monmouth, Gamble’s scoring burst off the bench was pivotal, as she tallied a team-high 16 points, all in the second and fourth quarters. Kathy Kersaint-Pierre of Repentigny, Canada, recorded a double-double with 10 points and six rebounds, and Maria Amaro of Faro, Portugal, directed the offense with seven assists to go with nine points and five rebounds. Dibula added 10 points and five rebounds.

The Huskies finished with a narrow 30-28 edge in points in the paint, while both teams scored 17 points off turnovers. The game was played before an announced crowd of 287 at Matthews Arena.

The win snaps a three-game losing streak for Northeastern, which will host Campbell on Friday. Monmouth, which saw a three-game winning streak end, travels to face Towson on Friday. The two teams are scheduled for a rematch in West Long Branch, New Jersey, on Jan. 25.