WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Interstat) — GiGi Gamble scored 24 points and Monmouth used a dominant first half to build a cushion it would never relinquish, defeating Northeastern 65-56 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Wednesday afternoon at the Multipurpose Activity Center.

The Hawks, improving to 13-5 overall, avenged a 72-67 home loss to the Huskies just over two weeks prior. Northeastern fell to 6-12 with the defeat, which followed a pattern of offensive struggles seen throughout much of its season.

Monmouth seized control from the opening tip, establishing a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter and maintaining it for nearly the entire contest. The Hawks led 18-11 after one quarter and extended their advantage to 36-20 by halftime, capitalizing on efficient scoring inside and forcing the Huskies into a poor shooting performance. Northeastern managed just 20 points on 7-of-26 shooting in the first half, including 1 of 10 from three-point range.

The most important stretch of the game came late in the second quarter, when Monmouth closed the half on a 12-4 run to build its largest lead of the afternoon at 16 points. The surge was fueled by Gamble, who had 13 of her points before the break, and stifling team defense that held Northeastern without a field goal for the final 4:25 of the quarter. This run effectively insulated the Hawks from a Northeastern rally in the second half.

Northeastern emerged from halftime with renewed energy, outscoring Monmouth 18-13 in the third quarter to trim the deficit to 49-38. The Huskies’ defense tightened, and they found more success in the paint behind Camryn Collins and Justice Tramble. The Huskies continued to chip away in the fourth, closing to within seven points on multiple occasions, the last at 59-52 with 4:32 remaining after a pair of free throws by Kailee Beaudion-Foliaki.

Each time Northeastern threatened, however, Monmouth had an answer, usually from Gamble or Divine Dibula. After the Huskies pulled within seven, Dibula immediately responded with a layup off an Alexis Andrews assist. Following another Huskies basket, Gamble drove for a layup to push the lead back to nine with 1:27 left, effectively sealing the outcome.

While the Hawks’ offense cooled after halftime, their early work and key responses down the stretch were enough. They shot 47.2% from the field for the game and outscored Northeastern 32-22 in the paint. The Hawks also won despite committing 16 turnovers, matching Northeastern’s total, by being more efficient with their possessions, posting an offensive rating of 94.8 to the Huskies’ 81.1.

Gamble, a guard from Somerset, New Jersey, led all scorers, adding one assist in 36 minutes. Dibula, a 6-foot-1 forward from Ottawa, Canada, provided crucial support with 13 points and three assists. Andrews, from Montgomery, Alabama, filled the stat sheet with seven points, six assists and a steal in 38 minutes.

Northeastern was led by Collins, a 5-foot-9 guard from Foxboro, Massachusetts, with 14 points. Beaudion-Foliaki, a 6-foot forward from Houston, Texas, added 10 points, while Tramble, a 6-foot-1 forward from Canton, Michigan, contributed 10 points, an assist and a block. The Huskies shot just 34% from the field and 15.8% from three-point range, though they kept themselves in contention by making 17 of 19 free throws.

Monmouth’s victory was its eighth in the last nine games, solidifying its position in the upper tier of the conference. Northeastern, meanwhile, has lost three of its last four and will look to regroup before hosting Drexel on Sunday. Monmouth travels to face Stony Brook next, also on Sunday.

The announced attendance was 291.