By Nate Owen, News Staff

With a 55-51 win over Hofstra last Wednesday as part of senior night, the women’s basketball team assured it would be the third Northeastern women’s team this season to earn a sixth seed in its respective conference tournament.
While triple sixes might be a harbinger of bad things for some, the Huskies are looking to cause some damage in what could be a wide open Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament.
‘ ‘Every coach is telling their team they have a chance to win the tournament,’ said head coach Daynia La-Force Mann. ‘This is the first time in a while that it’s not assumed that Old Dominion (which has won 17 straight conference titles) is going to come out on top. We’re proud to be in a conference that is so competitive.’
Northeastern used a late rally against the Pride to clinch the sixth seed. Junior guard and co-captain Kendra Walton took a feed from freshman guard Jamie Conroy and buried a three-pointer with 54 seconds left to give NU a 53-51 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The game also marked the last home game for the team’s lone senior, guard and co-captain Ashlee Feldman.
‘It really happened fast,’ Feldman said. ‘My family and friends and all of my teammates where there. … It was kind of surreal. I knew it wasn’t my last game. I’m sure at the last game I play I’ll cry.’
After two road losses to Delaware and Virginia Commonwealth, La-Force Mann said the Huskies entered the game against Hofstra looking to regain their mental edge.
‘We knew we had to come in mentally prepared rather than physically prepared,’ she said. ‘We refocused and talked about the things we had to do to get back on track.’
As the sixth seed, the Huskies (11-18, 8-10 CAA), will face 11th seeded Georgia State (12-17, 4-14 CAA) tonight at 7:30 in Harrisonburg, Va. The Panther and Huskies split the season series, with Georgia State winning 71-51 in Atlanta Jan. 8 and the Huskies returning the favor with a 68-66 win in overtime at Solomon Court Feb. 12.
Georgia State is led offensively by point guard Krystal Johnson, whose 5.6 assists per game led the CAA, and forward Danyiell McKeller, who leads the team in scoring (12.9 ppg), but has missed several games due to injuries. On defense, the Panthers bring a high pressure attack that led the conference in steals.
The Huskies are led by sophomore guard Jasmine Crew (14.3 ppg) and junior forward Kim Carr (10.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg).
Crew was named second team All-CAA at last night’s annual award banquet.’ Guard Brittany Wilson, (7.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg)’ ‘ was honored as a member of the All-Rookie team.
But La-Force Mann said this year’s tournament won’t necessarily be won on skill alone.
‘The team [that wins the tournament] is going to be the one that is toughest and the most mentally prepared, not necessarily the most talented,’ she said.