CAA notebook: Yirsy Quéliz and Camryn Collins fuel Northeastern’s growth

Culture is the mortar that holds it together. Daily habits and trust turn individual pieces into a unified structure. Building on this, Quéliz and Collins are the capstone. They are fun-loving leaders who know elevation comes from balance, patience and pressure-tested poise.

That environment extends beyond the court, with joy serving as the unifying thread in Northeastern’s identity.

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In a recent Zoom interview with The IX Basketball, Quéliz and Collins spent most of the conversation making funny faces when the other was speaking, laughing easily and enjoying each other’s company. This reflects a program growing together, where progress has been paved with connection as much as competition.

Edwards-Lloyd knows strong programs aren’t rushed; they’re built to last. With each strategic step, the Huskies move toward durability and discipline. Even as they surpassed last season’s win total of three, the focus remains on steady progress and belief.

The process finally intersected with a moment that validated all the grueling work and sun-dappled morning workouts — a gift just before the holidays. Northeastern earned a 63-57 road victory over Boston College on Dec. 19. The win marked the Huskies’ first over a Power Five opponent since defeating Florida in 2018. The triumph ended a three-decade drought and a 10-game losing streak against Boston College that dated back to 1993.

“Really proud of our group,” Edwards-Lloyd told The IX Basketball in a postgame text message. “We were gritty, disciplined and unified when it mattered most. Just overall great team effort.”

Quéliz and Collins are big reasons the Huskies feel good about their chances in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play. Collins leads the team with 12.4 points per game, scoring at least 10 points in seven of the Huskies’ first 10 games on 40.9% shooting. She scored a personal-best 19 points against Sacred Heart. Quéliz is close behind, averaging 11.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Collins and Quéliz rank 11th and 15th, respectively, in the CAA in scoring. Quéliz also ranks fifth in the conference in 3-point shooting percentage (37.0%) and sixth in 3-pointers made per game (2.0) through games played as of Dec. 20.

That momentum has carried over for Quéliz, a Dominican Republic native, who has reached double figures in eight of 10 games this season. She had a career-high 22 points at Merrimack, where she knocked down six 3-pointers.

Quéliz and Collins’ on-court chemistry extends from their shared background. Both guards grew up in the Boston area, reflecting a deep connection to local basketball. For Quéliz and Collins, playing in their home city not only enhances their on-court rapport but also strengthens their ties to the community.

Quéliz starred at St. Mary’s High School, finishing her career with 1,312 points. Basketball has always been part of her life. A criminal justice/criminology major, Quéliz started playing at age 4 after watching her cousins and parents play. With her parents owning a team in the Dominican Republic, the game was a constant presence in her life. Even while balancing flag football and field hockey in high school, basketball remained her anchor.

Collins, a Foxboro native and Rider transfer, now plays for her hometown program. Majoring in business global supply chain, Collins glides across the floor with the elegance of a swan but brings unmistakable Boston grit and toughness.

A multi-sport athlete growing up, basketball won her over. “It brought the most competitive spirit out of me,” she said. That edge was shaped early. Both parents appeared on “Survivor.” Her father, Jeremy, a former Rhode Island track and field athlete and firefighter, won the competition on his second try. Her mother Valesay is a police officer.

The biggest lift for the Huskies came this summer, when Quéliz played for the Dominican Republic at the AmeriCup. She averaged 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. The experience mattered more than the numbers. Playing against WNBA veterans, top international players and the USA Select Team — including Audi Crooks, Hannah Hidalgo and Flau’jae Johnson — grew her game and confidence.

“That was just a huge accomplishment for me,” Quéliz said. “I was like, ‘Wow, I’m here.’ I had no clue I was going to make the team. I’m skinny and tiny, and they’re older, bigger, stronger and more experienced. Once I did, I realized this year was going to be different. I was able to translate that experience into our summer workouts.”

The most significant difference in Quéliz after the experience is the use of her voice. She is more vocal and present in key moments. Her voice rises above the crowd, offering encouragement, teaching in real time, and setting a steady, positive tone that her teammates trust. As she spoke about her experience, Collins sat up and listened to every word.

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Once competitors, the two now relish being teammates.

“It’s much better being teammates because she is hard to guard,” Collins said. “She’s very crafty and skilled, so I enjoy playing with her more than … against her. Being here has been great. I love being back home. I love being in the city. I love playing with this team. I love the style of play. So it’s enjoyable, and it’s been a good change for me.”

Edwards-Lloyd, the eighth coach in program history, credits team growth to intentional recruiting and chemistry.

“When assembling this team, we wanted talent, synergy and good people,” she said. “They balance locking in, being goofy and working hard together. Our nonconference was challenging in a way in which we saw everything. We’re focused on tackling what’s in front of us and not dwelling on the past.”

While Quéliz and Collins draw the most attention on scouting reports, Northeastern’s growth has been collective by design. Sophomore forward Taylor Holohan, the team’s glue, is averaging 6.3 points per game and leads the Huskies with eight blocked shots. Sophomore center Alyssa Staten anchors the paint and leads the team in rebounding at 5.3 per game. Graduate transfer guard Nariyah Simmons brings experience and leadership, and sophomore transfer guard Morgan Matthews adds steady scoring.

In the win over Boston College, the Huskies’ balance was evident, as Simmons scored a team-high 16 points. She made three 3-pointers and was 5-for-6 from the foul line. Quéliz and Collins scored 11 points each. Making her first career start, guard Kailee Beaudion-Foliaki scored 10 points. Forward Justice Tramble, a sophomore South Carolina State transfer, grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds.

During the Huskies’ game-altering 13-0 third-quarter burst, four different players scored. Also, Northeastern recorded assists on three of the five baskets during the surge. The Huskies led for the final 17 minutes.

Seeds of that Boston College victory were planted during the summer.

To strengthen their connection off the court, the Huskies attended the Connecticut Sun-Indiana Fever game in Boston together this summer. But true bonding for the Huskies happens over food — not as an event or tradition, but as a rhythm. This simple ritual reminds the Huskies of the importance of balance and camaraderie, turning an ordinary night of sisterhood into a cherished memory.

Hanging out means eating, talking and building trust. There’s nothing fancy because no reservations or destinations are needed.

“We don’t really go out places,” Quéliz said. “We just hang out in each other’s room and talk, play games, watch movies and eat cookies, literally.”

Those quiet times matter. Here, real chemistry forms, as laughter replaces pressure and trust grows away from the noise of competition. This connection surfaces in late-game huddles and on defense. That’s why the Huskies believe they can impact the CAA.

“We’re on a good path,” Collins said. “We know exactly what we need to do and to work on because a lot of it is internal and within our control. We’re on a steady climb, and I think we’ll peak at the right time.”

Northeastern’s growth is deliberate, built to last. It’s rooted in trust, fueled by joy, sharpened by discipline and tested by grit.

Northeastern opens CAA play with a road trip to UNC Wilmington on Jan. 2 and to the College of Charleston on Jan. 4. 

William & Mary rolls behind Natalie Fox and Cassidy Geddes

With its win over Wake Forest on Dec. 3, William & Mary added another jewel to its 2025 crown, and suddenly the Tribe was the talk of the town. How big is the buzz? Big enough that guard Cassidy Geddes’ recent dentist appointment turned into a postgame recap instead of a discussion about fluoride or fillings.

“They’re talking about, ‘Oh, we heard you beat Wake Forest,'” Geddes told The IX Basketball with a laugh. “[Winning] really impacts the community. It brings more pride and school spirit around. We feel it. We were brought here to win. We’re really making a name for ourselves. Even within our school, people that maybe didn’t pay attention to women’s basketball before stop by and say something.”

The Tribe has provided plenty of talking points in 2025. Just months removed from its historic run through the CAA Tournament and an NCAA Tournament appearance that united the Williamsburg community, William & Mary has made itself impossible to ignore.

Before, players could slip in and out of classes unnoticed. Not anymore.

According to a text message from William & Mary athletic communications, The Tribe have won six straight games for the first time since 2017, including four won on the road in different ways, to raise their record to 7-4. The four straight nonconference road wins marked the program’s longest such streak since 2017. This is the first time the Tribe have won four straight road games in the same season since 1979.

William & Mary overcame a halftime deficit to beat Tennessee State on Nov. 29. The Tribe enjoyed a spectacular second-quarter performance to beat Wake Forest on Dec. 3. Then, on Dec. 7, they started quickly to subdue American.

Forward Natalie Fox’s career-high 18 points helped William & Mary hold off Coppin State on Dec. 13 in a quick trip back home before hitting the road again. Trailing by 7 points in the fourth quarter, the Tribe closed with an 18-5 run in the final five minutes to beat Stetson on Dec. 19. Then, to beat Bethune-Cookman the following day, the Tribe won the third quarter, 20-9. In that game, guard Monet Dance (10 points, 10 assists) and center Jana Sallman (13 points, 14 rebounds) each had double-doubles.

“We put in a lot of work,” the 6’4 Fox said. “Sometimes when it doesn’t show, it’s kind of heartbreaking, and it feels a little dark and gloomy. So [beating Wake Forest] helped us get back to feeling good about ourselves. It kickstarted us. … It just felt so good to finally connect on that level because we hadn’t really gotten to that point in any of the previous games, so being able to finally flow offensively, which we had struggled to do.”

In handing Wake Forest, the last remaining unbeaten ACC team, its first loss of the season, the Tribe beat their first Power Four opponent since 2015 by playing a brand of basketball that would have surprised even the game’s inventor.

In transforming the court into a giant pinball machine where the ball ricocheted everywhere, the Tribe unfurled a dizzying 10-minute sequence between the second and third quarters. It started with the Tribe clinging to a 25-23 lead. Then William & Mary scored the final 17 points of the second quarter and 8 consecutive points after Wake Forest scored the first basket of the second half.

Add it up, and it was a 25–2 burst, the kind that turns a competitive game into a disbelief check. Suddenly, William & Mary was up 25 points on the road against a Power Four opponent.

That isn’t how these games are supposed to go.

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“During that quarter, no one was worried about, ‘What type of shots am I getting?’” Geddes said. “I was more excited when my teammates were making great plays on the court, and I could feel people being excited for me. It started with the defensive focus. Whenever we defend, it’s always easier to get ourselves going offensively, whether it’s in the press or in the half-court. We were really playing connected and together. And that drove us being able to flow on offense and make the right plays.”

The Tribe did everything right against the Demon Deacons. Even head coach Erin Dickerson-Davis had the rare chance to fully appreciate what she witnessed in real time. Later, during the excited bus ride home and a postgame film session, she saw the numbers confirm it.

William & Mary made 13 of 16 shots and held Wake Forest to 4-of-13 shooting in the second quarter. The Tribe also had 20 assists on 28 made baskets.

“In the moment, [it] is really hard to process,” Dickerson-Davis said. “You’re just excited, right? All you really feel is excitement for your team. Though we talked a lot all season, just about making the right basketball play, being unselfish and playing for your teammates. The most exciting thing was that everybody was cheering for each other. Everybody had energy. …

“It was just a very exciting moment to see that we knew that this would work, the playing together, the staying together, the playing with high energy. We knew that it would do great things. I don’t think I knew it would be a 28-9 run. … This was a view of what our team could be.”

The Tribe have the ingredients to be a force this season, beginning with their balance.

The Tribe have four players averaging double digits: Geddes (13.2 points, seventh in the CAA), Fox (12.1, 13th), Dance (11.5) and Sallman (11.0). Sallman and Fox rank 13th and 14th, respectively, in the conference in rebounding. Sallman earned CAA Player of the Week honors on Dec. 8 after averaging 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 67% from the floor. She scored 17 points in the win over Wake Forest.

Dance scored a season-best 22 points in the win over Tennessee State. During William & Mary’s two wins in Florida against Stetson and Bethune-Cookman, Dance averaged 17.0 points.

The Tribe have also seen solid performances from freshman guard Dynasti Pierce, who played a key role in William & Mary’s win over Wake Forest.

“It’s been really cool to have so many options offensively,” Dickerson-Davis said. “I’ve never had that before. Everybody is contributing, and they are doing exactly what we knew they could do. … I’m very impressed with Dynasti. She has come in as a freshman, and I was yelling at her, but she has been able to really cause a lot of chaos at the top of our press, which helps us score the ball, so we get amped up defensively, because we could press with her in the game. And she’s starting as a freshman, which is not easy to do. Her 10 points were also instrumental in us winning the [Wake Forest] game.”

Geddes and Fox have had plenty of experience balancing the highs of exciting victories with the focus needed to prepare for the next contest. While the Wake Forest win was an exciting highlight and the clips will live on social media forever, they understand that there’s more to accomplish this season.

It’s one reason why Geddes spent lots of time over the summer enhancing parts of her game, like making her step-back jumper more lethal, being more creative on the floor and passing into the post. That has paid off recently for the Tribe, who scored 38 paint points against Wake Forest and a season-high 44 paint points against American. In five of their eight games this season, the Tribe have scored at least 30 paint points.

Meanwhile, Fox, who is shooting 54.1% from the floor, has benefited from the focus on scoring in the paint, whether from post-entry passes created with crisp ball movement or from offensive rebounding. She also spent time improving at the nuances of rebounding, like making sure she always attacks the loose ball with two hands.  

What comes next will matter more than what just happened, and the Tribe knows it.

“I feel like for the key returning pieces on our team, we were all there when we lost seven of our last eight games or whatever it was before winning the tournament,” Geddes said. “No one’s worried about losing games and not being able to turn around and win games that matter. And then in the championship game, being down 14, I don’t think adversity worries us as much, especially when we know we can put it together, have these huge runs and huge quarters and halves that we’ve been having. We know that we can always turn it on to the level we need to.”

The Tribe begin CAA play with a game at North Carolina A&T on Jan. 2 and a home contest against Stony Brook on Jan. 4.

College of Charleston clips Florida State

Most people tuck away extra money for vacations. Veteran College of Charleston head coach Robin Harmony uses hers for something far less glamorous, especially during the grind of a punishing nonconference schedule.

“My dogsitter gets a lot of money to make a high-end car payment,” Harmony told The IX Basketball with a laugh.

For Harmony, the grind is the investment. She’s willing to spend where it matters, trusting that the return on investment will come from building equity over time rather than chasing comfort. This season, that belief has paid dividends.

The Cougars, picked as the CAA preseason favorites, are the fourth conference program to defeat an ACC opponent after a 75–70 road win at Florida State on Dec. 14. It marked the second straight season Charleston knocked off a Power Four opponent and the program’s first victory over an ACC school since beating Clemson in 2009.

Charleston finished its arduous seven-game road trip by splitting a pair of games in Puerto Rico. The good thing for Harmony’s dog sitter is, in addition to a hefty salary, they may receive some nice souvenirs as well, as the Cougars have visited Boulder, New Orleans, Tallahassee and Puerto Rico this season. The excursions serve a dual purpose beyond competing against quality basketball opponents.

“They are also educational opportunities for our program,” Harmony said. “It’s also a team-bonding experience, too. We try to do something with the team during our off days. In Boulder, we went sightseeing, went to Flat Rock, did a little walk and had a team lunch in downtown. It snowed, so that was nice. Then in New Orleans, we let the team go out at night and during the day. We also ate beignets. Overall, these are opportunities for them to enjoy the cultural experience that they will remember.”

The Cougars will also never forget how they came together to beat Florida State. They beat Northwestern last season in Philadelphia and battled Colorado tough on Dec. 2 before falling, 66-47, after scoring just 4 points in the final quarter.

The best part of the victory over Florida State was how the Cougars achieved it. Junior guard and preseason conference player of the year Taryn Barbot scored 12 points on 4-for-14 shooting. With Charleston trailing 65-59 with 4:51 remaining, Taryn Barbot scored half of her points to help the Cougars finish the game on a 16-5 run and pick up the win. However, for most of the game, the Seminoles’ defense locked in on her.

Although Barbot’s presence is always a factor, the Cougars also proved that it’s never been just a one-woman show when she’s on the floor.

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With Barbot’s offensive output limited early, her twin sister, Taylor, and guard Sophia Tougas combined for 38 points. Taylor also had eight assists. Guard Jami Hill, back from a torn ACL, added eight points off the bench, including a crucial 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to pull the Cougars to within one point.

“The rest of the team has to step up when defenses lock down Taryn,” Harmony said. “She’s going to get everybody’s best punch. Against Florida State, everybody showed up, and the bench contributed.”

Taylor’s strong performance earned her CAA Player of the Week honors last week. She is the ideal point guard for the Cougars. She knows where her sister is at all times on the floor and also makes sure she gets her teammates in perfect position for shots. Taylor is also a 30% 3-percent shooter, which makes her an invaluable weapon in the Cougars’ arsenal.

Tougas and Hill embody the Charleston ethos of toughness, grit and resilience. Banged up earlier in the season, Tougas has played through numerous sprains and strains. She’s scored in double figures four times this season and allows the Cougars to stretch the floor more, creating more driving lanes for the Barbot twins. Meanwhile, Hill is an elite defender with nice size, while also being a consistent lefty shot maker.

The biggest gift literally fell into the Cougars’ laps during the offseason when forward Grace Ezebilo transferred into the program from Tyler Junior College. She leads the CAA in rebounding (11.9 per game). Ezebilo, who was wearing a Dennis Rodman t-shirt during her recruiting visit, has grabbed double-digit rebounds in eight of the Cougars’ nine games. She also has three double-doubles. She grabbed 18 rebounds against Charleston Southern and 16 boards against North Carolina Central.

While Harmony appreciates her rebounding, she still believes her best days are ahead.

“She’s a gifted rebounder,” Harmony said. “She reads the carom well and has a huge heart. Now, I just need to get her involved in the offense more. She’s capable of averaging at least 10 points per game. We do need to get more scoring from the post, and that’s something we do miss from last year.”

Overall, Harmony is happy with where the Cougars are as they begin conference competition. Charleston has plenty of unfinished business from last season. The Cougars are motivated to bring championship hardware to the CAA’s southernmost outpost.

She’s also encouraged by what programs across the CAA have accomplished. William & Mary beat Wake Forest, Drexel knocked off Pitt, Northeastern took down Boston College, and Stony Brook defeated Rutgers. Each result reinforces what Harmony already knows about the league.

“That just says people need to notice our conference,” Harmony said. “We are getting better. Before, [the CAA] was top-heavy, but it’s not like that now. Wins like that make us stronger as a conference, especially when we’re competing against each other. I also think this helps all of us in recruiting because we’ll get more kids from Power Four programs who want to come here and make an impact, which raises the level for all of us. I am sure the commissioner [Joe D’Antonio] and [deputy commissioner] Jen [Condaras] are happy with what’s going on in our league.”  

The Cougars open their CAA schedule against Hofstra on Jan. 2 in their first home game since Nov. 14.

Patience pays off for Hampton’s Kayla Lezama

Little Kayla Lezama rarely looked away from the court in the gym.

Her eyes followed the ball as it slapped against the hardwood. Sneakers shrieked and echoed. Sweaty and muscular bodies twice her size sprinted past, arms swinging, voices calling out sets she didn’t yet understand. She stood off to the side, a ball tucked under her arm, bouncing it softly while watching everything with quiet precision. The spacing. The pace. The way the game moved.

She was small. The gym was not.

“My dad was one of the assistant coaches at our high school,” Lezama told The IX Basketball. “My 6-, 7- and 8-year-old self was walking into practices and seeing all these high schoolers who were bigger than me. That was my first introduction to basketball. My dad was my AAU coach when I was younger. He laid the foundation for me in terms of basketball and just being able to apply things that I have learned on the court to life.”

Years later, the lessons from those quiet hours on the sideline are showing up in Hampton uniforms and box scores.

Her dad, Keith, instilled the foundation into his daughter. But her love developed from those moments on the sideline, bouncing a ball and absorbing the sport like a sponge. Not speeches, but repetition, extra reps and care for her body.

Those habits have made Lezama an early stabilizer for a Hampton team finding its rhythm. On Nov. 24, she scored a career-high 19 points to help Hampton snap rival Norfolk State’s 26-game home winning streak, earning CAA co-Player of the Week honors.

It was a highlight, one that she proudly shared with her father, who was at the game. She gave him a big hug following the victory.

“My dad is a big reason why I even decided to pick up a basketball, and the fact that he was able to come out to my game to support me meant the world to me,” Lezama said. “He and I talk a lot about my game, and he helped me through my entire basketball journey. Growing up, I have been so used to my dad being in coach mode, so being able to have him in dad mode has been something really special to me. Showing him that the work and sacrifice we collectively put together is paying off.”

He also knew something that she didn’t know, which, once she realized the significance of the win, lifted Lezama.

“I had no idea about their winning streak,” Lezama said. “My dad told me about it, and when I learned that, I thought it was really cool to be a part of ending the streak. The win was a great confidence boost for us. … As a team, we needed to see that and tell ourselves that we belong here and run the [Battle of the Bay]. The Norfolk State game showed there’s glimpses of greatness within us and that we just got to stay consistent with that.”

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Lezama has scored in double figures seven times this season. She also scored 19 points against Gardner-Webb and 18 against Stephen F. Austin. Her 11.8 points per game average is second behind energetic guard Kiki Mcelrath’s 12.3 points per game.

Lezama learned how to sit with progress that couldn’t be rushed by becoming proficient in Mandarin, which she took from kindergarten until her senior year of high school. She also taught herself the Mandarin alphabet using sign language. Both required repetition, focus and the willingness to be uncomfortable long before seeing results.

That same mindset helped her after redshirting at Boston College during the 2024-25 season before transferring to Hampton. She played in 48 games between 2022-24 at Boston College, averaging 2.1 points.

Frustration was the immediate result until Lezama’s perspective shifted.

Sitting out allowed her to focus on her classes, improve her game, watch plenty of basketball, and focus on what was next. She was able to do everything the team did except play in games.

“Being able to continue to get in extra workouts but also playing against really good players every day in practice definitely made me a better player,” Lezama said. “Redshirting also allowed me to be a student of the game even more than I was before and helped me improve my IQ as a player.”

That’s where Hampton came into focus. During the recruiting process after she entered the portal, conversations about Hampton’s culture, second-year head coach Tamisha Augustin’s vision for the program, and the way Augustin’s approach aligned with Lezama’s own goals for success stood out.

Just as important was the confidence Augustin showed in Lezama — not only as a player, but also as a person — and a shared commitment to helping Lezama grow into the best version of herself. So far, Augustin has liked what she has seen from Lezama, both on and off the court.

“She developed a lot and was looking for a situation where she could play more minutes and have a primary role,” Augustin said. “Her versatility, her IQ have been positives for our program, and she’s learning every day. She does a good job of being a student of the game. Then I think we do a good job of putting her in the situations where she likes to score. So, it’s a 50-50 thing. She lets me coach her, and she receives criticism. And sometimes that’s hard.”

Hampton begins CAA play by hosting Stony Brook on Jan. 2 and visiting Elon on Jan. 4.

Campbell’s Jasmine Nivar provides early spark

Like something revealed from Hermès’ signature orange box, Campbell freshman guard Jasmine Nivar has wasted little time showing why she belongs on the Tamika Catchings Award preseason watch list.  

Playing with stunning efficiency and sheer electricity, Nivar has made an immediate impact on a talented Campbell program. She was the difference as the Camels rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Norfolk State last week. Nivar scored 15 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter as Campbell claimed a 68-63 victory. Campbell scored 27 points in the fourth. In scoring 55% of the Camels’ points in the final frame, Nivar became the first player in program history to score that many points in a quarter.

“I just saw that we needed a change of pace, and we also needed to attack the basket more because we knew they were aggressive,” Nivar told reporters postgame. “We knew we were going to get to the free-throw line. Also, just knowing that we were down and going into the fourth quarter, I had to help my team get the lead back to win the game.”

It was her second 20-point game of the season. Nivar opened her collegiate career in historic fashion, becoming the first Camel in program history to score 20 points in her collegiate debut.

Nivar is one of three double-digit scorers for the Camels, averaging 10.6 points per game. She’s behind sophomore guards Jasmine Felton (11.8 points per game) and Ciara Alexander (11.3). Nivar showcased her versatility by recording her first career double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) in a win over Grambling State on Nov. 22. She has six double-digit scoring games.

Campbell opens CAA play with a trip to Towson on Jan. 2 and to Drexel on Jan. 4. 

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CAA crossovers

Monmouth has won four straight games behind guard Alexis Andrews, who is averaging 12.2 points per game. In helping Monmouth beat Yale in overtime, Andrews scored her 1,000th career point. The Hawks also feature three of the top 10 rebounders in the conference in forwards Alexis Davis (second, 7.9), Divine Dibula (sixth, 7.2) and Ella Farrelly (ninth, 6.9). Monmouth has now held three straight teams below 60 points.

Hofstra guard Emma Von Essen scored her 1,000th career point in a game against St. John’s, becoming one of just 27 players in Hofstra history to do so.

Drexel’s 95-38 win over Chestnut Hill was the largest in program history. It was the first time the Dragons scored more than 90 points since 2010. Guard Amaris Baker, the CAA’s leading scorer, has eight 20-point games this season.

In a mid-major midweek masterpiece, Towson scored a season-high 59 bench points in an 87-86 overtime win over Maryland Eastern Shore. The Tigers rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit and were led by Forward Kayla Morris’ career-high 18 rebounds and guard India Johnston’s career-high 26 points. Johnston is the CAA’s third-leading scorer at 14.3 points per game.

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Editor’s note (Dec. 21, 6:30 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this story misstated the high school Yirsy Quéliz played at. She went to St. Mary’s, not Lynn English.