Harrisonburg, Va. ? Georgia State fell to Northeastern, 68-45, in the opening round of the Colonial Athletic Association Championship Thursday night at the JMU Convocation Center.

Georgia State (12-18) got 14 points and seven rebounds from sophomore forward Chandra Harris, with 10 points from sophomore guard Traci Haltiwanger. The Panthers struggled shooting with just 20-of-59 (33 percent), with 2-of-11 (outside the arc) and only 3-of-13 from the free throw line.

Northeastern, the #6 seed, had four players in double figures, topped by freshman guard Brittany Wilson's 19 on 5-of-7 field goals and 9-for-9 free throws. Forward Kim Carr had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. The Huskies shot 51.1 percent for the game, with 7 3-point baskets and 13-of-15 from the charity stripe.

Georgia State had its only lead early at 8-4 just three minutes into the game. State trailed by one at 23-22 with 6:51 before the shots stopped falling and Northeastern pulled out to a 34-27 halftime lead.

In the second half, State closed to 36-31 three minutes into the second half, but missed shots kept allowing Northeastern to pull away. After 50-41 at 9:49, State would never be within single digits the rest of the way as Northeastern closed with a 18-4 run over the final 10 minutes.

“We battled and played with energy, but we stopped hitting our open shots,” head coach Lea Henry said postgame. “The shooting has kind of been our Achilles heel the last part of the year with the line-up changing and injuries.”

With four starters and eight returning letterwinners coming back, Coach Henry knows better days are ahead. “This was a young team with the two All-Rookies at guard and we have grown. This group is all about wanting to win and they are hungry to come back and get started next year. We have a lot to build on and another great recruiting class to add to the one we just had.”