Box Score
Brooklyn, N.Y. - The Long Island University women's basketball team saw Howard pull away in the early part of the second half en route to a 59-51 loss at the Wellness Center. Senior Heidi Mothershead scored 15 points to pace the Blackbirds.
After taking a tie into the locker rooms at halftime, the Lady Bison (3-6) scored the first four points in the second frame on a three-pointer by Adelle Walton and a free throw from Cheyenn Curley-Payne to build a 31-27 advantage. Howard was able to hold on to that lead, answering basically every Blackbird bucket with at least one of its own.
The Lady Bison ground down the Long Island (4-2) defense, stretching its lead to seven points at 38-31 on an old-fashioned three-point play by Saadia Doyle. After a layup by junior Ashley Palmer, her second field goal of both the half and the game, Doyle struck again with a layup of her own and Curley-Payne added a layup to push the Howard lead to nine points.
Senior Chelsi Johnson sank a pair of free throws before Doyle's next layup ignited a stretch in which the Lady Bison scored eight of the next 12 points. By the time Tamoria Holmes converted her own three-point play, Long Island was staring up at a 13-point deficit.
Mothershead hit the fourth of her career-high-tying five three-pointers to cut the Blackbirds' disadvantage to 52-44 but Howard easily navigated Long Island's press and Holmes knocked down a pull-up jumper to reestablish a double-digit lead with just over three minutes to play.
Mothershead sank another trey with a shade over a minute remaining in the game to once again cut the Lady Bison lead to eight, but Long Island did not foul on the ensuing possession and Howard got a deadball rebound with 35 seconds left to essentially ice the game.
Doyle's 24 points led all scorers as Howard shot 40 percent from the field. Long Island shot 35 percent from the floor and had a 44-29 advantage on the glass. Johnson's 14 points and nine boards complemented Mothershead's 15. Palmer was limited to just six points on a dreadful 3-for-11 shooting night. She managed to grab a game-high 13 rebounds.
Long Island will wrap up its four-game homestand on Sunday, Dec. 5 when Robert Morris visits to open Northeast Conference play. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m.