Box Score
Moon Township, Pa. – Robert Morris forward Mary Durojaye scored a game-high 29 points, including two critical free throws with 1:54 remaining to give the Colonials the lead for good as the LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team fell 63-57 at the Sewall Center on Monday evening. Seniors Kiara Evans and She'tiarra Pledger each had 12 points for the Blackbirds, who fall to 15-7 overall and 4-6 with the loss.
After the Colonials jumped out to a 6-0 lead and forced LIU head coach Gail Striegler to take a timeout, the Blackbirds responded with a 17-4 run that featured six points from senior She'tiarra Pledger and five from sophomore Cleandra Roberts. A hook shot from junior Tamika Guz closed out the spurt and gave LIU a 17-10 advantage at the 12:54 mark.
Robert Morris would score five straight to cut the Blackbird cushion to two, before senior MaryAnn Abrams hit a jumper to spark a 9-2 spurt that pushed LIU's lead to nine at 26-17 with 8:06 to go in the period.
The Colonials cut their deficit to 31-28 on a jumper from Artemis Spanou with 3:34 left in the half, but Evans scored six straight points for her team and the Blackbirds entered the locker room with a 37-32 advantage. For the half, LIU shot a sizzling 53.6 percent which included a 4-for-4 performance from Evans.
Evans and Roberts each made buckets to start the second half, and a three-pointer from Pledger put an end to a 9-2 LIU run that gave the visitors their largest lead of the contest at 46-34 with 14:44 remaining. But the LIU offense would go ice cold over the next 8:34, converting on just one of its 13 attempts from the floor over the span.
While the Blackbirds were struggling on the offensive end, Robert Morris was sparked by Briannica Tye, who hit consecutive jumpers midway through the period. A three-pointer from Josette Campbell brought the home team all the way back, and gave Robert Morris its first lead since early in the opening half at 49-48 with 7:38 left in the second half.
A pair of free throws from Spanou bumped the Colonials' lead to 52-49 before Pledger connected on another trifecta to knot the contest at 52-52. On the next possession, Durojaye converted an offensive putback to put the score at 54-52, before senior Marika Sprow knocked down a three-pointer from the left wing to put the Blackbirds on top 55-54 with 4:55 left.
Sprow came through again a minute later with a layup to give LIU a three-point lead, before four straight points from Durojaye - including the two free throws - gave the Colonials a slim one-point lead at the 1:55 mark. Empty possessions from both teams would ensue, before the Blackbirds went to the line for a one-and-one opportunity with 1:04 on the clock and a chance to tie or take the lead.
Unfortunately, Pledger's free throw rimmed out and Tye converted on another jumper with the shot clock running down to re-up the Robert Morris lead to 60-57 with 37 seconds on the clock. After a timeout, the Blackbirds had a chance to pull closer but committed a turnover, and the Colonials hit three of their four free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Spanou closed with nine points, 13 rebounds and four assists for Robert Morris, while Tye finished with 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
LIU Brooklyn returns home for its next contest against Central Connecticut State on Saturday, Feb. 4. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.