Game Notes
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Fairfield, Conn. - The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team jumps back into Northeast Conference play on Saturday on the road at Sacred Heart. Tipoff at the Pitt Center is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Live video of the contest can be accessed here, and live stats can be viewed here.
Headlines
•The Blackbirds have won seven straight contests, and are an NEC-best 12-2 overall heading into the game against the Pioneers. The win streak is the longest of the season by LIU, and the longest in the NEC.
•LIU won 11 of its 12 non-conference games, tying a program record for wins in the non-conference. The 11-1 record is the best all-time, bettering the 11-2 mark set in 2007-08.
•CollegeInsider.com has named the Blackbirds as the 21st-ranked mid-major team in the country in its latest Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. LIU received 130 votes and stands one spot ahead of the Pioneers.
•Senior Ashley Palmer needs just 26 points to match LIU's all-time scoring record of 1,745, set by Tamika Dudley (1999-03). She currently leads the NEC and ranks 22nd in the NCAA at 19.3 ppg.
•Palmer was named MVP of the Peppermill Holiday Classic, helping the Blackbirds to a pair of wins and the tournament title. The 5-10 forward averaged 22.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in wins over Nevada and previously-unbeaten Oklahoma State.
•Senior Kiara Evans stands 10 assists from second place on LIU's career list behind former teammate Connie James (2006-10). Evans made her mark against the Cowgirls with the game-winning hoop with 2.2 seconds remaining to erase a one-point deficit.
•Junior Ebony Davis was named to the all-tournament team in Reno, Nev., after posting back-to-back double-doubles. Davis averaged 13.0 points and 10.0 rebounds over the two games.
•The win over Oklahoma State was the first victory over a Big XII school in LIU program history. The Blackbirds have the second-highest RPI in the NEC at 72, 14 spots behind Quinnipiac. LIU will take on the Bobcats on Monday, Jan. 9.
Rewind: Peppermill Holiday Classic
•LIU defeated host Nevada and previously unbeaten Oklahoma State to come away with the tournament title.
•Senior Ashley Palmer was named tournament MVP after scoring 27 points against Nevada and tallying a team-high 18 points in the win over the Cowgirls.
•Kiara Evans scored six of her eight points in the final 2:49, including the game-winning layup with 2.2 seconds left against Okla. St.
•Ebony Davis notched back-to-back double-doubles and was named to the all-tournament team for averaging 13.0 points and 10.0 boards.
Approaching Records
•Seniors Ashley Palmer and Kiara Evans are closing in on a pair of impressive career milestones.
•Palmer stands just 26 points from tying Tamika Dudley's record for career points at LIU at 1,745.
•Over her last four games, Palmer is averaging 24.0 ppg and has recorded double figures in 13 straight.
•Palmer ranks first in the Northeast Conference at 19.3 ppg on the year.
•Evans is now 23 assists from tying the career mark of 380, also held by Dudley.
•The 5-8 guard has at least four assists in 12 of LIU's 14 games, and ranks third in the NEC in the category.
The Palmer File
•Ashley Palmer was recently named the Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week on Jan. 3.
•Palmer has won three POW awards this season, and six times in her career.
•The 5-10 forward currently leads the Blackbirds in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage.
•Including her seven Rookie of the Week honors in 2008-09, Palmer has picked up 13 NEC weekly awards in three-plus seasons.
No Three For You!
•LIU Brooklyn has been one of the most proficient teams in the nation in defending the three-point shot in 2011-12.
•The Blackbirds ranked 20th in the nation as of Dec. 18, allowing the opposition to shoot just 24.3 percent from deep (46-189).
•Wofford led the country as of Jan. 1, with a perimeter defense that allowed 18.0 percent from behind the arc. LIU's NEC rival Central Connecticut State was second at 19.4 percent.
Scouting Sacred Heart
•The Pioneers are 9-4 and a perfect 2-0 in Northeast Conference play.
•SHU has lost its last three contests, including a 67-63 defeat against St. Bonaventure on Tuesday.
•Callan Taylor leads the team at 17.1 ppg, while freshman Gabrielle Washington averages 11.5 ppg.
•Taylor ranks 17th in NCAA at 10.2 rpg.