Box Score
Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. – Senior Ashley Palmer scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and was named the Battle of Brooklyn Most Valuable Player for the second straight year as the LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team held off a pesky St. Francis (N.Y.) squad for a 60-53 win at the Pope Center on Wednesday evening.
Palmer scored 17 points in the first half and hit a pair of big buckets down the stretch as the Blackbirds improved to 19-7 overall and 8-6 in the Northeast Conference. Classmate Kiara Evans had seven points, seven rebounds and eight assists in the winning effort.
The Blackbirds entered the second half with a 12-point cushion, and were ahead by that same margin with 8:47 left in the second stanza before the Terriers started their comeback. Jasmin Robinson knocked down a jumper, and Sarah Benedetti followed suit to make it an eight-point game at 44-36 with 7:53 to go.
After a layup from junior Tamika Guz bumped the advantage back to double figures, a jumper from Jaymee Veney and a layup from Benedetti further cut into the LIU lead and made the score 46-40 with 6:39 to go.
A fastbreak layup from junior Krystal Wells stopped the SFNY run briefly, but the Terriers would not go away. A free throw from Stefanie Bingham and a layup from Jessica Kaufman brought the home team to within five at 48-43 with 4:56 left.
Sophomore Cleandra Roberts, who was coming off a career-high 16 point effort against the Terriers on Sunday, knocked down a pair from the charity stripe to re-up the Blackbird lead to seven. But Robinson responded with a three-pointer from the top of the key to pull St. Francis (N.Y.) to within four at 50-46 with 3:59 to go.
The two teams traded free throws before Robinson struck again with a layup, and later made one-of-two from the free-throw line to bring the Terriers all the way back to within one point at 52-51 with 2:04 to go.
But Palmer would put an end to any thoughts St. Francis (N.Y.) had of an upset win, as she drained a jumper from 10 feet at the 1:36 mark, then with just 42 seconds left on the clock went back door and converted on a layup off a feed from Evans to give the Blackbirds a five-point advantage at 56-51.
A free throw from Robinson brought SFNY to within four, but senior Marika Sprow sealed the win with four straight from the line.
The first half saw the Terriers score the first four points of the contest, before LIU broke out with a 15-0 run that began with three-pointers from junior Krystal Wells and Palmer. The 5-10 senior had eight points in a spurt that was capped by an old-fashioned three-point play from freshman Letava Whippy at the 14:08 mark.
The Blackbird lead grew to as many as 14 points in the first half, before the Terriers crept back into the contest with five straight points, including a three-point play from Jaymee Veney.
Four straight points from senior Kiara Evans bumped the lead back to double figures at 27-16 with 1:30 left, before St. Francis (N.Y.) returned the favor with four straight to cut it back down to seven with 54 seconds on the clock.
Palmer would close the half on a personal five-point run, including a step-back jumper with time running down on the clock to give LIU a 32-20 lead at the break. Palmer finished the period with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Evans added six assists and four rebounds to her four points.
Robinson led the Terriers (3-22, 2-12 NEC) with 17 points.
LIU Brooklyn is back in action on Saturday, Feb. 18 as it takes on Quinnipiac at the Wellness Center at 2:00 p.m.