Box Score
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BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team had a heartbreaking loss Wednesday night in the Steinberg Wellness Center, as the Blackbirds rallied late in the game to tie it up with two seconds left, only to have NJIT hit a buzzer-beating shot, and take the win, 60-58.

Senior Cleandra Roberts led all players with 20 points and 11 rebounds, her second-straight double double. The Blackbirds shot 20-for-22 from the free throw line, and out-rebounded the Highlanders, 41 to 24. But NJIT scored 18 points off of LIU's 22 turnovers, in what proved to be the difference in the win.

The game was a close one throughout, with 12 tie scores, and the lead changing hands 11 times. The two teams were close throughout the first half, with neither squad ever leading by more than five points. NJIT's widest lead came at the 6:22 mark, when a three-pointer gave the visitors a 17-12 lead. LIU tied the score up at 20 with a three-pointer from freshman Aleisha Myers at 4:02, and took the lead two minutes later, when Roberts hit a jumper to make it 22-20. NJIT would make three layups in the final two minutes to retake the lead, 26-22. Roberts cut the lead to two points when she made two free throws with nine seconds left in the half, and the Highlanders had a 26-24 advantage at halftime.

Coming out of the break, senior Fanny Cavallo had a layup at 19:15 to tie the score at 26, and junior Kelly Robinson hit a jumper at 18:33 to give the Blackbirds the lead once more. Roberts drained two more free throws at the 16:48 mark, to give LIU its widest lead of the game, 32-28. But as was the theme in the first half, NJIT kept it close, and would come back to tie it again.

The Highlanders went up by seven, 50-43 with 5:29 left to play, on a jumper from Nicole Maticka, and it looked like the Blackbirds were done for. But LIU rallied back, cutting the lead to just one point. Cavallo went 2-for-2 at the line with 2:13 on the clock, and it was 52-51. NJIT had a long three pointer on the next possession to widen the lead to 55-51, but with 32 seconds left in the game, Robinson made a quick layup to cut the lead to two.

The Blackbirds played the foul game in the final 30 seconds, and it paid off, when Alyssa Albanese missed a shot with 22 seconds left, and the Highlanders up three, 58-55. On LIU's possession, sophomore Sophie Bhasin missed a tough three-point shot, and Cavallo scooped up the offensive rebound. She went back up for the layup, made the shot, and was fouled on the play. After an NJIT timeout, she drained the free throw, tied the game at 58-58, with just 12 seconds left in the game.

NJIT got the ball inbounds, and over half court, calling timeout with 2.9 seconds left on the clock. The Highlanders drew up a play, and freshman Alana Dudley executed it perfectly, making the jumper from the left elbow as the clock expired. Officials ruled that there were still 0.2 seconds left on the clock when the shot went in, but the Blackbirds couldn't get a shot off the inbounds fast enough, falling to NJIT, 60-58.

Up next, the 0-3 Blackbirds will look for their first win of the season, as they host Maine, Friday, November 22 at 7 p.m. in the Steinberg Wellness Center.

NOTES
The Highlanders had 28 points from their bench… LIU had 20 offense rebounds in the loss, and scored 12 second-chance points off those rebounds… Kelly Robinson had eight points and six assists… Aleisha Myers went 3-for-6 from behind the arc, scoring nine points… senior Cleandra Roberts was perfect from the charity stripe, shooting 8-for-8… Fanny Cavallo also added nine points in the loss.