Box Score
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PHILADELPHIA – The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team had an early lead over the Unviersity of Pennsylvania, but could not maintain it through the second half, falling to the Quakers, 70-59. The Blackbirds led by as many as 10 points in the first half, shooting 41% from the field, before Penn rallied back to take the lead midway through the second half.

LIU scored the first basket of the game just a minute into play, when a steal from junior Letava Whippy was converted into a layup by senior Fanny Cavallo. From there, the Blackbirds widened the lead to eight points, with a steal and a layup by senior Cleandra Roberts, and when freshman Aleisha Myers hit a three pointer at 13:39.

Penn wouldn't score a field goal until the 13:11 mark, when Sydney Stipanovich scored a layup to make it 9-3.

LIU's widest lead of the game came at the 8:31 mark, when junior Courtney Sullivan capitalized on a Penn turnover to make a layup, giving the Blackbirds a 19-9 lead. The Quakers eventually cut into the lead as they hit their shooting stride towards the end of the stanza. Lots of foul calls in the final minutes of the half let Penn cut it even closer, to make it 33-27 LIU at the break.

The Quakers came out of halftime on fire, scoring 11 of the first 15 points to take control of the game. A three pointer by Penn senior Alyssa Baron gave the Quakers their first lead of the game, 38-37 at 15:17. LIU stayed close for most of the second half, using a made free throw from sophomore Sophie Bhasin to tie it up again at 42, and another layup by Cavallo made it 44-44 with 9:47 left to play.

Penn scored five unanswered points in the next minute to go up on the Blackbirds, but freshman Aleisha Myers hit a three to cut the lead to two points, 49-47 at 8:12. The Quakers made a run in the final five minutes of the game, however. Penn went on an 8-0 from 5:22 to 2:58, widening the lead to 62-51.

Junior Kelly Robinson helped the Blackbirds make a late push, as her jumper in the paint cut the lead to 65-59 with just over a minute left to play, but the Quakers would go 3-for-4 from the free throw line, and land a last minute layup, to take the game by a final score of 70-59.

Senior Cleandra Roberts led LIU with 18 points and seven rebounds. Senior Fanny Cavallo had 12 points and a career-high five steals, while junior Kelly Robinson had 10 points and seven assists. Sophomore Sophie Bhasin and freshman Aleisha Myers added six points each, while junior Letava Whippy had a team-high nine rebounds.

Up next, the Blackbirds (0-7) head south to take on Towson, Monday, December 9 at 12 p.m.