Game Notes | Live Stats
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team will head a few blocks north to take on local rival St. Francis Brooklyn at 2 p.m., this Saturday, February 9. LIU will be looking to avenge a loss from earlier in the season, as the Terriers took the 20th annual Battle of Brooklyn, 69-58 at the end of January.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Blackbirds have some serious momentum on their side heading to Brooklyn Heights. LIU is coming off a huge win over Saint Francis (Pa.), whom the Blackbirds beat, 61-43 on Monday. Saint Francis is one of the top teams in the league, and LIU, led by sophomore Letava Whippy, dismantled their defense. Whippy was a force to be reckoned with in the Wellness Center, as the Suva, Fiji native had a her first career double-double to lead LIU to a big Northeast Conference victory. Whippy racked up a career-high 14 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, and three assists to lead LIU past the #2 team in the NEC.
LEADING LIU
• LIU has been led by its senior duo all season long. Tamika Guz and Krystal Wells have alternating leading the team in scoring. This week, it's Wells, who is averaging 10.1 points per game, while Guz is averaging 9.7 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game. Junior Cleandra Roberts is the team's top rebounder, with an average of 6.3 boards per game.
ALL-TIME SERIES
• LIU Brooklyn holds the all-time advantage over its closest NEC rival, 47-20. Prior to St. Francis' January victory, the Blackbirds had won seven straight, dating back to head coach Gail Striegler's first season at LIU.
• For the first time in four years, St. Francis Brooklyn took home the Battle of Brooklyn trophy, when the Terriers beat LIU, 69-58, in the Wellness Center in January. St. Francis' Leah Fechko was named the Battle of Brooklyn MVP, leading SFC with 18 points and 9 rebounds.
• Senior Krystal Wells led the Blackbirds with 20 points, all scored in the second half, while Cleandra Roberts had 11 points and 9 rebounds. Tamika Guz chipped in 8 points, while Letava Whippy had 8 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.
SCOUTING THE TERRIERS
• Similarly to LIU, St. Francis Brooklyn is also coming off a big win Monday night. The Terriers had a 67-63 double overtime victory over Robert Morris. Sophomore guard Sarah Benedetti had the game-winning three-pointer with 31 seconds left to give the Terriers the win. SFC had five players score in double figures in the win, led by 14 points from Benedetti.
• Benedetti has led the way for SFC most of the season, and averages 13.1 points per game. Her 63 threes are one of the main reasons why SFC has the second-best 3-point field goal percentage in the league, at 3.41. Benedetti hits 42% of her shots from behind the arc.
LOOK OUT FOR LETAVA
• Sophomore Letava Whippy has been steadily improving all season long, and had her biggest game of the year against Saint Francis (Pa.) Monday.
• Whippy had a career-high 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds for her first collegiate double-double.
• She was also the first Blackbird to pull down at least 15 rebounds in a game, since Novermber 11, 2011, when Ebony Davis had 17 at Drexel.
BLACKBIRDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
• LIU Brooklyn is fully connected to all of its fans through social media. Follow all of LIU athletics via our Twitter and Facebook pages.
• Follow LIU athletics on Twitter via @LIUAthletics. Also, follow the LIU women's basketball team on Twitter @LIUwbb
• LIU also has a Facebook page. Go to Facebook.com/LIUAthletics and click “Like”.
THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
• The Northeast Conference celebrates its 32nd anniversary this season. The 12-member conference dates back to 1981, when it originated as the men's basketball-only ECAC-Metro Conference.
• LIU Brooklyn is one of the six charter institutions that helped form the alliance in 1981, and all six schools remain affiliated with the NEC today.
• With the addition of five more colleges and universities over the years, including Bryant as a full member this season, the NEC has spread its footprint over five states and into such major media markets as New York City, Baltimore and Pittsburgh