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BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team is in the midst of a five-game home stand at the Steinberg Wellness Center, and up next, will begin the second half of the Northeast Conference season, by hosting the Bryant Bulldogs, Saturday, February 1 at 2 p.m. As is the case with every conference game this season, the matchup will be streamed live at www.NECFrontRow.com.
LIU had a tough loss to the Bulldogs just two weeks ago, as Bryant held off the Blackbirds in the final minutes of play, to beat LIU, 72-66 in Smithfield, R.I. The Blackbirds closed the lead to just three points, 66-63 with 2:11 left to play in the game, but the Bulldogs made four free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal the win. The Bulldogs also shot 56 percent from behind the arc, making 9-of-16 shots to top LIU. The Blackbirds had four players in double-digits in the loss. Senior Cleandra Roberts led LIU with 18 points, while sophomore Sophie Bhasin had 13 points and eight rebounds, junior Letava Whippy had 12 points, and junior Kelly Robinson had 10 points, six assists and two steals. Senior Fanny Cavallo also chipped in, adding six points, seven rebounds, and a career-high four blocks.
The Blackbirds are coming off a grueling loss to Saint Francis U, 84-76, Monday night in the Steinberg Center. The two teams were locked in a run-and-gun contest for 40 minutes, in a match-up that saw the score tied seven times, and the lead change hands 12 times. Roberts led LIU with 23 points, along with six rebounds and two steals, while Cavallo had a career-high 17 points, along with seven rebounds. Whippy had a double-double, with a career-high 15 rebounds and 11 points, along with four assists and five steals. Freshman Aleisha Myers added 12 points, while Robinson had six points, four rebounds and a game-high nine assists.
POST-GAME CLINIC
Immediately following the LIU vs. Bryant game on Saturday, Feb. 1, the Blackbirds' players and coaching staff will conduct their annual instructional skills clinic for children ages 8-13. If you would like your child to participate, contact associate director of athletics, Greg Fox (gfox@liu.edu)
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Bryant, entering its second season as a full-fledged member of Division I and the Northeast Conference, has only played the Blackbirds seven times in women's basketball, and the Bulldogs hold a slight advantage, 4-3.
• Two weeks ago, the Black and Gold barely beat the Blackbirds, 72-66, behind 19 points and 13 rebounds from senior forward Naana Ankoma-Mensa. Bryant has won the last two match-ups, dating back to January of 2013.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• Bryant, in the midst of a three-game road trip, is struggling to get wins away from home. After starting the NEC season 5-1, the Bulldogs have dropped two straight, at Mount St. Mary's (84-79) and at Sacred Heart (84-78). Eight of Bryant's nine losses have come on the road so far this season.
• Bryant is still one of the hottest shooting teams in the Northeast Conference. The Bulldogs are second overall in scoring offense, averaging 72.2 points per game, but they're first in both team field goal percentage (42.6) and three-point field goal percentage (37.6). They also lead the NEC in rebounding margin, as they out-rebound opponents on average by 9.6 rebounds per game.
• Bryant's four experienced starters continue to lead the team. Senior point guard Jenniqua Bailey leads the team, averaging 13.9 points per game. She's also first in the NEC in assists per game (4.58), and second in the league in steals per game (2.32).
• Senior guard Courtney Schissler is next in scoring, with 13.4 points per game, and she's one of four other Bryant players scoring 10+ points per game. She's joined in the double-digit average by senior forward Naana Ankoma-Mensa (12.1 ppg), guard Meredith Soper (10.9 ppg) and forward Breanna Rucker (10.2 ppg).
• Ankoma-Mensa and Rucker also make a powerful 1-2 combo on the boards, as the two forwards are third and fourth in the NEC, respectively, in rebounds per game. Ankoma-Mensa brings down an average of 9.6 per game, while Rucker chips in 7.9 rebounds per game.
HOT SHOTS
• Two Blackbirds currently sit atop NEC charts this week.
• Senior Cleandra Roberts is current second in the NEC in points per game, as she's averaging 18.9, and she's seventh in the league in rebounds, with 7.1 per game.
• Senior Fanny Cavallo is currently the best shot in the conference: she leads the NEC in overall shooting percentage. Cavallo is averaging 52.5 percent from the field.
• And right behind her? Roberts, who's third in the NEC, hitting 48.6 percent of shots taken.