LONG BEACH, Calif. – The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team saw an 18-point first half lead evaporate, as Long Beach State shot 53 percent from the field in the second half to beat the Blackbirds, 71-63. California native Sophie Bhasin had 19 points to lead LIU, while freshman DeAngelique Waithe had a breakout game, scoring a career-high 11 points, and grabbing a career-high nine rebounds to lead LIU on the boards.

The Blackbirds opened the game with a strong first half, taking advantage of the fact that Long Beach struggled to make shots, as they shot just 28 percent from the field. With an early 3-2 lead, LIU went on a 7-0 run, taking a 10-2 lead, and forcing the 49ers to call a timeout at 14:30. The home team answered by scoring eight unanswered points to tie the score up at 10-10 just three minutes later.

LIU retook the lead at 11:05, when freshman DeAngelique Waithe hit a jumper in the paint to help the Blackbirds go up, 12-10. From there, freshman Drew Winter pushed LIU up even further. Winter got fouled on her put-back layup, and converted the free throw to widen the lead to 15-10 at the 10 minute mark.
Winter increased the LIU lead to eight with a fast break layup at 8:31, and had a steal on LBSU's next possession. Senior Ashley Brown was able to drain a jumper on the baseline off Winter's steal, and LIU took a 20-10 lead, forcing the Beach to call its second timeout of the half at 7:59.

The final seven minutes of the first half was a showcase for Waithe, who went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in the first half. The freshman had a jumper at 7:12, and followed that up with a steal and a fast-break layup to give LIU a 24-12 lead at 6:58. Junior Sophie Bhasin, Brown and Winter would all hit shots in the final minutes of play, but it was Waithe who led LIU, hitting two more baskets and making a free throw, to finish the half with 11 points, surpassing her career high.

Junior Brianna Farris helped LIU go into the break with a bang, as she hit a three with 14 seconds left to widen the Blackbird lead to 40-22.

Long Beach State, who is ranked No.23 in College Insider's most recent Mid-Major poll, showed why they are 12-1 in the second half. The 49ers opened the second half with all the momentum, outscoring LIU 8-2 in the first two and a half minutes, and cutting the lead to 42-30 at 17:30

An LIU timeout did little to stop the bleeding, as Long Beach hit a long two, and forced three consecutive LIU Brooklyn turnovers. The 49ers added six more unanswered points to close the lead to 42-36 at 16:17.

Bhasin helped LIU maintain the lead, converting a traditional three-point play at 16:08 to give the Blackbirds some padding, 45-36, and three minutes later, she hit two straight jumpers to widen the gap to 51-40 at 12:43.  

But LBSU continued to chip away at the lead, and a three-pointer from Lauren Spargo cut LIU's advantage to 51-49 at 9:43. A minute later, the 49ers were able to tie the game up on a layup after two straight offensive boards. And at 8:05, the home team took its first lead of the day on a layup by Anna Kim.

Brown made a floater in the paint at 6:54, scoring LIU's first points in nearly five minutes. Winter would follow it with a jumper at 6:34 to retake the lead for LIU, 55-54. But a fast-break layup by Kim at 5:22 gave the Beach a 59-57 lead, and LBSU would not relinquish the advantage for the remainder of the game.

Beach guard Hallie Menses drained a crucial three pointer at the two minute mark, giving Long Beach its largest lead of the day, 68-61. The senior would go on to make three free throws in the final minute of play to help her team beat the Blackbirds, 71-63.

Up next, the Blackbirds take on CSU Bakersfield, Tuesday, January 30 at 10 p.m. eastern time.
 
BLACKBIRD BITS
•  The 40 points by LIU in the first half was the most by the squad in a first half this season
•  LIU's 22 point lead at halftime was the biggest lead any team has had over Long Beach State this season.
•  LIU out-rebounded LBSU 31-17 in the first half, and 48-40 in the game.
•  Junior Shanice Vaughan had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
•  Drew Winter and Ashley Brown each finished with nine points in the loss.