Box Score
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BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Six different members of the LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team scored in double digits Saturday in the Steinberg Wellness Center, as the Blackbirds beat Wagner, 77-51. With the win, LIU improves to 8-18, 6-9 in Northeast Conference play.
 
The game got off to a slow start, as neither team could get on the board. The first points of the day came at 18:07, when freshman Aleisha Myers hit two free throws. But the first field goal wouldn't come for another 30 seconds. And when the scoring finally came, it was in quite a spurt. Junior Letava Whippy had a layup at 17:42, and on the next inbounds play, she stole the ball on the press, and drained another layup before Wagner knew what hit them, giving LIU a 6-0 lead at 17:30.
 
Wagner would finally get on the board the next time down the court, and closed the lead to 8-5 at 15:52. A minute and a half later, senior Cleandra Roberts hit her first layup of the day, and from there, the Blackbirds held Wagner scoreless for over nine minutes. LIU would force seven turnovers in what would become a 13-0 run, putting the Blackbirds up, 21-5 with 6:39 left in the half.
 
Wagner scored just 16 points in the first half, shooting 25.9 percent from the field, and going 0-for-9 from behind the arc. LIU would take a 35-16 lead into the break.
 
The Seahawks' shooting improved in the second half, but so did LIU's, as the Blackbirds hit 52 percent of their shots from the field in the second stanza. The Blackbirds had another run early in the half, outscoring Wagner 13-3, to take their widest lead of the day, 48-21 with 15:59 on the clock.
 
From there, Wagner contested, starting to score points, but they would never get closer than 17 points. Freshman Shanovia Dove came alive down the stretch for LIU, scoring five of her career-high 10 points in the final three minutes. In the end, the Blackbirds took the win, 77-51.
 
Senior Cleandra Roberts led the team with 14 points, along with three steals. Junior Letava Whippy was one board away from the double double, as she had 13 points, nine rebounds, five steals and three assists. Freshman Shanovia Dove had a breakout performance, with career-highs in both points (11) and rebounds (8). Sophomore Sophie Bhasin also chipped in 11 points, while junior Kelly Robinson and freshman Aleisha Myers both had 10 points apiece.
 
Up next, the Blackbirds host Fairleigh Dickinson, Monday, February 24 at 7 p.m. in the Steinberg Center. The team will honor the four seniors, Fanny Cavallo, Genise Presley, Cleandra Roberts and Courtney Sullivan, in what will be their final home game.
 
NOTES
LIU outrebounded the Seahawks, 48-31… The Blackbirds hit 20 of 25 free throws… Wagner's Ugo Nwaigwe and Taylor Butigan had a combined nine blocks in the loss… LIU had 42 points in the paint, to Wagner's 16… freshman Aleisha Myers went 2-for-4 from behind the three point line… Both Bhasin and freshman Briana Farris went 4-for-4 at the free throw line… Senior Fanny Cavallo had three blocks and seven rebounds for LIU.