BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team could not stop Colgate's fourth quarter surge Saturday afternoon in the Steinberg Wellness Center, as the Blackbirds dropped the game to the Raiders, 63-53. Senior Shanice Vaughan led LIU with 12 points in the loss, which dropped the Blackbirds to 2-4 on the season.

The two teams stayed close early in the game, as neither team would lead by more than three points. Colgate took control of the game in the final minutes of the quarter, when the Raiders scored five unanswered points to go up on the Blackbirds, 13-7 at 2:54. The Raiders would end up outscoring LIU 9-3 to end the first period with a 17-10 lead.  

A layup from senior Shanice Vaughan started the second quarter off for LIU, cutting the lead down to just five points. But Colgate continued to widen the lead with a traditional three-point play at 8:40, to go up, 20-12. From there, a 9-1 run put the Raiders up, 26-13 at 6:04.

Sophomore Paris Jones sparked a run for the home team, when she hit a three pointer with 5:45 on the clock, and Vaughan followed that up with a layup just 15 seconds later. The baskets were two of a 16-2 run by the Blackbirds that helped LIU retake the lead. Sophomore Stylz Sanders finished out the run for LIU by making a free throw, and junior Shanovia Dove made a put-back jumper in the paint as the clock ran down, giving LIU the lead at half time, 29-28.

The Raiders came out of the break, and retook the early lead, scoring five quick points to go up, 33-29. LIU answered with a layup from sophomore DeAngelique Waithe, and a jumper from Sanders at 6:25 tied the game up, 33-33. Jones gave LIU the lead once more just a minute later, when her wide-open three from the left side put the Blackbirds ahead, 36-35. Colgate answered LIU's efforts by scoring five unanswered points to retake the lead, 40-36. LIU kept it close, but the Raiders went into the fourth quarter with a 47-39 advantage.

The fourth quarter was when the visiting team surged for good. The Raiders maintained the lead, but senior Jolanna Ford made back-to-back layups to cut the gap down to 47-43, with 7:08 to play. A minute later, a jumper by Vaughan put LIU within reach, 50-47, but it was the closest the Blackbirds would come.

Over the final five minutes of the game, Colgate went on attack, outscoring LIU 13-2, taking a 63-49 lead with just under a minute left to play. Ford and Vaughan ended the scoring streak with a jumper and a fast break layup in the final 35 seconds, but it was not enough to overcome the gap, and Colgate took the win, 63-53.

Up next, the Blackbirds host NJIT, Tuesday, December 8 at 7 p.m.
 
NOTES FROM THE NEST
- Senior Shanice Vaughan led LIU with 12 points and four assists, while Shanovia Dove had 11 rebounds, five steals and eight points in the loss. Sophomore Parris Jones scored in double digits for the fifth game in a row, with 10 points.
- Sophomore DeAngelique Waithe had a career-high three blocks, all in the first quarter.
- LIU out-rebounded the Raiders, the second time this season the Blackbirds have beaten a team on the boards. LIU also had a season-low in turnovers, along with nine steals.
- Josie Stockill led the Raiders with 23 points and three blocks, shooting 11-for-14 from the field.